Certificate Research

All films made or created by some of the most talented directors all have something in common- they all have a labelled certificate on them. Age ratings on films can go from a U all the way to an 18. Although, the certificate on the film, should match the target audience of the film. This is because if there was a film aimed at an audience for children, yet was certificated an "18" this would make the film company loose money, and fans to the film, as 18 year olds + would be there main target audience. Films have certificates on them, in order to either protect the viewers from harmful or offensive content or to prevent children under age from watching content that they might find offensive. Certificates on films are created by the BBFC, which stands for BRITISH BOARD OF FILM CLASSIFICATION.

The film with a 15 on it, obviously shows that the particular film is aimed at people 15+. Aggressive violence, nudity, sexual scenes and nature, drug taking and discriminatory language and behavior is all common material expected in a 15 rated film. In addition, 15's tend to be either horrors or adult comedies as there is rude or offensive material, that younger viewers would not appreciate, or would not understand. There is no limit on how much offensive language can be used, however continual use of it, will be rated at a .sexual activity may be portrayed but without any strong detail. Films such as "the ring" and "paranormal activity" are rated at 5's.

If our film was going to classified be the BBFC, we believe that our film would get classified as a 15. In our trailer, we want to incorporate very scary scenes, that people under the age of 15/14 would find scary and disturbing. We also want to use fake blood in our film, which suggests the concept of gore. Gore is usually classified as an 18, but ours will not be as explicit. Therefore, we feel that a 15 certificate is a successful rating to give our trailer.  We feel that if our film was set as a 12, it would not attract our target audience, as they would not be as passionate about a horror than a young adult would be. We didn't want to choose an 18, as it would be too high, and people may presume that the film is too graphic and violent, turning viewers away. We feel that a 15 is an acceptable age rating, through researching horrors, and finding their target audiences. 

Planning, Chatting and Ideas.. What are we doing next?

To kick start out trailer, we needed to sit down and plan our entire trailer and what we wanted and how we wanted it to work. We all sat down and discussed relevant ideas that we could all use in our film. We discussed characters, clothing, plots and sounds. We decided to come up with the concept of a creepy clown idea. We feel that clowns can be extremely  scary and abnormal looking. We all agreed that this would be a good idea for our film, and we then started to look at outfit ideas. We googled outfits and makeup that clowns had. We needed to get inspiration, and we feel that pinterest did this well. We typed into pinterest "Creepy Clowns" and a wide range of pictures, images and gif's were displayed. We browsed these for about 15 minutes, before deciding exactly what we wanted our clown to look like. I created this small grid down below of some images that we had collected off of pinterest. As you can see, each photograph of the clown are very different, so it's important that we all find a particular appearance that we all like, and one that links into out genre well. The second image (horizontally) we feel is the kind of look we want to go for. We feel that the whole "possessed" look is the root we want to go down, whereby the clown is a human who has become possessed by a spirit. The outfit appears very casual and layed back which adds to the conventions of a horror trailer.  We also feel that the 8th picture is the kind of makeup looks we want to go for. The software of YouTube was extremely helpful when researching tutorials of makeup. This meant that we could all learn and take advice and tips from professionals in order to make our clown look as realistic and effective as possible. Creating this grid really helped me gain ideas as to how our clown will look. Having all the images next to each other, made it easier for us to eliminate clowns we didn't want, and filter it down to the images that we feel are the most effective.  We mind-mapped ideas of names for our trailer, and surprisingly thought of a name pretty quickly. We decided to call our trailer " Jokes on you". We feel that this shows a strong manipulation and pun on the main concept of our trailer. Clowns are known to tell jokes, so it helps to show a link to the protagonist in our film.  We also decided to look at the morphology of the title. Clowns are also commonly linked to balloons, so we decided to add a balloon to replace the letter "O" in the title. We are only going to use the balloon once  as we don't want to over use it, as we feel it will strip away the strong effect that it has on it's own. 
Regarding the plot to our trailer, we were thinking of having two characters which are best friends which are bullies towards one individual. The victim of getting bullied then wants to seek revenge, hence the title "Jokes on you.". We haven't yet figured out the other parts of the trailer, but this was the general jist of what we wanted to do Looking at the location of our trailer, we noted down some locations that we could use: 
 - A local Park
- Train Station
- House 
- Fields
- Lakes 

Horror Trailer Conventions

As we are now doing a horror trailer, it was imperative that we did our research into horror trailers. I looked at some trailers such as, Insidious, The Orphan, The Grudge and Scream. These trailers helped me to get a wider understanding of the codes and conventions of a horror trailer. This will then help us when creating our own production. 

MISE EN SCENE-

Setting-  
In a horror film the setting can be anywhere. In the trailers that i have researched they are all set in a different places. Either in the woods, in the home or in the middle of nowhere, however they all tend to be isolated from the rest of society with only the villain and the victims there. This helps to create tension and suspense towards the audience helping them feel gripped and enticed by the action happening on the screen, knowing that something is going to happen, but not knowing when helps to create an adrenaline rush.

Props- 
 - Fake blood is used to show injury and destruction of the villain.
- weapons such as knives, guns and saws are used to show/suggest danger and violence and also the fear of being hurt and in pain, for example in the film e.g Saw in 2003.
- masks are also often used to hide the identity of the killer, e.g Scream in 1997

Colour Schemes- 
- The colours of the text are predominantly black, white or red. This is because these colours can represent death, murder and darkness. The colours work well together to create the effect of horror and evilness. The colour red helps to emphasise danger and blood, which are connotations that audiences would be alarmed by.In addition to this,
. Black represents darkness and mystery, it also relates to the phrase 'the black sheep' which is an outcast from family or society. This is generally the case within horror, when the villain is neglected from society. This is usually the reasoning as to why they are a villain in the first place.  White can suggest coldness, which can relate to the personality of the villain.
The colours are used on the text within a trailer, from my research it is usually white writing on a black background or in the trailer thirty days of night its red text on a red and black background which gives emphasis on the vampires within the film. Having black and white against each other helps to create a strong contrast,making texts and images stand out well. 

Costume, Hair and Makeup-

-The way the characters are dressed usually gives the audience a good indication of what type of character they are, for example if the character is dressed in dark clothing and is covered up-so the identity is not revealed then typically they are the villain. The make-up used on a villain, will generally be really pale so the features are emphasised e.g. pale face, with dark eyes to give them a creepy look. A good example of this would be the Joker in Batman. The victims (protagonist) are usually dressed in casual, everyday, outfits so that they look 'normal' towards society, whereas the villain will look different and will possibly stand out more (against the norm of society). However, this is not always the case and there will be exceptions to the rule, an example would be when when a villain is not obvious and are shown as part of the group.

SOUND-

Diegetic Sound- 

 -Diegetic Sound is almost always used in teaser trailers, it is sound that is within the 'film world'. An example of this within horror would be a victim screaming, the sound of a door opening or the sound of a gun shot. As film trailers have to be suitable for all ages, the trailer cannot show disturbing/violent scenes and cannot show any fright into much detail. Thus,they have to rely on sound and effects to make these elements evident e.g hearing a scream without seeing the attack. The use of character interaction (dialogue) will help the narrative along and will help the audience to understand the events within the trailer. Using this within a trailer helps show the narrative of the film and helps create suspense, tension and enigmas. The "Foley Process" can also be used during horror films. For example, snapping a carrot in half to a speaker, can be the sound effect of a bone breaking in the film. 

Non-Diegetic Sound-

-Is sound that has been added during post production. Within horror trailers, the sound used is generally music that will create a spooky effect or will create tension. Sounds such as a heartbeat can be used to create a scary effect and suspense.

For example in the high pitched sound in the music in the trailer for Thirty Days Of Night gives a sinister feel to the film and helps create tension along with the visual in screen.

Sound Bridges- 

- The same music or sound that links two scenes together, to make the action scene interrupted. This would be use in the middle of the trailer as it will be revealing the action within the film, it helps to keep the continuity within the film by carrying on with the same source of sound.

CAMERA-

Establishing shot-
- Is used at the beginning of the trailer to set the scene and to show equilibrium. Normally you will see the soon-to-victims leading their normal lives before the disruption occurs.

Close up - 
- This shot shows the detail of a subjects face. It's used within horror trailers to show the fear and emotion of the victims and making the audience to feel their pain. It can be also used to show the face of the villain, or an extreme close up may be used to show just a section of their face for example their eyes. This will create an enigma as the audience won't be sure what the villain fully looks like.

CHANGE OF GENRE:

From discussing with the group, we have all had a slight change of plan when it comes to the genre side of things. Up until now, we wanted to do an action trailer. We had all researched the adequate trailers and found conventions that would help us film a successful action film. However, we feel that as a group of four girls, performing an action trailer is going to prove difficult, as none of us are willing to perform stunts and tricks. In addition, from researching target audiences for action films, majority are all aimed at the male gender. we feel that are a group of four females, trying to film aspects to aim at a male audience, is going to be pretty difficult. The group and I gathered our ideas together, and we found it hard to commit to a certain idea for action.  We then started to consider other genres, looking at comedy and romantic comedies. We didn't think that we would be successful at this either. We then looked at the horror genre, and ideas and inspiration was coming in much quicker and efficiently. We were all able to share ideas, which we mapped on on some paper. 

MAGAZINE COVER- Iron Man

I then decided to analyse the Iron Man magazine cover. I feel that this is poster is different to other magazine covers that I have looked at in the sense that the title of the magazine is in a different font and colour to usual and the use of colours on the cover are very different too. 

Firstly, the title of the magazine ("Empire") is in capital letters and is the largest font on the cover. This seems evident as the audience need to be aware of what magazine they are picking up. The colouring is a light blue colour, which almost looks like it is glowing. This is effective as it helps the audience to establish a genre of the film. In addition, there are small electricity/lighting lines coming off of the title which conforms the the idea of a superhero/action film. 

There is a small sticker posted on the cover stating "ULTIMATE REVIEW OF 2009" this gives the audience an indication of what is to be expected in the magazine. The use of the word "review" would help appeal to the audience as they are most likely going to want a review on a film. As the review has been printed into the magazine it is clear that the review is some what accurate. 

Regarding the main subject of the magazine cover, Iron Man is placed center of the cover, making the character appear powerful and dominating which conforms to the genre of the film. His head covers a slight part of the title which is a common convention in magazine covers. In the middle of the character there is a small glowing thing that is placed in his armour. This is effective as it helps to balance the composition between the title of the magazine and the main character.

"PLUS THREE NEW AMAZING EXCLUSIVES" is an effective way to entice audiences. The primary audience is likely to be male film lovers as males are more likely to be into action films than females. 

The bar code seems insignificant, but is a common convention expected to be shown on a magazine cover. it suggests that it is professional and is not free to purchase.

Other films are also promoted at the bottom of the page "Robbin Hood", "Avatar" and "Kick-Ass" this is effective as it helps show audiences that the magazine contains information about other films and not just the one printed on the front cover, making it seem like they get a good deal. Having other films be promoted is also a stereotypical convention of film magazines. 

MAGAZINE COVER- Inception

I next decided to analyse the Inception film cover. I have already analysed the Inception trailer, so it helps link everything together. This particular magazine cover has a different layout compared to other magazine covers that i have analysed in the sense that it has a 3D appearance to it, whereby the lettering is placed at a sideways angle to make the main figure stand out to the audience on a much wider scale. 

The basic colour scheme of the cover consists of black and red. These stereo typically connote negative aspects such as danger and death. This is because the colour red can be associated with blood, and black in general has a negative association. 

The title of the magazine and the title of the film are placed in the same font and colour. They are also in bold and in capitals. This helps the composition of the poster appear balanced and well constructed. 

The main figure on the cover shows an image of Leonardo Di'caprio in a suit, and holding a gun in his left hand. His face is not looking directly at the audience but rather glaring at something towards the left. Wearing a suit connotes authority and power, and makes him appear dominating and in control. The gun further heightens this idea, as guns are a stereotypical conventional prop used in spy films. This also helps to keep the audience excited and thrilled,as the presence of a gun can be seen as dangerous, therefore adding anticipation towards the audience. 

As mentioned, the text is layed out at a sideways angle, that helps to make the main subject of the cover to stand out to a more extreme level. The fonts on the sides are smaller, and are in black,which helps to balance the composition as the main character on the screen is also wearing black. 

On the sides of the magazine cover, there are also other films being promoted. "Toy Story 3" "Thor" and "Batman 3". These help to intrigue and persuade audiences to buy the magazine. This is because the audience of the magazine is primarily aimed at film lovers, therefore they would want to know what new films are being promoted. Having other films being published on the cover is also a common convention on magazine covers

The use of the gold sticker placed at the center bottom, suggests that the cover might be of a limited addition. This would help audiences want to buy the magazine as its almost like it is one of a kind. In additon, the colour of gold helps it to stand out against the background. 

The blue futuristic background helps Leonardo DiCaprio stand out and appear secretive and encourages readers to want to learn more about him. 

The mentioning of the director "Christopher Nolan" is mentioned twice on the cover. Christopher Nolan is a very famous director and has produced some of the most success films such as the Batman franchise. This helps to advertise and intrigue the audience into the film, as its most likely to be successful due to the directors reputation in the film industry. 

MAGAZINE COVER- Harry Potter

I decided to analyse the Harry Potter film poster. I thought that the colour schemes and shots used on the front cover. This particular magazine cover is also by the company of Empire, they have produced some of the most successful magazines in the film industry, and therefore i wanted to look at this magazine. 

The tag line of the "worlds biggest movie magazine"attracts potential readers as it guarantees high quality and states popularity. 

The masthead is usually the most biggest and brightest text on the front of a magazine cover. This is because it draws attention as it stands out against everything else. The colour is also in the colour red which symbolises danger, which further intrigues the audience. 

The website address is located under the masthead. It is important for the viewers as the audience are most likley to be film lovers in which they can find out more exclusive news about new film releases. The use of the reference to social media conveys the idea that the audience may be estimated between ages 16-25. ( older teenagers and young adults). This is because they are the primary age group that use social networking.

The use of the bar code emphasises the fact that the magazine isn't free. In addition, it denotes professionalism, not making it look low quality. The bar code is positioned in the bottom right hand corner which means that it doesn't distract the audience from the main aspects of the cover. 

The use of the blue stars/asterics on the cover, help make it easier for audiences to locate the subheadings on the cover. It makes them see clearly what prospects are inside the cover, so they are aware of what they are purchasing, before buying the product itself. 

"45 NEW MOVIES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RIGHT NOW" is effective as it grabs the audiences attention quickly. The use of the stative verb "need" makes the audience feel like they actually need to have the magazine in order to make themselves feel better. It also suggests that if they do not grab the magazine, then they will miss out on all the important and upcoming news about new films being released. As the audience are most likley to be film lovers, they are going to want to know every detail about upcoming films, so this quotation conforms to the reasoning behind it. 

The date shown is "August 2008" which indicates that it is a monthly magazine as it has no specific date of publication mentioned on the cover. 

MAGAZINE COVER- Pirates of the Caribbean

I next decided to analyse the pirates of the Caribbean poster. I thought it was exciting, and also contained a male actor centering the front of the cover. The actor here is Johnny Depp, who is a very famous Hollywood actor known all around the world. This already gives the film a very unique selling point. 

MAGAZINE COVER- Avatar

I decided to look at the Avatar magazine cover. I found the colour schemes and bold lettering exciting and engaging to its target audience. Avatar was an extremely popular and made millions in the box office. I feel that this poster looks intriguing and exciting due to the bright colours and bold fonts, which helps to grab audiences attention. 

Firstly, the basic structure of the poster is very simplistic, with a large blue figure in a close up shot, which is center of the entire page.

 The fact that the character is placed center of the magazine, makes that character seem more significant as it is more visible to the audience being in the middle of the page. The title of the film is played at the bottom, below the character and is in capital letters in a white coloured font. 

The use of the colour white is effective as it helps the title to stand out. This is because the background is blue, which helps to create a strong contrast to make the poster look more engaging. At the top of the magazine, there are other films being promoted, which conforms to the idea of a "film magazine" as there is usually more than one film being promoted on one magazine.  This helps to show audiences new films that are coming out, which is an effective form of promotion.

The figure in the center of the page is an effective way to grab the audiences attention. The figure has basic human features, such as the ears, eyes and head, however does not look completely human. This adds an exciting twist to the poster, as it engages audiences as they have not seen anything like this before. This helps to add a diverse and unique twist to the magazine.

 The figure is looking direct at the audience, which helps to engage them and make them feel like part of the film itself. 
 The colours and language both show that this is primarily aimed at a male audience/gender.This can be further emphasised through the tag line on the poster, reading "It's a guy thing" which will entice male audiences. 

The genre of the film is action/adventure, the cover line at the bottom of the page can further imply this, as it reads "Feel the force". The bar code at the bottom of the magazine can be seen as insignificant, but it a common convention of a magazine front cover. In addition, the date, issue number,price and website is printed small, as it is less significant than the other features. 

There is a rhetorical question at the end of the poster, which is a succesful way to make the audience take a small amount of time to consider an answer causing their attention to face towards this magazine in particular. 

"Intergerlactic Exclusive" connotes that this magazine is the best in the entire world. 

The mentioning of the director is placed in the cover reading, "James Cameron" makes the magazine sound very important and reinforces the truth in articles.

The magazine has a lot going on, on the front cover, which makes it seem like it is fully packed with exciting articles and images. 

Research Targets

Mention representation, genre, narrative, mise-en-scene, camera, editing and sound in your approach to analysis of trailers to add to posts and evaluate those in your chosen genre.  Magazines and posters need to be analysed further - push yourself and evidence your high ability.