Diary Post 5- Filming

Me and my two actors filmed the beginning shots of the film before Kat has her hair cut in the story. We decided to experiment with a quick pan as well as other shots. It was good that we were able to work fast since each shot in my trailer will only need a small amount of filming in each location. We still need to film some shots before I do cut my hair so until then I will analyse more trailers and get the rest of  my location pictures.

Storyboard for my Trailer

(Click View Fullscreen to view Clearly)

This is the storyboard I have made based off of my rough script. There is roughly 60 shorts but many of the shots will be quick cut and use voiceover to save time. Looking at my storyboard, I have noticed that many shots are basic and the same. When filming I will consider more interesting shots such as ariel, establishing and extreme close up.
The storyboard helps me visualise my idea and I will use this when filming so that I can tick off scenes,

Character Profiles

These character profiles help to create scenes to my trailer as well as add background info to the film. To enforce their characters further I will soon look into costumes and certain props that each character may be seen with.

Script- Very rough plan

Before I think about all my locations and my storyboard I wanted to have my basic ideas so I could work upon them roughly before making any final decisions. When typing this up I had to change orders and some intitial ideas as well as think about the locations that I can use for each scene. So far many of the ideas are only ones that I can understand or vision so my storyboard and animatic will make this clearer. When typing this I have also considered props and the time of day as well as some cinematography. I have also used my 14 scenes and mixed them up so that it's more trailer-like. Next I will do my storyboard so this idea is clear and structured. 

(Click to View Bigger)

Font +Inter/Title update: Final

 After thinking my story idea through I reconsidered a new title for my film. I went with "Get yourself together" as it humorously implies the fact that the two characters are not in their own bodies as well as being a phrase people say to others to imply that they encounter issues and need to comply themselves, which is true of my characters with their odd personalities.

I liked the indie look from analysing 'Before I Disappear' so went with this psychedelic look for the background which connotes the quirkiness of the film and draws in the attention of young adults and teenagers, which also works since my film is semi-independent.

The font I used is bold yet broken up to imply the differences and space between the two main characters as well as looking fantasy-like since my film would technically be fantasy.
I will use this font for the Little White Lies magazine cover and poster for convergence and consistency.

The background I found is actually a moving image from youtube which is free to download and use. I will use this for my other intertitles during the trailer.

Film Title + Font Ideas

From looking at several films I could either focus the title on one genre or try to imply that the film is a comedy and thriller . I also want it to imply that the film is about switching bodies. I also want the title to be short and snappy.

These are my title ideas:

1. The Body Swap
2. Mash-Up
3. Duo
4. The Do Over
5. Juxtaposition
6. Belief and Denial 
7. It's love-hate relationship 
8. Hot Ice
9. The Rematch
10. Start Over

I chose my three favourite title and used Dafont and photoshop to get an idea of what they would look like in posters and on magazines. I used my font research to get ideas of how to edit them. I like all three so I will ask others or do a survey to see which one fits bests.

Institution Research and Chosen Institution

To search into which production company I should use for my film I looked into comedy thrillers and semi-independent films and found out who produced each. I found that several films of similar genres are backed by the same companies so I looked into these companies more, finding out about their history and other films they have made.

I found that Working Title and Studio Canal is good to use since they produce small films but get them funds from Hollywood companies. They have produced Edgar Wright's comedy thriller/horror films so this means I could use them for my comedy thriller since it is a British semi-independent film that would still be shown to many.

I also looked at Marv films since they have produced films that are closer to my genre such as Kick-Ass and Kingsman. I may use this since they fit with my film genre more. If I do use Marv then I will also use a Hollywood company in the inter titles since all of their films do. 

Little White Lies Magazine Cover Photoshop Practice

We practiced on photoshop to create something similar to our final magazine cover. Since Little White Lies use graphic art I searched that in and found a nice graphic image of Marilyn Monroe so made up an issue on her and used the conventions from the magazine as a reference.
I've used photoshop for several years so I am confident with it and could easily produce this cover.
When editing I used Marilyn Monroe's signature and then used some pre-font from photoshop to create the title. I also added a puff and used similar colours to the background.

  I went for Little White Lie's more common design that has less text since when I attempted to add text it was difficult to read. From this I have learnt that I will use a dark background so that the colours won't clash and will be easy to read. I will also need to practice actually doing my own art for the cover.

Little White Lies magazine cover analysis 2

• The central image shows the main character from the film, This Is England by Shane Meadows which uses a punk artistic style with graffiti in the background to suggest the social realistic genre. The character, Shaun is making eye contact with the viewer yet with a angry expression. However the pose and provocative swearing draws in niche audiences since this isn't usually seen on the front cover of a magazine. The graffiti reading Lol  which attracts teenage audiences since the director wanted the film to be viewed by 15 year olds yet it is also a reference to one of the character's named Lol
• The issue name is loosely centred at the bottom of the cover which also breaks conventions of a magazine yet also suggests the angst nature of the film and that it's about thugs and punks. The font is graffiti and in the style of the Sex Pistols which implies that the film is set in the 70s or 80s 
• His costume further suggests the idea of punks and combined with the colours, further suggesting  that the film is set in the 80s
• This issue is shown to focus on This Is England as well as UK films and talents  which will target UK audiences the most as well as acknowledge them.

There isn't much difference in this magazine cover to the first LWL that I analysed but I have learnt another way of advertising to niche audiences by being outgoing and solely basing the cover on one topic. 

I want to use LWL as my initial inspiration so I will use it's layout yet use my own image and writing. 

Production Schedule

To keep on track with filming I have colour coded a plan for when I need to film, baring in mind that one of my actors gets his work schedule weekly so I will take advantage of the days that he is off.
Before I film at all I need to record for film studies coursework so I will use the time starting now until the 22nd to do so. I will also use the school days we get off, especially the Christmas Holidays.
I also need to film scenes with Kris before I get my hair cut since one of my scenes shows my character having her hair cut when the switch begins, but I need scenes beforehand to show the character development and change in the film. I want to film everything before we go back to school so that I can begin to edit with the time left until the end of January.

Magazine Cover-What Artistic Style to use + Plan

Since there isn't much change in text for each of Little White Lie's front covers I am going to just decide what artistic composition and style I should use.
Firstly I could make one like the 2nd cover, and show half of each of my character's faces each. I also like the contrasting sickly bright colours and facial expression. However this cover style works for just one actor, showing their different characters. This also show's a clear comedic genre.
On the other hand I could make my cover like the 3rd cover and overlap each of my character's faces to show how they've swapped bodies which with the contrasting colours would show the boy vs girl or good vs evil theme.  The dark background would advertise my film as more of a thriller which is okay but this way it would only target half my audience.

My plan for my magazine cover would use a similar composition to the 1st cover by LWL. I want to have my female character with a blank expression and heart shaped sunglasses on whilst the viewer can see the male character in the reflection of her glasses, grinning at the audience. This would infer a small idea to the narrative of the film; that it's about a couple against each other, and this can connote mainly the thriller genre, but some comedy elements to it too.
I would draw this out as a plan first, then take images and draw this on photoshop.
For the colours I will use contrasting bright colours such as the pink and blue or pink and green then draw the image in a type of retro style similar to the Drive cover. I will then use my analyses of other LWL cover's to do the text.

Little White Lies magazine cover analysis

• The central image shows one of the main characters from The Darjeeling Limited movie by Wes Anderson. The image appear to be a photo that has been photoshopped to look artistic,  conforming to Anderson's style. (Every Little White Lies cover attempts to resemble the style of the film through their style of drawing). Not unlike other magazine covers, the actor in character is looking directly at the audience, making eye contact. However the artistic style is so unique itself that that alone will draw in niche audiences. The image itself suggests comedy due to the head bandage and plasters as well as the Monty Python style in the art but also drama due to the expression.
• The Masthead is in small Western Styles typography in a circle which adds a further uniqueness. The tagline "Truth & Movies" creates bland humour as it is ironic to the title of the company, which may have been used since many semi-indepedent movies have different forms of comedy.
• Each issue cover is called "(The title of the Movie) Issue" which suggests the cover is focusing mainly on The Darjeeling Limited alone. 
• Unlike many, this magazine cover has several titles from the other articles used so that the cover looks less empty . The phrasing used is very different and regularly uses play on words and partial alliteration such as "Magic in the music"- this further suggests that articles look at more than just narratives or actors but also different features of films. 
• There are no convergent links which again is very unique but this may be due to the fact that the magazine appears to be focusing more on one movie than several movies There is also little text and nothing in either pug which breaks the conventions of a regular magazine cover.

From analysing this magazine cover I might want to make a cover that's more from an independent magazine unlike Variety. Though most of Little White Lie's covers only show one person, I can still find a way of showing my two main characters by having one wear sunglasses and the other be reflected in them. This gives further ideas for my trailer since I want the artistic style of my cover to resemble the vibe of the film.  

Variety Magazine Cover Analysis

• What is eye catching to the audience is the fact that the cover is black and white which suggests sophistication and a serious tone to the magazine. Variety is usually in colour which will make this issue appear more exclusive.
• The traditional font in black and white also conform to the serious tone that Variety want to portray. The use of an unsaturated colour palette can also infer that Variety are willing to try a variety of new things, which is true to their name and therefore reliable
• The masthead is placed behind the central image since Variety is well known enough that people can see half the text and know what the magazine is. 
• The Puff next to the masthead which is featured on every cover reads "Dec N21" which is the issue number of that month
• The central image contrasts the serious tone since is shows Mark Ruffalo & Jessica Chastain laughing and smiling. Ruffalo is making eye contact with the audience yet Chastain has her eyes shut which portrays a sweet, light hearted image of the two which draws in female audiences who will view their relationship as sweet.
• They are also dressed formally which gives them a sophisticated image. Their dark clothes also fit in with the late season that this issue was released
• The lighting shows a contrasted image but is pleasant to the viewers eyes as there is lighting from in front and behind the models
• The framing of the image covers 3/4 of the page with no secondary images so that it doesn't appear distracting and therefore the articles can be inferred as easy and relaxing to read. The lack of much text also shows this
• The tagline, "Actors on Actors" suggests that the main article will be about actors talking with or talking about other actors and actresses which will draw in different audiences who enjoy each
• From each pug at the top it reads the names of 3 more articles that are featured in the magazine where bold is used to draw the audience to the most interesting point of that article
• Towards the bottom the convergent link reads "Plus 13 more Inside, p,30" to show that there's a lot for the audience 

From analysing this magazine cover it appears that Variety aim towards and older audience who want something relaxing to read. Since my film is a comedy thriller this magazine cover may not work so well to replicate as I want the audience to be excited and thrilled by the cover. Next I will analyse a Little White Lies magazine cover since they appear more exciting and are used to advertise semi-independent films. Nevetheless this magazine cover was still good to analyse incase I want to show both my main characters on the front cover. 

Diary Post 4- What to analyse next?

I have analysed several film trailers as well as film posters and now I have a clearer idea of the film I am going to make, I can analyse magazine covers which will fit my film.
Since my film is going to be semi-independent I don't want to analyse anything from Total Film or Empire. Instead I want to look at magazines such as Variety, Little White Lies and maybe the Hollywood reporter.
Though Variety and The Hollywood Reporter aren't film magazines they will occasionally focus on actors or directors and since my film has two main characters they are useful to look at since they'll put several people onto one cover. Little White Lies is also interesting since they focus on semi-independent films which are still popular yet they use art styles. This would be fairly easy for me to interpret into my own ideas since I do art. However Little White Lies don't show two people together, so instead I could focus the cover on one of my main actors.
I'm not sure which magazine I want to use as my primary inspiration so this is why I'll look at several. If I still don't decide I may make two magazine covers and chose one that I like the best.

Target Audience

I have several target audiences since my trailer will bring lovers of both comedies and thrillers together. As a postmodern genre, largely younger audiences including young adults to 35 year olds will be most targeted.

Since the film focuses on a couple, couples will largely enjoy the film as they can compare themselves to the situations and ask each other if they'd do the same. This would influence the Two-Step flow, so word about the film will be passed onto friends.

Due to it's thriller elements, the film cannot necessarily be enjoyed by large groups of friends but it comedy elements could draw groups of friends to watch it.


The film will attract middle classed white people due to the characters being this. However the generic urban settings and Hollywood-type plot can attract american and other foreign audiences.

The film will also target those who enjoy to watch films alone as it asks a lot of questions and causes the audience to reflect on themselves. The dark humour of the film and psychological aspects of it won't be enjoyed by some groups whereas an individual can focus on these parts more than if they had a distraction.

How does my trailer conform to a comedy thriller genre?

(The video may need to be paused to read all four slides)
I looked at how my trailer is going to conform to the comedy thriller genre. I wrote short paragraphs on some of the themes such as plot and setting. I used imagery from known comedy thrillers to show my ideas more clearly. Next I will need to  look at each theme in more detail to ensure my ideas.

Diary Post 3-Filming a Preliminary task + Video

We got into groups and filmed a fake teaser trailer. The trailer was about a girl with an imaginary friend. We had a task list to incorporate as many shots as we could so that we could practice our camera work. To film we used the schools digital camera and a tripod. We also used interior and exterior settings which included the school english block, the stairs and the grounds outside; we used these since a trailer shows different settings. Me and Holly were behind the camera whilst Ellenia and Ellie acted.
We then edited this on Abobe Premier which is very basic but allowed us to make a basic teaser trailer. Since we could not listen to music on the school computers, Holly edited the rest of the film on her laptop.
When doing a 'birds eye' view shot the tripod was shown in shot which we did not realise at the time. From this I can learn to view my recordings before leaving a location so that we do not have to re-shoot and therefore save time.

In our final video Holly was able to edit the shot so that the tripod would not show up, It is clear that in my final trailer I will need much more settings and change of costumes. The sound was also unclear so I may need to record sound over the final edit so that audiences can hear it better.
From this task we were able to learn what angles worked well and what didn't.

Font + Title Research

I took the titles from several film posters and DVD covers and analyses the look of them, their names and the impact they give on audiences. From this I can decide the name and the look of my own film title in which I will create different titles using photoshop.

Diary Post 2- Response to teacher feedback

I am pleased with the feedback I have received and will now use the targets to go back and improve past work as well as keep them in mind for future posts. I may put some texts posts on a different media to show a range of ICT. I will also try to use audience theories to justify my points and establish my own audience.

Date Night Theatrical Poster Analysis

(Click to View Bigger)

I looked at this poster for the film Date Night which unlike my other films that I have looked at, this one did not have so much advertising. I chose to analyse this poster since it has a background whereas the early poster was only grey, so I had more to analyse. In terms of genre this poster connotes a good mix of both comedy and thriller through it's mise en scene. This is also a very spacious poster unlike others that bundle a lot of text and imagery in, so I could consider opting for this approach. This poster also fairly well show the two main characters and their personalities so if I go for this approach, I will need to focus on costume and props.

Before I Disappear Theatrical Trailer Analyses

Genre

The genre of the film is noted as a drama yet in the trailer and throughout the film there are clear themes of comedy as well as thriller. There is some elements of dark humour as well as satire which less noticeable in some parts of the trailer and film such as where Sophia asks Richie if he takes vitamins. There is also an element of crime since the main character finds a body and only later finds out who did it, yet this isn't key to the narrative.

Narrative

The film focuses on a 25-30 year old that's on the brink of suicide when his estranged sister asks him to look after her 11 year old daughter. However when his sister doesn't return home he has to continue to look after his niece whilst under different influences and trying to keep her safe from other people.
Unique Selling Point

The film is unique for looking at the relationship between an uncle and his niece which, personally, I cannot think of any other film that looks like this relationship in such a heartwarming and also sad way. The film also has clever humour since it's funny yet still holds meaning, so it isn't flat.

Target Audience

Though including a young girl as one of the main character's, the film is largely targeted towards men and woman ranging from 16-40 as it deals with mental, family and relationship issues. It also deals, but doesn't dwell on, issues on masculinity and the ability men have to show emotion. For younger teenage audiences the film teaches them not to worry about grades as much, but to still love your parent/s for trying to make you do your best. The film is also targeted towards mainly a white, American audience and can appeal to spectators from New York as the main character has this accent. Furthermore the film was originally a short which was the winner of the 2014 SXSW audience award, so those who saw the short first would be intrigued to see the full narrative.

Music

The trailer only uses three songs throughout, two of which each take up almost each half of the short trailer. The first song is calm and whimsical which juxtaposes the angry phone conversation until it transitions to an upbeat song by the American indie rock bank Io Echo. The song is enchanting and mystical which connotes the main character's delusions that the audience are introduced to at the beginning of the trailer. It also implies the fun action themes to the film. However towards the middle-end the song is changed to a much slower song where the female's soft, lullaby-type singing enforces the sad themes and the idea of death. This is where much of the sadder and more thriller scenes are shown as compared to the beginning where most of the comedy is shown.

Shot Types/Camera Angles + Pace

The trailer changes is pace according to whether Richie or his sister are shown. In many shots, slow motion is shown to imply Richie's slow thoughts and drug influence whereas a quick pace is used to connote Maggie's uneasiness and erratic character.

In terms of camera angles a lot of  close ups are used to let the audience feel closer to the characters. Noticeably, no establishing shots are used to allow the narrative to be applied to anyone living between rough and rich areas that the trailer shows each of. Furthermore many tracking shots and low angles. Interestingly, the low angles are not used to connote the idea that the audience should look up to the character's but to imply an unsafe environment as from this angle the character's weaker emotions are shown when used.

Dialogue +Voiceover

From the argument at the beginning on the phone to the voiceover of Richie explaining what others have called him, it is clearly shown that he is a low class character with not to much to show. Much of the trailer includes his voice and only some from the other characters. Much of the dialogue shows the character's personalities but doesn't reveal so much what happens without looking at the shots that play alongside. Much of the comedy is said through the quirky dialogue as well as one-liners.

Special Effects

There are little to no special effects used in the trailer nor film. 

Many effects or stunts are practical.CGI been used,however in some shots it's clear that lighting and sometimes filters are used which shows that the film is going back to basics with it's filming style. The film is much more focused on interesting props and practical and stylised effects

Credits and Intertitles

There are only a few intertitles in this trailer since it's a semi-independent film and used C-B list actors and actresses. The intertitles switch between between on their own shot or overlaid a shot from the film yet hold constancy and synergy in the blue and yellow colours chosen:

"ICU Films"-0:00 Distribution intertitle

"Winner SXSW Film Festival Audience Award 2014"-0:18

"Official Selection Venice Film Festival 2014 Venice Days"-1:08

"From Academy Award* Winner Shawn Christensen"-1:37 This the main character and the director. No other actor or actress has been noted despite large actors like Ron Perlman and Paul Wesley to perhaps get the directors name out and since the other two are such large names the audience does not need to be told who they are since they can match the face to a name.

"BEFORE I DISAPPEAR"-2:05 The name of the title comes on a few letters at a time and then fades to resemble the coming and going of Richie's character.

"*Production information*"-2:12

From this trailer I am inspired by the lack of effects, the witty comedy and the interesting angles used. This also shows that I may not have to use as many songs as originally planned since I couldn't see only 2/3 songs working at first. Though this film isn't seen as a thriller it shows many elements of the genre. I like the way it shows the comedic scenes before it gets serious, with the change of song. Therefore I may only imply some of the thriller yet advertise my film as more of a comedy drama that will have more serious scenes later on.

Kingsman: The Secret Service Theatrical Trailer Analysis

Genre
The film is a comedy thriller.This is clear through the mix of character stereotypes, chavs and posh people. Also alike with American Ultra and Shaun of the Dead, Kingsman has odd weapons such as an umbrella gun and swords for stilts.
Narrative
A spy organisation promises a street kid into their agency's competitive training program as a global threat emerges from an unlikely evil genius. Eggsy's father was part of the agency until he died and later in his life Eggsy discovers he can fight and become a great spy as Samuel L. Jackson plays a nerdy genius who wants to put down the population numbers.

Unique Selling Point
The unique selling points of the film is that there is an unlikely main character as a spy as well as Samuel L.Jackson playing a hipster looking villain that hates the sight of blood yet is still evil. Further more the film has a combination of well known British and American actors. This is also a comedy spy film which hasn't been done in this thriller way which is very different to James Bond of Austin Powers.
Target Audience
The film mainly targets young men in lower and middle classes. However due to well known actors such as Colin Firth and Samuel L.Jackson older and more mature audiences will also watch the film.
Music
The music starts from the beginning with a gangster type tune with only a bass line. The music stops around 26 seconds. At 40 seconds the music begins to rise intensely before the first main action sequence plays at 57 seconds where the music then becomes heavier. Again it calms down at 1 minute 12. The song changes at 1 minute 14 to another song plays that now has drums and guitar as well as a heavy base to infer action. Lyrics come in around 1 minute 50 and the song continues until the end where it fades down. This song is a new track from rap artist Iggy Azalea and singer Ellie Golding which will target female audiences of different tastes.
Shot Types/Camera Angles + Pace
The trailer largely shows mid shots and close ups with the occasional establishing shots. The pace is overall quick with shot cuts as well flashes of black and white which is very quick. There are also lots of two shots and some shots that are low angle but most are standard. There are some slow motion shots also for action sequences.
Dialogue + Voiceover
There is no voiceover from any unknown voice over than when dialogue from one scene is placed over shots from other scenes. Dialogue is a mixture of slang as well as profound and intelligent language from different characters. There is also some swearing yet certain , more offensive words are cut short and replaced with a gunshot to imply comedy.
Special Effects
There is a large use of special effects or gunshots, blood and explosions. There is also technical effects for things such as the water rising and most likely a green screen used for the sky jumping scene. The film relies on effects to be successful and also as a target for audiences who want to see action.
Credits and Intertitles
The trailer starts with a rating green and the logo for 20th Century Fox is shown a few seconds after some shots followed by the logo to Marv which will target audiences who enjoyed their other similar films like Kick-Ass. Marv is also a British company whilst Fox is American which further targets the two countries. The credits then follow which are written in Gold on a black background in which the font moves forward. Each credit shows for 3 seconds or less-
"On February 13"- 1 minute 14
"From Matthew Vaughn Director of X-Men: First Class"- 1 minute 51. This further targets explorers who like X-Men or the director
"Kingsman The Secret Service"- 2 minutes 29. The Kingsman logo is also shown here
"*lots of actors names flash with only half a second each so viewers cannot even read without pausing*"2 minutes 30
"Feburary 13 #Kingsman Kingmanmovie.Com"-2 Minutes 31
"In Premium Large Format Theaters"- 2 Minutes 33


From this trailer I can learn to use different editing techniques such as black and white and pans. I can also see how important the dialogue and costume for each character is and how the audience will be effected.I will have to do quick editing rather than loads of long scenes towards the end of the trailer so it feels more intense.

American Ultra Theatrical Trailer Analysis

Genre

The genre of the film is an action comedy with small elements of thriller and romance. This is since we are shown a couple fighting against the government with guns and radical weapons. The fact that this odd mash-up of props and genres are shown creates humour to the genre.
Narrative
The film is about a young adult couple, Mike and Phoebe. The two are laid back cliché stoners living in America. Mike is in fact a sleeper agent but doesn't know it until he realises he can fight with amazing skill. He is marked as a liability and is targeted for extermination by the CIA but may be too hard for them to fight. Phoebe helps along his side aiding him but becomes a target for helping Mike too.  This narrative is clear through the use of props and costume such as bongs and plaid shirts, as well as guns and men dressed as CIA agents.
Unique Selling Point
Audiences have seen films about a man fighting against the government which usually falls in the crime genre yet this film changes the main character and adds more quirky characters to appeal to younger audiences, The film also appears to somewhat parody general action/fighting the government film by making the main character a laid back hippy.
Target Audience
The film overall targets young adult American's yet due to Kristen Stewart's large part this also targets females as well. Many of the actors have appeared in films that appeal to young audiences such as Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland), Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga) and Connie Britton (American Horror Story). This ensures that mainstream audiences will watch. However explorers that follow the actors and enjoy the unique narrative will also want to watch the film.
Music
Five songs are used in the theatrical trailer. The first is intense and something audiences would expect from a cliché war film. This song is used when the background of sleeper agents is told to the audiences as if it's from a documentary. The song stops at 16 seconds to create comedic effect when Mike is first shown and a new song plays at 22 seconds. The second song is happy and upbeat like supermarket music but again stops and changes at 24 seconds where the music becomes intense. Again it stops and starts again at 42 seconds where a heavy bass and drums are played to infer action and 'awesomeness'. At 1 minute 16 this song fades sharply into the popular song 'Hey Mama' by David Guetta and Nicki Minaj. This song is also upbeat and gets the audiences excited as well as target mainstream audiences. It is noticeable that the music stops when comedic lines or intense quick action sequences are shown.
Shot Types/Camera Angles + Pace
The trailer shows a wide range of shots which quickly change to connote that it's an action movie. There is a lot of long shots and low angles to show the urban setting which is common for an action. When comical parts are shown close ups and midshots are used. The pace is also slowed down when one liners are shown then sped back up afterwards,
Dialogue +Voiceover
The trailer begins with a voiceover from an unknown male which explains the history of sleeper agents and the CIA . Lots of one liners for comedic or an intense effect as well as general talk is shown to tell the narrative.
Special Effects
Many special effects and sounds are used such as gun shots and explosions as well as computer generated imagery to make the CIA look demeaning. CGI was also most likely used for such shots like the gun hitting the frying pan. There are also effects that didn't use CGI such as sugar glass used for when Mike smashes a guy through a freezer as well as a lot of fake blood. The effects are common yet still impressive for viewers that want something fulfilled with action to watch.
Credits and Intertitles
All the credits are shown on their own screens and are only shown for 3 seconds or less.The Lionsgate logo is shown 22 seconds in instead of a the beginning like usual. The next intertitles are white text on an orange background in capital bold font which is also used for the teaser posters to create synergy.These also zoom into the background and have a moving smoke effect.
There are also only a few intertitles shown as most of the trailer shows action and dialogue.
The first intertitle is shown at 1 minute 7 which reads "From the directors of Project-X" which is used to target explorers that follow the director.
The next credits go in order:
"When they made him a target- 1 minute 23
"He had to fight back"-1 minute 38
"This Summer"-1 minute 49
"Smoke"-1 minute 52. This is also a play on word for 'Kill'
"Them"- 1 minute 55
"All"-1 minute 57
"American Ultra"- 2 minutes 19. This credit also has chrome effect where the two words that slide in are in different colours, gold and red.
The last credit reads "In theatres August 21st" which also has links and rating information

This trailer shows a good balance of action and comedy which helps me when it comes to balance thriller with comedy. To get a good comedic effect I will need to use several songs that stop for one liners and are upbeat but also intense. I can also consider amusing props and new settings as well as shooting at night as this trailer shows a lot of shots at night time. I also want to get the low angle and establishing shots.

Diary Post 1-Key Scenes for Trailer

I have my idea for my film trailer set and a basic set of scenes and synopsis. Next I will list 14 key scenes of my film so that I have a clearer idea of what to include in my trailer. I will consider scenes and characters that I have available then look further into places and people I can use. For now I will consider what happens without thinking too much about cinematography. Afterwards I will think of a name for my film then use films as inspiration for the types of shots and editing that I will use.

Initial Full Film Idea + Synopsis

• My film is a comedy thriller
• There are two main actors a male and female
• The two main characters are boyfriend and girlfriend
• Without any indication as to why, the couples bodies swap
• The two are desperate to switch back and aim to find out why whilst living as each other
• Amusing things happen whilst in each others bodies- this idea is mainly inspired by Freaky Friday
• However the boyfriend, who is in the younger girlfriend's body, wants to stay in her body to have a new life 
• Instead of working together, the girl (in her boyfriend's body) has to work alone to switch back into her body-this is where the thriller elements come in which is inspired by scenes from Heathers 
• At the end Kat isn't able to find out what switched them. In a dramatic talk with Kris they agree on hopefully waiting to be able to switch back. Kat is left unhappy and the film ends on a cliffhanger

This is my initial full film plan idea. Of course, the last scenes will not be in the trailer but these bullet points help to give me key scenes that I will include. I've including in this list some films that are not comedy thrillers but are of either genre so will inspire some scenes and ideas.

Next I will think of scenes and create an order for my trailer.

Synopsis

Katherine and Kristian were a happy 18 and 20 year old couple.  Katherine goes to collage whilst Kristian is unemployed. With no indication as to how or why, the couple’s bodies swap. At first, the couple find this amusing and play around with each other’s bodies whilst also being freaked out. They agree that they'll live as each other until they find out how to change back. Whilst living as each other they discover things about their friends such as secrets- including Kris's friend admits to him (whilst in Kat's body) that he likes her. At other points whilst Kris is at school in Kat's body her friends seem confused by 'her' behaviour. Kristian also slacks when it comes to doing Kat's work which causes her grades to go down since he doesn't understand her subjects. Whilst Kat is in Kris's body his friends argue with her and she becomes distressed. At this point the couple have made no progress and Kat discovers that Kris wants to stay in her body. Kat has to work alone to win her body back and will go to any length to do so. At this point Kristian is enjoying his new life as Kat and uses the switch to mess with her life by drinking and gambling. Kat and Kristian end up fighting and hit each other comically, Kat in Kris's body is alarmed to have hurt her own face as Kristian in Kat's body wails as he didn't realise the strength Kat has in his body. However Kat is still annoyed at Kristian and threatens with a knife to kill her own body saying that if she can't have her life back then no one can have it.

Being a comedy thriller like Seven Psychopaths, I felt it would make more sense to leave the film on an unexpected cliffhanger which will distress audiences, putting them in the same mood at Kat would be and leaving them to assume their would maybe be a sequel. This is also inspired by SightSeers which ends with the girlfriend killing the boyfriend which was highly unexpected, seeing as the boyfriend seemed like the worse person in comparison.

14 Key Scenes for my Film

These are my 14 key scenes for my film that I will base my scenes on. Not every scene such as the last 3 scenes will be used as it will give away the end. I will keep to these scenes when I type up my rough plan then storyboard. Then I will decide where to shoot these scenes and who to use for my characters.

*Some of these scenes have been since updated due to further research into more films. However largely just includes the ending scenes which wouldn't be shown in a trailer anyway.

Mood Board for Comedy Thrillers

I found images online from comedy thrillers to look at props and cinematography.These images help with shots and settings that I can use as well as the type of characters. There seems to be a lot of weapons, some that are silly, and low angled shots as well as two shots and stedicam shots.There are also bright colours, lighting and a contrast of serious with comedy.

Analysis of Kingsman the Secret Service Theatrical Poster

(Click to View Bigger)

I analysed this poster since it's a comedy thriller to see how it's been marketed and laid out. They've marketed the film more as a thriller with small elements that it's a comedy too. There won't be so many characters in my film so I won't use this as a guide for the layout but perhaps as a guide for props and poses to use.

Class fake rom-com trailer order vs Comedy Thriller trailer order

For class we made up a fake trailer and wrote several scenes. I then ordered this in a way I'd expect to see the scenes in a rom-com trailer. I then chose to look at the actual order for "Deadpool" since I am looking at comedy thrillers, to help me understand how to order my own trailer.

Kick-Ass Teaser Poster analysis

(Click to View Larger)

I analysed two similar posters from Kick-Ass since together they share conventions which is interesting to analyse. I looked mainly into the first poster at it implies more that the film has thriller as well as comedic elements. Since my film uses only two main characters, if it were possible I could make one for each character. On the other hand I could make a teaser poster for just one of my main characters and focus on the scenery as well as a tagline for them.

Shaun of the Dead Theatrical Poster Analysis

(Click Image to View Bigger)

I have begun to look into the sub genre of comedy thrillers. Though this is considered a romantic horror it is still helpful in deciding how to lay out my theatrical poster by showing how you can combine the genres together by using different colours and a contrast of imagery. This is interesting in the use of layout of text but the overall imagery cannot inspire anything for my poster since I have two main characters and not many other characters.

Generic Conventions of a Comedy Thriller

This is where I've started to think of making a comedy thriller. I designed a list on easel.ly of some conventions that you can find in a thrillers, comedies and the sub genre of the two. Making this has helped sum up the conventions and areas of ideas that I can look at. Comedy thrillers largely differ from each other so the list is very generic and simplified. I added imagery to show the main features of a comedy thriller. By creating this I can begin to decide on and narrow down my idea .

The Hangover Theatrical Poster analysis

(Click Image to View Bigger)

I looked at the Hangover which helps me with how to layout text and how to fit a lot into one image. The poster only slightly shows the thriller side and focuses more on comedy so I want to look at other posters that may show both. From looking at this poster I may think about taglines or slogans to put into my poster as well as a different way of saying "Coming to Cinemas" since this poster breaks conventions by reading "Feel it".

Legend Theatrical Trailer analysis

Genre

• The genre of the film is still a historical gangster crime film, however the theatrical trailer shows that there is also romance and an element of humour. The reason to only show these two other elements in the theatrical trailer may due to the fact that they develop the film and are not necessarily needed to sum up the film in the teaser trailer. 

Narrative

• The narrative of the film is also further developed in the theatrical trailer as there is a clearer difference between the brothers since more of Hardy's scenes are shown. The audience now knows that there's rivalry between the brothers and that one has a love interest in a female character that wasn't even shown in the teaser trailer, and that the other brother is psychotic yet has desires for men which was controversial in the 50s, causing the audience to wonder more about the two characters and how well Hardy is able to portray two different people. 

Unique Selling Points

• The unique selling point is still the same, that Tom Hardy plays both brothers. However the theatrical trailer dwells on this more as the credits towards the end reads "Tom Hardy plays Reggie Kray" and "Tom Hardy plays Ronnie Kray" which are shown separately. Marketing an actor as if he's two people himself hasn't been seen before which interests the audience. Other selling points also include supporting actor and actress Christopher Eccleston and Emily Browning which are known for other large roles in films and on TV.

Target Audience

• This still entices predominately white males aged 18-50 and females but the longer trailer which surprisingly has a romantic storyline will engage mainstream audiences.

Music

• There are three songs used in the theatrical trailer. The first is a relaxed, fairly old fashioned song to fit in with the 50s style and acts like an equilibrium to the film.It is used to introduce the characters.  However it jumps into a faster, contemporary song with a serious tone which engages the audience and shows that it's not a mundane film but is a crime film as this is where scenes of action and violence are shown. Lastly the tone changes again with a calmer, sadder song played as the struggle of the brothers rivalry and troubles with the love interest are shown which reminds the audience that the film is based on reality. The different music shows different tones to the film as well as lay out it's plot which engages the audience who want more of a 'ride' as opposed to something easy to watch or constantly exciting. 

Shot Types/Camera Angles + Pace

• A larger range of shots are shown such as a slow beginning establishing shot of London to introduce the audience and engages British audiences. Slower paces are used as the trailer is 2 minutes 24 seconds and has time to develop the narrative. This is not to say that good cinematography isn't shown. Each shot shown is still artistically engaging to show more prestigious audiences that effort was put into each shot. There is still some fast editing to show the aspect of action. 

Dialogue + Voiceover

• The dialogue gives the largest indication to the plot and establishes each of the main characters. Similarly to the teaser trailer, the theatrical trailer laps the dialogue over some of the imagery. However since longer shots are shown there are scenes that show the true dialogue with it's own shot. Through the dialogue we learn that one of the brothers is more suave whilst the other is psychotic since in each performance, Tom Hardy gives one brother a posh voice and the other a grouchy tone. The dialogue also suggests some subtle verbal humour in one scene where one brother is calming down the other. This suggests that the film isn't fully serious and has it's light hearted moments. This time there is not voiceover as a longer trailer should draw in the audience alone. 

Special Effects

• The special effects shown is the same as the teaser trailer as the genre of the film does not need them so largely. This choice may have been to spend more budget on duplicating the twins as the main special effect.

Credits and Intertitles

• The credits span out more across the whole of the trailer and read differently than those of the teaser trailer. In order they read, "Based on the true story".."of the twins".."who ruled the city".."from the academy award winning screen writer of  L.A. Confidential and Mystic River".."Tom Hardey is Reggie Kray".. "Tom Hardy is Ronnie Kray".."Legend". *Journal and magazine 4/5 star ratings*.."in cinema sep 9"..*Social media with links*. With some of the credits comes a change in music to add drama and a serious tone to the vibe of the film, which also draws more attention to the messages as well as imagery. The credits have little words and are cut quickly to fit in more imagery and plot line.

As I want to make a comedy thriller, this trailer as a thriller is helpful to understand the change in tones I will have to incorporate as well as a decision to use several songs. It also helps guide me to know how much storyline to tell the viewers without ruining the story for those who do not know it's historical background. It is clear I will have to use the best cinematography and many locations.

Legend Teaser Trailer Analysis

Genre

• Legend is a historical crime and gangster  thriller which is immediately obvious through the mise en scene such as 50's costumes, guns and classic cars. 

Narrative

• Only being a 30 seconds teaser trailer, the narrative gives the gist of the movie; the autobiographical story of the Kray twins and how the police worked towards their capture. There isn't much detail on any side stories or other characters other than the brothers. However Tom Hardy's performance shows a clear difference between the twins, that one is more violent than the other.

Unique Selling Points

• The unique selling points of the movie is firstly the fact that this is a movie about the twins and not a documentary, and secondly that Tom Hardy plays both twins. Usually two similar looking actors would have been chosen but to maintain accuracy, the production company opted to use one actors that could show two performances in one film.

Target Audiences

• These draw in a target audience of 18 to 50 year old white males, since this is a British historical gangster film. However Tom Hardy as a well known good looking actor will draw in female audiences too. Other audiences would not be as interested as this is a historical film and since there is indication that there will be violence through the stereotypes of Gangster film and imagery of guns.

Music

• The teaser trailer only uses one song which is an instrumental upbeat and contemporary song which contrasts the genre of the movie. The song continues to draw younger audiences and gives the film a sense of action and adrenaline opposed to the stereotypical vibe that a historical crime documentary gives.

Shots types/Camera Angles + Pace

• Since they have to show a lot to the audience to draw them in in time, the teaser trailer uses a wide range of shots and different pacing such as long shots and two shots. Some shots have been edited faster or slower than others too switch up the pacing which keeps the audience engaged. 

Dialogue and Voiceover

• The dialogue consists of mostly cliché gangster talk such as "we can handle it" with references to Western shoot-outs. The dialogue mostly overlaps the more interesting imagery as voice overs to fit in more information on the film narrative. The dialogue introduces the brothers, the man who gives them a 'muscling' job and the head officer that is trying to catch them. 
• Another voice over is used at the end of the trailer as a voice says "Legend" as the name of the film is simultaneously shown. This is used to keep the name of the film in the audience's head in case they weren't constantly watching.

Special Effects

• Special effects include a constant use of split screen to duplicate Tom Hardy into twins as both brothers are shown in shots together. Other technical effects include smoke and fireworks in one scene. Other than the use of split screen, other special effects are less likely to be used due to the genre of the film. 

Credits and Intertitles

• In order, at first the two logos for Studio Canal and Working Title are shown. 3 Seconds in a title card reading 'Based on a true story' is shown to entice the audience. 7 Seconds in a title card reads that the film is from an academy award winning screenwriter, and names 3 other thriller movies for explorers and reformers. 13 Seconds in a title card praises Tom Hardy's awards and shows 4 stars each from 3 different magazines to convince the audience into watching and to use Hardy as a selling point. 23 Seconds in 4 title cards flash in time to the music that say "Power", "Fear", "Family", "Legend" which sums up the movie as well as give a sense of excitement. Afterwards there is information on the date as well as "#LegendFilm" so that explorers can follow the film. All the title cards are their own shots; no information is shown over imagery. 

This trailer helps me understand that if I were to make a teaser trailer I would have to show the most enticing shots and cinematography as well as only show dialogue that gives a gist of the movie. It also shows where to place title cards and what to show on them. The use of lapping dialogue over imagery to save on time is also key to keep audiences engaged as well as fast editing shots. In the teaser their is not much action shown, only scenes leading up to action which entices the audiences to want to see what happens, which is important to keep in mind despite not wanting to make a crime film, but perhaps taking some of the thriller and drama elements from it.