Evaluation

Trailer

merchandise

The cure movie poster

Magazine cover

Bus advert

Survey (RECCE)

The cure poster sketch

magazine cover sketch

Group Roles

The script

Meeting 3

Project Proposal

meeting 2

Meeting 1

story board 2

Story board

Poduction schedule

Results

Questonnaire

Trailer analyses The Strangers
Trailers are made to promote a film to advertise and to give an insight into what the film is about. They are also used to engage the viewer to make them want to go see the film. Trailers are usually too long to be played as an advert on TV and would usually be played before a film in the cinema along with many other trailers usually the same genre as the film they are just about to see because the demographics are normally the same. Film trailers are normally about 1-3 minutes long and they will also be used on the internet on sites for reviewing and on sites like YouTube.  The trailer that I am going to be analysing is The Strangers which is a horror genre and the demographic would be people into horror, both male and female but more female dominated because the romantic elements of the narrative. Young people, particularly couples are more likely to see this film. It would be a good idea to focus on time of the release of the trailer and what films to put it in before in the cinemas. I think that putting the trailer up near Valentine’s Day and releasing the film on Valentine’s Day would bring in a lot of money.  This is because the demographics are going to want to see a film around this time as horror fans would see this as a romantic/terrifying experience and this would make the film more successful. I also feel that putting this film before other horrors before thae are and even romantic films well work and will promote the film.
 
The trailer starts by advertising the production companies that made the film and in this case its Rouge pictures and Intrepid pictures, both companies come on screen with their logo to market themselves to the audience. Soft music is played during the advertisement, which brings a calm relaxing feeling for the audience, just before the trailer starts. Then it goes into the narrative with a very calm and soft but a bit louder music, it starts with a romantic scene - a beautiful, romantic night between the couple set in a soft setting, this scene straight away draws the audience in as it introduces them to the main characters as they share an intimate moment together. The characters are represented as a normal, young couple in love. The fact that the two main characters are just an original people makes the audience easily identify with them, so therefore when the horror starts for the couple, the audience will feel sympathy towards them. While they are cuddling a soft music is playing then the music suddenly stops which automatically creates an alarm for the audience as they patiently waits to see what’s going to happen next. The music helps to build the tension as it starts of slow but it changes into a more of a darker low key sound and you can hear the sound of a rusty swing which makes it seem very array. Than the scene cuts to the woman saying “what is that” in a very scared voice, before the screen goes black and slowly words come up on the black screen to make you focus on what it is saying. The sound of the swing is still present as text come up on screen to inform the audience that the film is inspired by a true story. The fact that it’s based on a ‘true story’ has an effect on the audience as it freaks them out and makes them want to watch the movie. Than it jump cuts between the couple as they look around in panic and black screen flashes of texts – “We always tell ourselves” & “there is nothing to fear”.  The music is getting louder and louder as the characters look more and more scared, this again causes an effect on the audience as they want to know who is responsible for doing this. The music helps to create a fear within the audience and it does this successfully. Than it cuts to another line “but sometimes we are wrong”, and suddenly the music stops as we see the young woman standing in her living room looking around scared and the camera focuses on someone in the distance wearing a white mask just staring straight at her whilst breathing heavily. Than the scene goes black to create more fear and suspense to the audience as they want to know what happens next.

This scene within the trailer starts to get faster with the music and with lots of jump cut shots of them looking around nervously as the audience sees the ‘strangers’ in the background gazing after the couple. Then the music changes again as they have finished looking around and then suddenly music starts to play off of a record player in their living room. The music played is an old soulful music. The next scene is off the woman screaming as she notices the writing “hello” on the window.  The old soulful music is still playing on the background but the record player appears to be broken as the song is stuck so it’s playing over and over again. Than the release date appears on screen between the shots of the young couple as they run around scared and the ‘strangers’ as they walk calmly around the house. More wording appears on screen that reads “What are you afraid of” as the jump cuts to the couple and the ‘strangers’ running around the house, the music appears to get faster and louder along with the jump camera shots. Than the screen goes blank for a while and it suddenly a figure appear as he is standing over the woman as she is shouting to him “Why are you doing this to us”, in which he calmly replies “Because you’re in our home”. The scene is cut there to make it a cliff hanger for the audience as they want to know what happens next to the couple. The trailer ends with the title and the actor’s names appearing on screen to notify the audience of the film’s name and who is featuring within the film, this attracts the audience as the actors are one of the things that draws the audience to watch a film.

The trailer has worked very well with music to create suspense for the audience. The editing has also helped to shape the film as a horror movie and to attract the target audience, as the trailer is full of scenes to make audience jump in fear, characters that audience can identify with and therefore feel sympathy for as they watch scary things unfold for them, and the trailer leaves the audiences wanting more as they want to know what happens to the character’s. The trailer has all the elements of a horror movie to attract the target audience: suspense, masks, blood and a cliff hanger. The trailer has enough good scenes to attract the audience yet they haven’t given too much away so they have left you wondering what the film is about. I think that using masks in this film has been beneficial because if it was just normal people it would have worked as well. They also have really showed the couple as being genuine normal people which makes you feel more engage in the trailer and more sympathy towards the couple. The way that they used writing for people to read to also connect with the viewer also works because of instead of people thinking in their heads what they are thinking about the trailer they are reading these words which is building tension in their heads.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCU0k_jbCUo