Gladewick Productions (Brief introduction to our company)

Our production company is called Gladewick Productions, we are an independent and niche film company that has a deep investment in the horror genre. The company is founded and based in the UK and only deals with domestic advertising. Our goal is to advertise high quality but low budget psychological horror films that push the boundaries and will deeply intrigue our audience.

Age, Legal Responsibilities, Copyright & Regulation (BBFC)

What is the BBFC?
The BBFC is the British Board of Film Classification which was set-up in 1912 and sets age restrictions on films released on home video and the cinema.

Age Classification:
I think that my railer will be classified as an 15 because there will be scenes of violence, blood, murder, swearing and numerous jump-scares. Though many 15's include sexual activity or some form of nudity, our trailer will not for I do not think this is effective in a horror film.  In horror terms sex is an overused gmmick. Also the setting we are filming is' an shutdown old steel mill, so the age rating would also come with a prior warning to warn impressionable teens, just incase they tried to do it and anything went wrong. Though there is scenes of violence in the trailer it still does not make it an 18, there will be blood and injury's but the camera it will not be dwelled on or exaggerated, making it acceptable for a 15. The violent imagery will not be the focus of the film, more a psychological horror. Plays with the senses.

Legal Responsibilities:
One of the key things to make sure of when creating your film is to make sure everything you are doing is legal, but also ensure everyones safety. The location we are filming is a shut down mill that is no longer in use. So there is a lot of old unused machinery around and many health hazards. But they will only be hazards if we are not aware of them, if we set out duties and precautions before we go then it will all go according to plan. For example there will be no shooting anywhere that is deemed unsafe, like raised platforms that could be unsafe. Also there will be a trained first aider with a first aid kit online. The only issue is the location itself, we do not have any permission to film there, though many people have been there without consent and it has been closed for multiple years. But that is something I am going to look into more before I start shooting. All of the people who are in the film and making it, (Me and Thomas as-well as the actors) have all agreed to make a risk assessment to ensure maximum safety and minimise any risk of anyone getting hurt.

The process requires you to: 

• take the time to systematically look at your activities
• decide what hazards they present
• assess the risk of people being exposed to these hazards
• find ways to either eliminate or control them

(taken from http://www.hse.gov.uk/entertainment/theatre-tv/film.htm)

Censorship and Regulations:

Both these terms are often mixed up, a regulation is a law or order that clearly states how something should or should not be done, no questions asked. Where as censorship is suppressing it from a certain age group or suppressing certain parts of a film or even the whole thing. Alot of films are censored, put it this way, we never see the finished product there are always things altered and cut. For example, and this is an extreme case but a good example, the film 'cannibal holocaust' was a film from the late 1970's and told the story of a documentary crew going to research an ancient tribe in south America, one of the first films to use the found footage style of shooting. People actually believed that the actors were actually being killed in the footage, leading many to believe it was a real snuff film. This was due to the intense and realistic killings and gore, the director was even taken to court until the actors came out of hiding to defend him. This film is still banned in many countries today and can only be viewed by looking online, and then it still isn't easy. That is just an example of extreme censorship. Though for most films, there are not censored so bad it ruins the films, some countries and censorship boards have different things they don't like. Like I said all films we see aren't how it actually is, there is always something cut from the final product due to censorship.

Copyright:

Going back to the legal side of things, another key thing to consider is copyright. The text we will be using for the title and text in the trailer is from a copyright free website with free downloads, we are currently looking at Fontspace. And we have already picked out over half an hours worth of copyright free music to be included in the movie, we've made sure that everything we use is copyright free. Copyright issues are rife in the film industry, and you can lose a lot of money if you go around using copyrighted products, and if it is copyrighted, make sure to contact the owner or holder to see if you are able to use it.

My Trailer Mood-board

Here is the mood-board / collage for my trailer. I basically tried to set out a very basic plot, or general feeling for my trailer. Looking at it you can see the woods and abandoned house, my trailer will be featured in an abandoned mill in the middle of the woods, giving off the effect of isolation and the overpowering sense of nature. And if you pay attention to the other images, the hands, footprints, man in the corner you will notice that none of them are really graphic for a horror film. And that is my plan, I don't want it to be full of blood and gore, i want to intrigue the viewer by tension and  anxiousness (kind of heard but not seen, giving the feeling that something is always watching). My mood-board is also black and white for most of my trailer will be shot at night and it also re-enforces the horror genre and sets the atmosphere. You will not see my antagonist / monster / villian, it will only be heard or nearby like a stalker. But also my villian is not one being, it is an energy of the dead.

Detailed Target Audience Profile

Name: Craig Fox
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Socio-demographic: C1
Race: White

Craig has just recently finished University studying media production and lives in leeds in a one bedroom flat with his dog Henry He has a part-time job working in a local bar primarily working nights. His favourite actor is horror and cinema legend Boris Karloff. He thoroughly enjoys horror films, especially classics like 'Night of the Living Dead' and 'Children of the Corn', he see's these an an escape and likes to imagine himself in these situations without actually being there, he get's a certain adrenaline rush out of it. He often stays up very late at night and watches multiple different horror films and sometimes likes to post his reviews on various different blogs and talk to people about what they have watched and there opinions. But he also likes other genres not just horror, for example comedy. One of his favourite films is Superbad. Around his flat are numerous posters of films like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, but also music posters. Craig is an avid music fan, his favourite bands are the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Stooges. He goes to a lot of gigs, most recently Metallica in Reading. Craig is also a very big fan of fast-food, primarily indian food. With many fast food dishes (mcdonalds, burger king, chinese, indian, dominos)lying around his very messy flat, on-top of all of his clothes that are strewn about the room.He enjoys socialising with friends and often goes out nearly every Friday and Saturday night, you can usually find him in a local nightclub or bar. But during the week he enjoys a trip to the cinema, often viewing a film more than once.

The Cabin in the Woods Trailer Analysis

The Cabin in the Woods is a very misleading film with a big twist, the trailer is the same. It starts with the stero-typical American horror film characters (loosely based), Jock, Cheerleader, Stoner etc. They all get in a RV and drive to a holiday house in the woods, with upbeat catchy non-diagetic music playing you could mistake this for a romance or a comedy. But the music quickly changes to a more sinister sound as the trailer processes, signalling the characters path into danger. The sound / music is critical in film, it sets the atmosphere and foreshadows events, especially in this trailer. Non-Diabetic music is used very effectively. Some 'found footage' camera work is also used in the trailer, giving the viewer the impression this actually happened, or at least makes it seem a little more realistic.

Long shots are used effectively to help show the surroundings, like when they are driving into the woods. A long show is used to show how small they are in comparison to nature. Close up shots are also used to show the characters faces when they see and enter the cabin, showing clear signs of unease and discomfort. The close up shots along with the sound is key in creating the atmosphere, playing with peoples emotions and creating a tense setting. Then the twist is revealed, showing that the strange occurrences are being controlled by a company who are trying to sacrifice our protagonists. Then towards the end of the trailer, there are numerous jump cuts showing all of the action, blood, death, sex gore, all the things people want to see in a horror film and this rush of action fuels peoples adrenaline and makes them want to go and see this film. It happens in a lot of horror / action trailers, towards the end lots of action scenes are shown. It's sort of foreshadowing, slightly showing whats going to happen, but you have to go and pay to see the full thing. Clever marketing.

Matrix Trailer Analysis

The trailer opens with the Warner Bros. logo, but instead of the gold WB and blue sky, its a dark green WB and dark clouds. Instantly giving the film a dark gritty tone to it and also setting it up as a sci-fi based film. The binary text also enforces the sci-fi feel also. Then it cuts to the New York City skyline showing the tops of sky-scrapers and the sky showing that the film is an urban / inner city based film. Also the text "in an ordinary world" foreshadows the fact that there are alternate universes in the film but also re-enforces the psychological aspect of the film. And this scene is followed by our protagonist Neo sitting in his dark office, alone. Again re-enforcing the psychological aspect. But the most important thing I noticed was the green tint on everything, the text and in every scene, it is either green or has a green tint. That goes with the sci-fi genre but is also the colour of the Matrix.

The scene were Neo is alone also presents him as a loner, who is isolated from the outside world. Presenting him as vulnerable in the 'ordinary' world. And by having an isolated, lonely protagonist the audience is given a chosen / holy one, a common character in sic-fi based films where one individual is seen as the key to success and victory. They are usually an everyday person who has some sort of special ability they are un-aware of. The repetition of the constant dull, bleak, urban surroundings allows us to see things through Neo's eyes. Then the two other protagonists are introduced, the mentor and the sidekick / love interest. Again the psychological aspect of the film is exposed, when Neo's mentor tells him he is a slave in the real world. Then the main dilemma is revealed, an evil mutant agent who is described as 'unstoppable' and no-one has ever beaten. The middle section of the trailer is heavily juxtaposed with the first segment. In the first part it shows everyday boring life, pretty basic. But then it goes onto describe the Matrix with bending spoons, martial arts and things defying the natural order. This juxtaposition of sequences is very effective in capturing the audience who are intrigued by the camerawork and graphics.

Towards the end of the trailer more action scenes are included, showing the infamous 'bullet time' camera-work. This is where shots are fired at Neo and he breaks the laws of physics by bending backwards in slow motion to avoid them. This now enforces the action sub-genre aspect of the film for it is a combination of sic-fi and action, with a little romance thrown in for good measure.

Questionnaire (Audience Research)

This is the questionnaire I handed out in todays lesson, it is to find out what people like and do not like in horror films. This is to give us a better idea into what the audience wants to see in a film and will help us plan our trailer. It is very important to see what your audience think, after all they are the people who will be reviewing and judging your product. You need to take many things into account, age, gender, interests. If not you are just shooting in the dark and without a market it is quite hard to make a film because you have no-one to aim it at.

When we get the results and review them it will really help us start to get an idea of what we want to do with our media text.

What makes a good horror film?

What makes a good horror film? Well it's a rhetorical question, there is no clear answer. And if there was there would be no such thing as a bad horror film, just look at the Friday the 13th, or Halloween, or even A Nightmare on Elm Street. All hallmark horror films with iconic characters. But lets be honest they are not the most intriguing horror films. Relying on overused, outdated gimmicks and clichés such as, teen sex, blood, guts and gore. And lets not forget "the trip", it happens in every single time. The protagonist is running away from the pursuing villain and they always seem to fall over, whether it be a tree branch or nothing at all. And surprisingly in every film, they never get up, they crawl forward a couple of feet and are then swiftly captured, meeting there expected demise. What I'm getting at is, I don't want my film to be like all these other predictable and cliché films, so in order to do this there needs to be thorough research and advice from my peers.

The thing is with horror films, most of them seem to be picked from the same barrel of clichés and tropes, and once you start seeing the seams, it's not hard to notice them in each horror you watch. And the thing that annoys me is that these clichés are used over and over and over again, I really can't remember the last horror film that actually shocked me, and didn't just rely on jump scares or something lurking at the edge of the frame. And in the past ten years the found footage genre has taken off. Most people would say it started, or gained notoriety with the release of 'The Blair Witch Project'. And when this first came out it was a fairly original concept. It had the classic screams and odd jump scare, but it did not need blood, guts, sex and gore to shock the audience. It just relied on the constant tension, silence, forest setting, and most importantly the documentary style footage, giving the impression that it actually happened. But it is now 2015, and the found footage genre is slowly becoming predictable and outdated. Though I still believe that this is the most effective way to scare / shock my audience. It is not possible to come up with something completely original, but I think the best way to create a great film, (or trailer), is to make it un-predictable. You could have the worst plot in the world with bad actors, but if you make it un-predictable you can still produce a shocking and good film. Steer clear of overused clichés and tropes. A film that I really enjoyed was 'The Cabin in the Woods', I think it is one of the smartest horror films to date, because it was one, scary, but two, original. It starts with the cliché, 5 stereotypical teens on their way to stay in a cabin in the woods. Upon entering they all instantly have a "bad feeling", having second thoughts about their choice. Then surprise-surprise, they all start drinking and having sex, with zombies rising from the dead and approaching the house. But the big twist comes when we find out that these zombies are being controlled by a company who sacrifice a small group of humans in order to save the human race from an unseen god. So this movie plays on classic clichés and stereotypes, but in a way mocks them and turns a crappy cliché horror flick into an un-predictable sci-fi horror.

There is no clear answer to what makes a good horror film. My thoughts are keep it original, keep it un-predictable. Only then will you have total attention and control over your audience.

DESPERO (First Trailer Draft)

A2 Media Trailer

Title: DESPERO (Latin for no hope or despair)

Age Rating: 18

DESPERO is about four friends who are making a film for a media project about a local rumour. They go to an infamous spot (concrete mill), very well known in the local area where back in the 1960’s dozens of workers were killed when one of the tanks exploded and 3 other men were killed when they fell into a water filled hole and drowned (there’s actually a deep hole of water on the site with warning signs). Various rumours and tales are told, stories like people who never return upon entering. When the four boys arrive to start filming it all starts to go wrong, and what they once thought was a lie, begins to come true.

Stage I:

Four characters, Jamie (Princess), Ethan (Hero), Luke (False-hero), Ryan (The Helper II, behind camera).

All four boys are sitting in the mac room at school, researching the area and planning out their film. Background information is revealed about the site and the strange disappearances that nobody believes.

Stage II:

Ethan, Ryan, Jamie and Luke are walking up to the location through the forest, everyone admitting their nerves and an overwhelming feeling of unease.  Upon arrival at the location everyone splits up and starts looking around the site, looking for places to film and thinking of ideas. When filming noises are going off, bangs, smashes that are created on purpose, then un-explained and un-planned occurrence’s start happening. Also Luke starts to act odd, bursts of anger and sadness. (Jump-scare) Ryan almost hit by object thrown by unknown person. Jamie goes to take a piss.

Stage III:

Everyone starts to panic and realise that something is off, and the gate they used to come in will not open. Luke’s fits of anger become a lot worse until he passes out and starts having a fit on the floor. Ryan notices that Jamie has not returned and sets out to find him while Ethan helps Luke. It’s clear now that there is something seriously wrong with the location they are in, but they must find Jamie before they can leave.

Stage IV:

Jamie is heard shouting for help in one of the rooms, but when Ryan try’s to open the door it is locked. When Ryan goes to look for something to open the door with,   Jamie is heard screaming, Ryan eventually opens the door and Jamie is found dead covered in blood. Luke’s situation becomes worse and Ethan tells shouts for Ryan to hurry up. Jamie’s body has to be left and Ryan and Ethan who is carrying Luke make a break for the gate which they pry open. When they start to run away from the mill, they see Jamie’s lifeless body standing at the end of the road.

(The whole trailer itself will be very quiet, with a faint piano in the background in some scenes, this is a detailed version of the trailer and a lot of the plot included will be cut from the final piece)