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.
(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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
