A2 - Synopsis

Written here is the synopsis to my own film idea, which I pitched to my group so we could decide which film idea to go with.

A group of youths are clowning around in a graveyard one night, and one of them dares the others to go up to a grave and read out an "incantation" that will raise the dead. They do it, but nothing happens immediately, so they go home. The next day, one of them (the one who dared the others to read the incantation), is found murdered, as though it was done by a zombie/one of the undead. They must try to put the evil spirit to rest before it kills them all.

We have filmed a group discussion to determine which of the proposed synopses we would choose to follow in our group work.

Group synopsis from K Gold on Vimeo.

However, as a group we decided to go with a different synopsis, the one written by Josh. We chose to steer away from my synopsis because we felt it was too dark and we would be uncomfortable to film some of the scenes (particularly the scenes reading incantations in a graveyard in the middle of the night).

Below is Josh's synopsis, which we preferred as a group.

In world where people are scared by what goes bump in the night, possessions and floating sheets a new splash of horror is needed to relight true terror and fear to an audience of common day sissies. “The Field” is the new horror set to scare audiences to the bone. A film so horrific it even makes Jason tremble and Freddy wish he was dreaming.

The blissful, tranquil country side a relaxing weekend to allow Mark to relax with his friends just one last time. It is the few months before Mark, Chloe, John and Tasha go their separate ways in life and they decide to have one last weekend together to properly say their goodbyes they pack up and leave the city to relax just them no outsider influences but the world is a new world. Endlessly expanding developing but to what end?

A new wonder wheat has been produced by top American scientists and has been said to be able to end starvation in the world and be used as a new source of energy. Despite the Americans inventions the first major and currently only plantation lies in the UK who previously denied growth of such crops as this isn’t just any crop it’s GM. Kept under wraps by both American and English governments can this wheat truly be the answer?

The villagers that Mark and co originally meet seem distant at times but friendly none the less they appreciate the sentiment of the groups trip and aim to please their guest to their secluded farming town. As night falls things begin to make a terrible turn for the worst as villagers turn savage, feral and start to kill innocent and track down anyone like a pack of wolves. But what is it that makes the villagers turn so violent?

A new take on the zombie type film jam packed with more tension and fear then ever. Beautifully crafted use of editing and screen play set the mood for the terror factor that is “The Field”. This chilling tale is one not to be missed.

A2 - Legal Restraints and Age Ratings

There are obviously some legal restraints with any type of filming. One would be getting permission to film at locations that are private property. To get around this, I do not intend to film at any locations that are private property, and instead plan to only film in public places, where there are no laws against it. If I need to film at any private property, I will be sure to get permission from the owners. Another would be regarding the people being filmed. To film people under the age of 18, consent from their parent or guardian is required.

I also have to watch out and make sure none of the ideas I use are copyrighted. However, because we are creating the ideas ourselves rather than adapting an existing story or idea, we should have no problems with any copyrighting issues.


The standard ratings system in the UK is the BBFC, which is the panel that determines what age certificate a film receives. The possible age ratings are: U (universal), PG (parental guidance), 12A (12 advisory), 12, 15 and 18.

My film would probably be rated as 15. I could not make an 18, because it would be ridiculous for someone under the age of 18 to make a film he wouldn't be old enough to watch. As a violent horror film, it cannot be lower than a 12, and due to some of the scenes I have planned, which are fairly gruesome and imply heavy violence and gore, it would have to be rated 15.

A2 - Theories of Audience

The Hypodermic Needle Theory (AKA the Magic Bullet theory) suggested that audiences would blindly believe whatever information was fed for them, and that all audiences were passive audiences. It suggests that information is passed directly from the media source (the gun or the syringe, depending on which metaphor is used) into the passive audience member, and the audience believes it without question. This idea was prominent in the 1930’s, and inspired many propaganda campaigns. However, it was proved to be ineffective against many audiences by Lazarsfeld, who suggested instead that audiences choose which media sources they allow to influence them.

For my trailer, I do not believe that the Hypodermic Needle theory is particularly applicable. This is because in practice, the majority of the time, the majority of people do not blindly follow whatever they see on TV or in films. If this was the case for my film, it would end up with the audience going out and becoming serial killers, which is clearly not true. However, the Hypodermic Needle played a major part in the creation of age ratings, for fear that younger audiences would carry out the actions that the films portray, many of which are inappropriate and offensive.

Another theory of audience is the Uses and Gratifications theory, as created by Blumer and Katz. This suggests that audiences actively choose which film they want to see based on what they get out of it, for a variety of different reasons including entertainment, to gather information, to develop socially and as a diversion to avoid a problem they are having.

A2 - Analysis - The Woman In Black Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lReemWmO5o

The Woman in Black is a UK horror film starring Daniel Radcliffe as a man who moves into a haunted house while trying to sell it, unaware of the ghost living inside.

The trailer features a non-diegetic voiceover from a young girl, which is (in my opinion) more creepy than it would be if it was spoken by an adult. The girl is reciting what sounds at first to be a nursery rhyme, but then takes a sinister twist. It refers to a “spectre of darkness” who “always comes back”, and is eventually revealed to be The Woman in Black, a malevolent spirit.

At the start, mysterious children’s toys are seen, which provide a sound to accompany the girl’s rhyme. The toys are neglected and dusty, which suggests that the ghost had a child before it died, and the story of the child did not end well.

The next scenes show Radcliffe’s character in the back of a horse-drawn cart, passing a cross at the side of a road, before arriving at an abandoned and run-down manor house. The cross at the roadside is a common sign that there is a grave there, which is never a good sign.

Many of the shots focus on children, suggesting that children will play a major part in the film. It also connotes the innocence of youth being threatened by a horror that they wouldn’t understand. The focus on children, combined with the appearance of the neglected children’s toys, could connote to a canny observer that the ghost is angry as to the loss of her child, and is jealous or enraged at the other children. This would lead her to target the children as retribution.

An old and tattered picture is also shown, of a man, woman and child. The eyes of all three have been severely creased, and are unable to be seen. This could connote that what is shown after this picture is horrifying, and not something that normal people do not want to see.

Radcliffe’s character is then seen living in the run-down manor, and begins to see the ghost of the Woman in Black, as well as the ghost of a young boy. A message is written on the wall to him, telling him “You could have saved him.” This also implies that Radcliffe’s character has seen the loss of a male character (presumably a son or younger brother) in his life before moving to the manor house.

The main piece of editing used is a series of jump cuts, linking exciting scenes that do not follow normal continuity. As such, this style of editing is most commonly used in trailers. A fade to black is also used in the trailer, before the title of the film comes up.

A2 - Analysis - Chernobyl Diaries Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp9xuquibQc

Chernobyl Diaries is a horror film directed by Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity) set in the region of Chernobyl, which was devastated by a nuclear disaster. A group of tourists and their guide travel to the region, where they discover unusual creatures that try to kill them.

The Chernobyl Diaries trailer opens with several tourist-style scenes, in front of several landmarks, including the Roman Colosseum and the Eiffel Tower. The next scene shows the group talking around a table, and one of them suggests a trip to Chernobyl, which the others agree to. The camera angle looks up at the group slightly, suggesting that (at least in their minds) they are the ones in control and in power.

The next series of cuts show news readers, and the military actions taken at Chernobyl. The text on-screen describes what happened at Chernobyl, for the members of the audience who did not know.

One of the main sound-effects used is the crackling of a Geiger counter. Geiger counters are often used in areas of high radiation, such as Chernobyl, to determine whether an area is safe or not. In the trailer, one of the characters (the guide) also carries a Geiger counter, for this purpose. The guide states that they will be safe because they have it. This turns out to be completely false, and is a reversed form of foreshadowing.

The next scene features the guide playing a practical joke on the rest of the group, pretending something in the water attacked him. This is misleading, not only for the characters on-screen, but also for the audience, who would have been expecting an attack.

The next few shots show the group taking photographs, using a series of quick fades to black. At the end of these shots, one of the group zooms in on a photo, to see their first, blurred glimpse of one of the creatures. At this point it starts to get more dramatic, with the non-diegetic music becoming more dark and sinister-sounding. Everything starts going wrong on-screen as well, with the group’s van breaking down and stranding them in Chernobyl in the middle of the night.

More fades to black are seen, and the group make the mistake of leaving their shelter to find out the source of strange noises. The silhouettes of creatures are seen, and then a long streak of dark liquid, which is presumably blood, is shown on the floor. This, along with the dramatic music, instils more of an atmosphere of horror in the audience. The non-diegetic crackling of the Geiger counter can be heard again, to reinforce the setting of Chernobyl.

A2 - Analysis - Logos

Paramount

In terms of denotation, the Paramount logo mainly features a mountain, surrounded by a ring of stars. Inside the ring, the word Paramount is written, and underneath the ring is the words “A Viacom Company”. The use of a mountain could connote that Paramount is the peak, and the top of the film industry. The stars which zoom around the mountain also connote that Paramount is among the best companies, as it gets to work with so many stars. In addition, using a circle suggests that there are no flaws or weak links in all of their series of films produced. In recent years, a disc has been placed behind the mountain so it is encircled by the stars on DVD versions, and recently on films such as Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, the number 100 has been placed between the two sections of text, to signify the company is in the year of its 100th anniversary. Unlike the other logos I have analysed, this logo uses the diegetic sound of the stars flying past the screen to form a ring above the mountain.

Some of the films/brands featuring the Paramount logo include The Godfather, Indiana Jones, all of the Star Trek films, and Marvel films.

Warner Bros.

The Warner Bros. logo features a badge with the letters WB, with a band around it reading “Warner Bros. Pictures”. Compared to the Paramount and the 20^th Century Fox logos, the Warner Bros. logo looks rather childish and more like a cartoon than a professional creation, which is a reference to their original products. This connotes that Warner Bros. caters for a younger audience than the other companies. However, the logo has been modified for more adult and darker films made by Warner Bros., such as the later Harry Potter films. The camera usually zooms through the logo to move on to the other titles.

Some of the films/brands that use the Warner Bros. logo include Harry Potter, Batman, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry.

20^th Century Fox

The 20^th Century Fox logo mainly features the words 20^th Century Fox, on a building, as a giant sculpture. Spotlights are shown shining up and around the logo, which could connote that only the stars/brightest actors work with 20^th Century Fox. The colour gold is used heavily in the logo, which connotes wealth and royalty, suggesting that 20^th Century Fox is one of the kings of the film industry. The sound played during the pan of the logo uses noticable brass instruments, which is commonly associated with royalty and those who have power, as well as connoting joy.

The 20^th Century Fox logo features in brands/films such as Star Wars, Die Hard, Planet of the Apes and Avatar.

A2 - Analysis - Hostel Poster

Hostel is a horror slasher film directed by Quentin Tarantino, where three students are backpacking across Europe and are attacked by a serial killer while they stay at a hostel.

Target Audience

It can be assumed from the plot that the target audience is primarily male, seeing as the women mentioned in the plot are mainly there as objects of desire for the characters, as per Laura Mulvey’s theory.

Layout

The layout is fairly standard. The title of the film and the name of the director are to the left of the middle of the poster, and a critic's thoughts on the film goes at an angle across the poster, roughly parallel to the knife being held by the model. The picture takes up the entirety of the poster.

Imagery

The central image shows a man from the torso down standing in front of a door, holding a knife in one hand and a severed woman’s head in the other hand. This is more complex than the other simple posters I have analysed and contains more graphic imagery, and also confirms the idea that this is a slasher film.

Text

There are two colours used in the poster for the text: a pale beige of the same shade as the man’s t-shirt, and a darker red colour, almost the same colour as blood or the door behind the man. This helps the poster by following more continuity, which links the poster together more. By using the star vehicle names of Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth, it draws in the existing fans of their work to help form the target audience.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a slightly more complex poster than the other posters I have featured, but it is still a very good example of a poster. In my opinion, however, I think that the poster I create will look more like the others I have analysed than this one, because this one is less clear to see and less thought-provoking.

A2 - Analysis - Let Me In Poster

Let Me In is an American remake of the Swedish film Let The Right One In, and is about a 12-year old boy who befriends a child vampire.

Target Audience

The target audience of Let Me In is more likely to be wider than that of Hatchet, being more of a romantic horror story than a straight-up slasher film. As such, it is more likely to attract a female audience as well as a male audience.

Layout

The poster is fairly simple. It is split down the middle into light and dark sides. On the light side is a hand pushing all five fingers against the split. On the dark side is another hand, drawing in blood with a single finger. It is unclear from the poster alone as to the monster, but from the dual sides and the blood drawing it can be assumed that the monster is something with a split personality, such as a vampire.

Imagery

The imagery of this poster is very plain, being simply two hands placed against walls. This sounds incredibly simple when written down, but actually looks very effective.

Text

There is not much text on the poster, only the name of the film and the director. This poster has the least amount of text out of the three posters featured. The text has been formatted so that when it is over the dark side, it is white, and when it is over the light side, it is black. By mentioning that it comes from the same director as the successful film "Cloverfield", it draws in the fans of director Matt Reeves' previous work.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a very simple but effective poster, and one which is likely to encourage people who see it to look on the internet for more about the film. However, it is unclear from the poster alone what the film is about.