EVALUATION FIFTEEN: Post-production: Explain a range of editing choices and outcomes.

After filming out production, we had to actually do the whole thing together. This was rather intimidating at first as we had a lot of footage of the same thing, therefore we had to filter it down to the perfect shots. Before putting all of our footage onto the software (Adobe premiere elements 10) we sorted them out into chronological order on the computer, named them and deleted the shots we didn't need/our testing shots. We did this is that the software didn't become too overworked with footage when uploading it onto the system. if we had put all of the footage onto the software, it would have made it froze, due to the fact that there was too much resolution on the pictures making it slower to work with. We learnt this from when completing gout AS production, when the system is slow it can get very frustrating and often we cannot excel at our full potential. 

We used a software called Adobe Premier Elements 10. This was the same software that we used last year. This particular software has a range of technical skills that meant that we could manipulate our images regarding the transitions, colouring, brightness, and editing. A key editing technique that we used throughout our production was called a 'non additive dissolve'. This effect made the image, or in our case the clown, appear in two places on the same screen. It essentially faded two shots into one image. This was effective when creating a horror genre, as it gave a paranormal effect and adhered to the eerie atmosphere created by a horror antagonist. In the photographs above, you are able to see how the clown has faded between the two shots. We feel that this editing technique was a very strong part of our production, and displays a key convention to the horror genre. 


Another software that we used after filming was photoshop. This was a key software when creating our main title for our production 'Joke's on you'. Photoshop is a very high skilled software with lots of different effect techniques, some where confusing which meant that we had to use another software called 'Youtube' to research videos into some of the tools worked. Luckily, three out of four of us in the group take photography as a subject. This was extremely helpful when working with such a highly skilled software as some us already knew how it worked. We were able to play with the colouring of the titles on Photoshop which was difficult to do on Adobe Premier Elements as there was not a wide colour scheme to choose from. On Photoshop, we were able to create a 'gradient effect' where we could fade the colour red to a darker tone on the corners. This helped conform to the horror genre as faded effects can create an eerie atmosphere, as well as conforming to the shadowing effects in the trailer in the parks scenes. Photoshop also allowed us to add images into the title of our trailer. To link our clown into the title, we decided to replace the letter 'o' with a balloon on the title. We felt that this was appropriate as a balloon is the same shape as the letter 'o' as well as linking to our main protagonist. Photoshop also meant that we could adjust the font sizes of each letter. We wanted to make the fonts different sizes so that it looked like a child had drawn the title. Again, we felt that this was appropriate as a child is often linked to a clown, as clowns are historically seen as an object of entertainment for children. We feel that this was a fun twist to add to our title to make it seem engaging as most horror films feature blood and black backgrounds. 


Although Photoshop allowed us to edit our titles well, Adobe Premier Elements allowed us to edit our footage to a high level. There are over 30 different effects to choose from. With the record player seen, we decided to make it black and white. This separates this shot from the rest, suggesting that this scene is significant to the trailer. This effect also meant that it could add a metaphorical twist to our trailer. Black and white immediate sggests the idea of binary oppositions. Black connotes to evil and white connotes to good, suggesting the clear divide that is presented in horror films. This monochromatic theme is also further explored within the titles of our production. We felt that having a black background with a white font adds a sophisticated nature to our film. Adding too many colours would make our film appear tacky and unprofessional.  Adobe Premier Elements also had other filters and effect such as a 'fade to black' and 'fade to white'. These effects  ensured that all the clips flowed smoothly together. Most films in the industry use fades to literally 'dissolve' each shot together. We used this a lot between shots of the clown. This was because we didn't want to over-use the 'non additive dissolve as we feel that this would put the audience off, as well as erasing and ruining the true effect of the additive dissolve. This software also meant that we could adjust the speed at which each shot was faded into the other. There was a small yellow line running on the timeline of the clips. With the 'snipping' tool we were able to cut into the edges of the film of how harshly we wanted to fade each clip. For example, we could create a 'medium fade' or a 'harsh fade' We predominately stuck to the 'medium fade' with the majority of the clips. This was because the harsh fade was too much and would have made the shot of the girls for example seem overbearing and too much. We used a 'harsh fade' only on the close up photograph of the clown. This created a dramatic effect and a shock to the audience. Creating shock and fear was a key attribute that we wanted to include to get our audience enticed and gripped into our trailer. 

Prevalence was also a key feature when looking at the post production of our trailer. Although when actually filming we considered prevalence of who was going to be in the shot, we editing we also had to consider which parts where needed and the structure at which the character will be displayed. The clown is given the most amount of prevalence in the trailer, as we really wanted to show our audience the primary protagonist of our trailer. Unlike other trailers where the protagonist isn't usually shown,to create a climax and anticipation, we decided to show the clown to give the audience a wider insight into our trailer. However what made the clown still appear mysterious and frightening, was the fact that there was no music being displayed. The absence of the music meant that the clown was not releasing much emotion, creating a climax and anticipation. It can also be argued that on screen prevalence was centered towards the girls. The girls are given prevalence in different locations, such as the house, park, and the car which helps to make the audience sympathise with them.  

EVALUATION FOURTEEN: Use of camera- How did you plan and storyboard the dynamic moments in your trailer.

The camera work in a production is extremely significant as it helps to project different emotions off to the audience. For example, close up shots are an effective way to portray details and facial expressions, where as establishing shots help to set the scene of a location and are therefore commonly shown at the beginning. In our production, we had a wide range of shot types. When we were recording our production, we actually had a list of shot types to include. This way, we were able to tick each one off once we had included it. We feel that different shot types help to make our audience feel a part of the production and keep them engaged. 

Establishing shots: 

 We used a lot of establishing shots in our trailer to help it appear more 'trailer like'. As a trailer is only giving a teaser of the entire film, we had to ensure that there was a range of shots included. The purpose of an establishing shot is to set the scene or location. They are commonly displayed at the beginning of a film, to give the audience an insight into the setting of where the film is taking place. To open our trailer, we followed a similar concept, of displaying our setting. The trailer opens with a slow zoom, establishing shot of an empty house/kitchen. The fact that it is empty is a significant thing to consider. If the house was full of people, it wouldn't suggest an eerie atmosphere, an empty house with the sound effect of a loud thud contributes to create a paranormal and creepy atmosphere.- The silence is almost disturbing. There is diegetic music of a radio playing in the background which also contributes to the idea of setting the scene of a location. It makes it seem relaxed and calm. There are everyday items shows in the establishing shot, such as cushions, T.V's books and wine racks. This makes the house seem ordinary and relatbale- a perfect place for a clown to ruin everything.Establishing shot are also explored later on in the trailer, when the audience are displayed with a relaxing shot of a lake, with birds swarming around. This connotes positive aspects and cements a calming and naturalistic atmosphere, completely juxtaposing the spine chilling clown that is hunting and killing young people just around the corner. Establishing shots are an effective way to show audiences the locations used in the trailer so that the audience get a wide round view of the film and where the film is taking place. Close up shot were also used in our trailer to give the audience an idea into the details and smaller parts of the film. We used close up shots of a record player being shown repeatedly. The fact that in editing we used the idea of 'repetition of shots' clearly suggests to the audience that the record player is a significant and important factor in the trailer. The audience is kept being brought back to the same object, playing the same music, in the same location, this gives the film the perfect opportunity to disrupt the equilibrium by something different happening to the record player, for example, changing the music, which happens right at the end, leaving the audience on a cliff hanger. 


Close up shots: 

We used a range of close up shots in our production to help display emotion, details and facial expressions. We used a lot of close up shots of the clown as we want the audience to be able to obtain all the emotions from the clown.  A lot of the emotion can be expressed by the colour scheme. The colour's used are bright and eccentric. The colour red connotes to blood and danger which are elements that are commonly featured in horror films/trailers. The colour white directly juxtaposes this connotation, but is still a bright colour. On the white parts of the mask there are greyish undertones which helps to add a darkened effect, contributing to the horror genre. The record player is a repetitive shot displayed in the trailer, which suggests to the audience that it is a significant part of the film. We used a monochromatic filter effect on the record player to separate this shot from the rest of the trailer, further emphasizing the difference and significance of the record player. The close up shot is effective, as it fills the frame of the screen, meaning that the audience cannot see any other things in the shot, cementing the idea of mystery-another connotation of a horror trailer. Towards the end of our trailer, we used a close up shot of a candle being blown out in the air. The sheer difference between the lightness and then darkness creates tension towards the audience. It leaves an element of fear to the audience, as darkness suggests that the audience cannot see anything, which is a perfect opportunity for a film maker to add a shocking and scary twist at the end. 

Long shots:


We also incorporated long shots into our production. A lot of our long shots featured the presence of a new location. Similarly, to an establishing shot, we used long shots to set the new location. A long shot of the girls walking down a path near a lake is displayed. Their are cars the background driving past, which suggests that the scene is relatable to the audience as this is a stereotypical thing that horror films include, or is also known as 'setting the equilibrium'. We wanted to initially make our trailer seem like 'everyday' so that our target audience can feel related to it. The composition of the shot features overbearing trees which almost makes the shot seem more dominant and powerful. The trees do not have any leaves on them, suggesting that the season is winter, and therefore gets darker quickly. When a scene is dark it suggests that something negative is about to happen. Therefore conforming to a horror genre. We incorporated lots of different shots of a clown in long shots. This was effective as the audience are able to obtain the body language of the clown. For example, in this long shot, we are able to see that the clown is standing underneath a lamp post. This was effective, as it was the only light source in the photograph that is strongly focused on the clown. In addition to this, the clown is in centre composition suggesting that it has a dominating and powerful nature towards the clown. Regarding the editing of this shot, we featured a 'glitch' effect, to make the clown seem paranormal. The glitch effect made it seem like the clown had just appeared out of no where, conforming to the horror genre as well as adding a mysterious effect. 


Match on Action 

Match on action is an interesting way to make our trailer seem different and exciting. This features the idea of moving the camera to different points for the same shot. For example, in this shot, we had the camera at an angle in the first picture that was longer, and then as the clown moves further towards the mirror, we had the camera at a different angle. The fact that this is displayed when the clown is present on the screen helps to demonstrate the idea of a creepy and paranormal atmosphere, as it gives the appearance that the clown has moved the shot around creating a disruption and uneasy atmosphere to the audience. The match on action can be further explored later on in the trailer where the girls are shown walking under a tunnel The fact that there was a tunnel their meant that we could play around with the leveling of the camera. As the tunnel was enclosed, it created a lot of perspective in the shot which made the girls appear enclosed and shaped by the tunnel. which again, created an uneasy atmosphere. 

Zoom

At the beginning of the trailer, we also had a 'zoom' effect to make the location seem settled and quiet. The zoom was focused on a long shot of the house, which made the house seem smaller as the camera zoomed in. This also helped to set the equilibrium of the trailer. It demonstrated the beginning of what is about to come. The fact that we used a camera zoom on a house is effective. This is because, houses are commonly used in horror films to display a 'haunted house', or a 'possessed house' films such as Insidous, The woman in black, Sinister and The conjuring all feature houses. which helped to make our trailer seem more 'horror' like. 

EVALUATION THIRTEEN: How is the concept of representation shown in your trailer?

Representation is concerned with the way that people, ideas and events are presented to an audience. What appears on screens, in print etc, does not appear by accident, but through a process of decision making from within the media industries. A media text then needs to be viewed in this light-as a series of representations, a vehicle for beliefs, values and attitudes which can be reinforced or challenged by the audience.

‘Joke’s on you’ is a clown horror film, so we initially expect the clown to be presented in a terrifying and creepy way.  We followed these conventions in our trailer through the camera work. The camera work meant that the audience were able to obtain the mise en scene of the clown’s appearance. For example, close up shots were used to show details and facial expressions that the clowns makes, such as grinning and moving its head to the side. This creates a paranormal presence, as if the clown had been possessed. The clown is presented in dark clothes, symbolically suggesting evil, darkness and power-all concepts that are associated with horror films. The mask that the clown is wearing is conventional, it has a bright red nose, large eyes and a overextended smile. The contextual and historical links behind a clown, is that they were used as an object of entertainment for young children and circus and events. To a more modern day approach, huge films such as Stephen King’s ‘IT’ and Tobe Hooper’s ‘The Poltergeist’ have made clowns to have a stigma attached to them, so that they are represented as sinister, threatening and disturbing. George Gerbener stated that television become responsible for cultivating or shaping viewers conceptions of social reality. In this case, clowns used to be seen in a positive way as a laughable and funny figure, nowadays due to the media and social platforms, clowns are depicted in a negative light.

Stuart Hall’s reception theory can also be applied to our trailer. There are three main components to this theory: Dominant, Negotiated and Oppositional.  This reading is affected by many contextual and personal factors such as, age, social class, gender and personal experiences.  In our production, the audience would initially see the clown through a preferred reading, of the clown being represented in a positive way. The contextual background behind a clown is that they are seen to be an object of entertainment for young children and funfairs and circus’s.  At the beginning of our trailer, the clown is only shown in long shots, so the audience are left confused to what the antagonist actually is.  The negotiated reading can also be applied. As the film progresses, the use of the eerie and chimey soundtrack helps to emphasize the antagonist in a negative light.  When the clown is presented on the screen, ‘thud’ sound effects are used to emphasize the fact that the clown is depicted negatively. Due to the encoded meanings of a clown being happy, jolly and telling jokes, the use of the technical elements of sound and camera, make the audience partly share the text code, but also be able to resist and reflect their own opinion on the clown. 

The representation of the girls can be recognised and adhered to regarding the conventional expectations of them in horror films.  The construction of girls in the world is that they are stereotypically seen to be the weaker sex, and we wanted to play on this idea when creating a horror film. We showed a long shot of three teenage girls walking home from school. The long shot was effective in representing the girls as normal teenagers, as the audience are able to obtain what they are wearing (jeans, t-shirts and trainers) which are conventional items of clothing that teenage girls wear.  We the used match on action, to display the girls laughing, which helps to display them as innocent and ordinary. After this, the camera cuts to a close up picture of the clown, which directly juxtaposes with the vulnerable girls laughing on the way home from school. Levi Strauss’s theory of Binary Oppositions can be applied here through the concept of ‘good and evil’ the girls are presented as innocent and relatable, and the clown to be ominous and creepy.

The sound used in the trailer is also represented and adhered to. We used high pitched violin sounds with the presence of the clown on the screen along with the sound of heart beating when the girls are shown to be running away. The heart beating connotes to the idea that the girls are scared and fearful. The heart beat is rapid and fast suggesting that they are alarmed by something. The sound helps to represent what is on the screen, so we used a mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic sound to create a creepy atmosphere.  When the clown is presented on the screen, we used an eerie violin sound that was very high pitched that it made the screen hard and uncomfortable to listen to. This suggests to the audience that the clown is a negative aspect in the trailer. It indicates a particular atmosphere to the audience that is not depicted as a positive one. This is also a conventional sound effect that is used in horror films to create a tense and uneasy atmosphere. We combined this sound effect with a non additive dissolve sound effect, which made the clown appear twice on the same screen, emphasizing the paranormal atmosphere created by the clown. The sound in our trailer can be adhered to the first part of Todorov’s theory. The beginning of our trailer starts with a loud thud sound to immediately make the audience think that something bad is about to happen. This links to the idea of an equilibrium where the trailer is beginning to set the scene and adhere to the conventional expectations.

The representation of the location is also an important factor to consider. We some of our trailer in a park, which in some ways subverts to the representation of a horror film. Parks connote aspects such as children having fun and enjoying themselves, so why film a horror film there? Questions are raised instantly in the audiences minds In relation to Dyer’s typography- where is this? And why is it in this place? As clowns were connected to children, and children play at a park we decided to put the clown in a location where it can pray and find young children, and a park seemed like the perfect location. We used melodramatic ideas of pathetic fallacy to create mystery with it stereotypically being filmed at night time. When it’s dark little can be seen, which creates fear as something can essentially come out of nowhere.

EVALUATION TWELVE: Youtube Annotations

EVALUATION ELEVEN: Voice over

EVALUATION TEN: Create a questionnaire that asks your audience what they thought about the narrative/characters.

1) How is the antagonist/clown represented to you?
        
   Entertaining        Scary        Eerie        Mysterious   

2) Are our binary oppositions appropriate for the horror genre? (Good&Evil)

   Yes        No

3)Do you feel our princesses (victim's) are represented as vulnerable and innocent?

   Yes        No        Mostly

4) How could we change the costume of the clown to conform to the horror genre even more?



5) Our trailer is in a non-linear order, do you feel this is successful for the horror genre? Why?


6)Do we include enough enigma codes? Do you feel the unanswered questions keep you engaged throughout?


7)What would you change about the mise en scene to connote fright and conform to our chosen  genre?


8)Do you feel a state of equilibrium from the outset?


9)We haven't included any dialogue in our production, we used non diegetic sound including  soundtracks and sound effects. Would you prefer dialogue? Why? Do you feel you would get to  know the characters more personally?


10)We supported Tessa Perkins theory of representations changing and evolving. How do you feel interpretations and stereotypes of clowns are changing?

EVALUATION NINE: How have you established genre across these products?

Genre is a French term referring to the ‘type’ or ‘classes of a production. Genre is often used by audiences to make viewing choices and discrimination's. Issues of taste, preference, identity and pleasure are associated with particular kinds of films by individuals. As a result, genre is also a concern of producers, who take into account these issues in order to make their product appealing to an audience.

Regarding film genre, the most popular genres between 1995-2017 is adventure (44.65), Comedy (42.76) and Action (36.29). However, specific genres are very compatible with the target audience that the film is aimed at. For example, a ten year old girl wouldn’t prefer to watch a horror film over a comedy or rom com. This suggests that the audience can play a significant role in the making of a film. Audiences read genres in a number of ways: They may create and recreate genres, thus, through audience responses new genres are created. Our genre for our production is a horror, and therefore we aimed our target audience between the age ratings of 15-25. Through audience member research, we were able to identify what individuals of this age are into, such as hobbies, clothing, and most popular TV shows. This research helped to give us an indication as to what our film should be aimed at. Deborah Knight (1995) noted that satisfaction is guaranteed with genre, the deferral of the inevitable provides the additional pleasure and prolonged anticipation. This adheres to our genre and audience. As our audience are stereo typically seen to enjoy horror films, the horror genre allows them to expect the film to have specific conventions that are associated with a horror film. An example of this would be the editing used in our production. We used an ‘additive dissolve’ to make the clown fade from one shot to another, leaving part of the previous shot still in the frame. The effect of this made the trailer have an eerie and paranormal effect which helps to conform to the stereotypical expectations of a horror film.  Furthermore, the clown is tilting its head to the side in the first clip and not in the second, this depicts the idea of a glitch or a malfunction, giving the film a surreal and sinister atmosphere.

In our trailer, we have also encoded other specific aspects that help to convey our genre. This can be interpreted through the antagonist used in the trailer. We used a clown in our film as we feel that this can add a modern, creepy effect to our trailer. Successful clown films include, Stephen King’s ‘IT’ and Tobe Hooper’s ‘The Poltergeist’. Historically, clowns were seen to be a product of entertainment and amusement for young children at fun fairs and circus’s. To a contemporary day approach, clowns are seen to be creepy and disturbing and have an eerie presence in films.  Allister Fowler (1989) noted that readers learn genres gradually, usually through unconscious familiarisation.  For example, in a clown horror, audiences unconsciously expect to see jump cuts and harsh editing as this is a popular convention. Fowler also adds that genre makes possible the communication of content.In our production, we have also subverted some conventions which can be seen through the MES of one of the locations used. In our trailer, we shot some scenes in children’s park. Parks are a place of entertainment and playing for children, so why include this in a 15-25 year old clown horror film? Stereotypically, horror films are shot in creepy, old houses or in the woods. Park’s connote the idea of having fun, playing games and children enjoying themselves, we wanted to play on this idea, and make an amusing and pleasant location become completely juxtaposed to become deathly and sinister. René Wellek and Austin Warren commented that the totally familiarised and repetitive patterns is boring, the totally novel form will be unintelligible. This explains that expectations are acceptable to be subverted to, to allow a diverse approach, as well as a unique edge. We feel that incorporating a park in our trailer displays this well.

Concerning the semantic approach to our trailer (Rick Altman), there are aspects that conform to a horror film. This can be seen through the characters (protagonists) in our trailer. We used three teenage girls as the protagonists in the film. This is a popular convention, as three young girls communicate the idea of innocence and vulnerability, therefore making our audience feel on edge and as If they were in the girl’s shoes, thus, making them feel scared, but also fixated on the elements shown on the screen.  The syntactical structure of our trailer is conventional, whereby the girls get followed home by a clown from school, and then ultimately haunts the house that the girls are staying at. This can link to successful horror films such as: ‘Ouija’ (2016), ‘Cape Fear’ (1991) and ‘He knows you’re alone’ (1980) whereby a similar concept of the antagonist following the girls is used.