My horror movie idea

The films begins with Fern and Scott in the car on the way to their new house/manshion that they have just purchased. They go down several backroads with nothing around. Fern expresses her hantred for the house saying that it is too out of the way and in the midlle of nowhere. They finally arrive at the house and unpack their items. They walk into the house and Fern comments on how cold it is.

The first night there Fern wakes up in the middle of the night thinking that she heard something. She looks around the house but eventually goes back to bed. She tells Scott what she heard the next day although he thinks she is just imagining things.

Fern enters her kitchen one day and while making something to eat she looks in a mirror and thinks that she someone. She puts it to the back of her mind trying to ignore it. That night severl noices in the kitchen make Scott go downstairs to check thing out. Fern hars screaming and runs down. She finds a trail of blood leading around the house eading to his body, a message on the wall reads "time to die". Fern runs to the kitchen in panic and grabs a knfe. She then hears someone comming towards her and runs out of the house, along the small roads. She desperatly looks for a phone but in unable to find one.

Stuck in the middle of nowhere she decides to sneak back into her house and call for help.  Once inside the phone lines have been cut and she cannot open any doors. She smashes a widow but they killer grabs her by her foot. She manages to use the knife to get rid of him and run upstairs. The killer follows and she throws things at him. She locks herself in her beadroom and uses the balcony to get into a different room once he starts to break the door down with an axe.

The final showdown happens when she is trapped into a room with him and she appears to kill him. Another character who has history with the killer comes to the house and explains how the killers family were murdered in the hause when he was a child and now he kills anyone who moves there.

The final shot of the film is when it is shown that the killers body is no longer on the floor.

Mood Board

This is a mood board comprising of many of my favourite aspects of horror films. The backround is a dark forest, a conventional setting for horror. I chose to put this on my mood board as this is a setting that is easily accesable to my group for a filming location.

A haunted house is also present on the mood board. A creepy looking building is regulary used in horror. This is because the mysterious aspect that anything could happen there.

The rest of the mood board is made up of final girls and killer. These are typical of the "slasher" sub-genre.

Role of the distributor

This film industry is an industry that has the potential to make millions/billions of pounds. A film is released to a cinema where it remains as long as a decent profit is being made. Home entertainment releases are then issued to make further revenue through DVD and other mediums. Television screenings also help to produce profits.

Planning a release can be difficult. If the film may have the change to win awards they often open between December-February. It should be released when there will not be much competition. A buzz must be created through promotional material and critical material. A certificate needs to be decided upon based on the films target audience. The film should not contain too much violence and bad language, getting possibly a 15 age rating/Rated-R in America, if the film hopes to attract children.

The demand for the film has to be anticipated. If there seems to be a high demand for the film it will open in more cinema screens. Digital regeneration allows films to be released digitally. These disks are cheaper to duplicate and are easily distributed to cinemas. Digital 3D is also something that has became big recently as it gives the audience something new and prevents pirating the film.

The release has to be budgeted paying all marketing costs and the cost to print the copies of the film.

A poster must be created. It should show the films stars, genre, credits and a tagline. The poster will have to represent the film well to appeal to its audience. Posters are under the control of the studio and different posters may be needed to appeal to an international audience. Posters can be presented in billboards, in cinema foyers, bus stops, magazines and other places.

Trailers are created by using several audio and visual shows from the film. The producer has to approve these campaigns. These are very cost effective as the footage is taken from the film and simply edited into the trailer. Early teaser trailers may be released to teases the audience before a later theatrical trailer. Trailers attempt the represent the film, give important narrative information and give a preview of the best bits. Trailers are released as adverts prior to a similar genre film being shown in the cinema. Trailers are distributed online and can be put onto appropriate DVD releases for further promotion.

Online and mobile techniques can be used. Official websites can be created offering trailers, production information, behind the scenes footage, stills and more. Information on the internet increases audience awareness of the film when in the pre-production stage. Reviews and forums are available to discuss and review the film. This can be good or bad for a film as bad word-of mouth/reviews can prevent others seeing the film. Users generated fan videos can also be generated. Cinema tickets can also be pre-booked online.
Media advertising can also be useful. Advertising on broadcast channels is the most expensive part of advertising. Many films cannot afford such costs as they would not likely recoup the hundreds of thousands of pounds that TV spots cost. Media proliferation and fragmentation have given advertisers a multitude of options.

Publicity is also very important. A well written article about a film is likely to persuade someone to see the film more that television advertising. An article in someone’s favourite magazine or newspaper will also have the most impact. The distributor’s publicity team will arrange for interviews and other press coverage. Press kits are given to journalists containing important information about the film.
Films are screened for national critics and are usually held within the week prior to the films release. However some are held further in advance for the more well-known critics. Set visits can be done for journalists, exhibitors and key marketing partners. Award buzz creates hype that a film is so good that it will receive recognition from the film industry. Promotional partners are used to create tie-in-advertising. For example a free toy available in a fast food restaurant.

Merchandising is very important for a film. Manufacturers are given a licence to use the films logo, stills or characters at a reasonable fee. Tie-in-merchandise can be in the form of toys, clothing, screensavers, ring tones and many more. A movie can be made into a cultural phenomenon due to the entire craze related to the film.

Premieres are used to show the film to the cast and crew. This is a red carpet event that is portrays as very glamorous. The films stars are heavily photographed and other well known celebrities are likely to attend. These are very expensive to hold.

Preview screenings are useful as these allow an audience to see a film prior to release and the hopefully create good work of mouth. Film festivals also help to build cult following of films giving good word of mouth. International festivals can be help to test if the film will be well receive abroad.

Analysis of 'My Bloody Valentine 3D' teaser trailer

The teaser trailer for My Bloody Valentine 3D is very quick to establish the film’s genre as horror. Through the mise-en-scene the first setting introduced is a dark tunnel/sewer. The dark lighting and the use of motivated lighting from the torches are very conventional of the horror genre. Through the use of props we get a close-up of an axe falling to the ground. Weapons are very common in horror as they are usually used by a killer to murder the characters. A Very brief close-up of the killer is shown. The killer is wearing a mask which is something horror employs to hide the identity of the killers. This keeps the killer mysterious. Only a brief shot was used to have the most “shock” impact and to not over expose the killer. An extreme close-up of an eye is used to disorientate the audience. From this shot they have no idea what the situation is and have no other idea as to what is causing the shot. This provides an enigma to want to find out what is going on. He lighting in this shot is also note worthy as the shot is saturated in a bright white leaving the pupil to stand out and have the most impact. The depth of frame is well utilised – a key convention of the horror genre – with the female character in the foreground and the killer in the background. After several shots there are flashes to red which connotes blood. Several close-ups of character with knifes being put to their faces created a real sense of danger.

The title of the movie is not given until the final moments of the teaser. An intertitle with “My Bloody Valentine 3D” written on it is displayed. The text is red on a black background. This is very typical for a horror teaser as red contains connotations of blood, danger and fear with black being very dark and scary. The title really stands out against the black background. The texture of the font is also very blood-like. No other intertitles are used to so there isn’t as much build up to the title as other teasers do.
Production value of the film is displayed in various ways. The production company/distributor is used in a way that implies that a film from that studio will be big budget. The teaser does not show any star names or director implying that the cast isn’t very well known and the director is also not. The teaser does not show a lot of special effects however various crane and aerial shots give a sense of the film having a decent budget.
The target audience familiar with the horror genre will likely respond well to the shots of the killer along with many of the more scary parts of the teaser. Shots involving weaponry is also likely to excite the target audience.
The music in the trailer is sinister creating a dark mood for the teaser. Sound effects are very prominent throughout witch knife like sounds “whooshing” sounds and other “booms”. These create excitement and when used well with certain shots can really make the spectator jump. A heart sound effect is used during a very fast paced sequence of shots. This is effective as it represents the characters sense of panic and makes the audience emote for them. A crescendo is used to leave the audience wanting more.

Dialogue is used in the teaser and is key to giving the audience important narrative information. “Something was following us” an asynchronous diegetic piece of dialogue is used to tell the audience that something is after the characters and to keep the killer mysterious. This then has more impact for when he is finally introduced. A piece of dialogue is used referring to a “valentines day massacre” and is made to sound as though it were coming from radio or television. This makes the audience realise how dangerous the events are and how much terror the characters are feeling. Voice over takes a very important role stating that something unexplainable is happening. The sentence is broken up with clips in between. Breaking up clauses keeps the audience guessing and wanting to find out what is going to happen.

Analysis of 'Saw VI' teaser trailer

The genre of horror is quickly established in the teaser trailer to Saw VI. The mise-en-scene at the beginning of this film involves a CGI generate alley/corridor with flickering lights and dimly lit. Horror is usually set in the dark and the motivated lighting from the flickering light gives it a scary look. This is followed by screams which tells the audience that the characters are scared and in danger. The use of blood on the walls also helps to identify the genre as horror as this implies that someone has either been killer or injured by another person. Hooks dangle from the ceiling creating a weird and dangerous atmosphere. Several clips from the film are show where characters are in danger and screaming for help. The teaser does not show a villain/antagonist which is unusual for a horror teaser. However the film is part of a franchise of sequels and therefore many audience members are familiar with the villain. This also helps to keep the killer mysterious instead of over exposing them which can be un-effective. This teaser truly teases the audience as it is made up mostly of CGI rooms only showing a few shots from the movie.

The title of the movie is saved for the final moments of the teaser. “Saw VI” is written on an intertitle which consists of a black background with the text being silver. Black is a conventional colour for horror as it is dark creating an unsettling mood. The silver text is used to give connotations of weaponry such as knifes and of course a saw. The sharpness or the text and the texture effects help to achieve this. The name is not revealed until the end of the trailer to keep the audience guessing what the title is. The title is hinted at as previous intertitles all contain the number six in repetition. Viewers familiar with the franchise will likely recognise the film before the title is given due to hints such as the repetition.

The teaser has various ways of showing production value despite the fact that there are no stars and “name” directors given. The teaser is made up mainly of GCI all of which is specifically for the trailer. These shots will not occur in the film. This high use of special effects for the teaser implies a large budget for the film as if they can afford to make such an expensive teaser trailer they obviously have a high marketing budget. A high marketing budget implies a high production budget. As this is the sixth Saw film, the franchise itself is being used as a production value. Audience members will know what to expect from a Saw film and expect the film to have similar production values as previous instalments. The films production company Lionsgate is only given in small litters proving that the company is not that well known as opposed to a film from a large studio that would put for example “20th Century Fox presents” or something to that effect.

The music in the trailer is very fasted paced and loud which created excitement. The music is very good for grabbing the audience’s attention and the pace builds up as the clips get more exciting. The music’s gain of pace should leave the audience feeling that the film is going to be a thrilling ride. The music builds up to a crescendo which leaves the audience feeling that they want to see more. Horror teasers typically have a more sinister movie to create a dark scary atmosphere. Saw VI has taking another approach and aims to make the films events seem urgent, exciting and thrilling as opposed to just dark and scary; likely due to its “torture porn” sub-genre.

Little dialogue is used during the teaser, however the little that is used is key. “Where are we?” is used to establish that the characters have been somewhat abducted and do not know where they are or how they got there. This helps to at mystery to the plot as the audience will want to fin there things out. “We’ve gotta (sic) get out of here” helps to establish how scary the situation that characters are in is. It builds up the villain as being dangerous and terrifying as the characters are desperately trying to escape it. “Help me” is also used to help the audience to emote with the character and to create a connection with the audience. Most of the sound is asynchronous and is played over scary shots to help create the horrifying atmosphere.

The teaser uses repetition of "6 chances”, “6 lessons”, “6 choices” through the use of intertitles. These intertitles are followed by the films title “Saw VI”. The use of this grammatical structure is used for emphasis, memory and emotion. The audience likely already aware of the franchise will be excited by the sixth edition.

Analysis of 'Mirrors' teaser trailer

The genre of the film Mirrors is clearly given during the teaser trailer. The setting shown through the mise-en-scene shows a house in the suburbs which is a conventional setting for horror. This is because of its “middle of nowhere” and deserted feeling that makes the film much scarier to watch. A scream is given to show that something scary is happening and that the characters are in fear. Several weird angles are used along with many close ups to disorientate the spectator. The lighting is very dark creating a grim atmosphere. The teaser ends with a boy seemingly being sucked into the floor in a very quick shot. Shots like these are often used at the end of horror teaser trailers as it leaves the audience wanting to know what happened and is suppose to make the jump.

The name of the movie is revealed towards the end of the teaser.”Mirrors” is displayed on an intertitle in the same style as the other intertitles throughout the teaser. A white text is used against a black background so that the movie title sticks out due to the high contrast between the two colours. Black is a colour that is one of the most important to the horror genre (another being red). The text on the intertitle is mirrored underneath it to go with the films mirror theme.

The teaser displays many production values. Firstly a logo for 20th Century Fox is show to tell the audience that the film has been produced by Fox or at least distributed by them. This is important as 20th Century Fox is a very well known company and is part of the huge News Corporation conglomerate. Therefore a film by them is expected to be high budget. A star of the film is revealed through the use of intertitles. With Keifer Sutherland being displayed as the star his fans will know that he is in the film and likely go and see it for him. Other members of the audience will learn who is in the film. Using a star in the teaser makes the film look high budget and well made as they could afford to get a “star”. Special effects are used towards the end with a child being sucked into the floor the also implies the high budget. There is no director given leading to the assumption that the director is not well known or a big “name”.

The music used in the teaser is very sinister sounding adding to the tension and suspense. The music is also quick emotive keeping in the tone of the genre. The music builds up to several crescendos during the teaser leaving the audience with a sense of wanting more. The music also adds to the shock of many shots as its crescendo can really make a shot have a large “shock factor” impact. A heartbeat sound effect is used throughout the teaser to represent the feeling of the characters. They are panicking and scared and the use of this soundtrack helps us to feel how they do and connect with the characters.
Dialogue plays an important role in the teaser. Asynchronous sound is often used to maximise the use of the short time a teaser has to tell its information. Dialogue such as “there’s something in the house” is used to tell the audience what is happening. This keeps the killer or supernatural force mysterious without revealing too much. The viewer never fully learns what the villain is in this teaser; thus leaving the wanting more. “I’m so scared” also helps the audience to sympathise with the character and this will hopefully leave them wanting to find out what happens to the character. A voiceover is not used in this trailer.

The teaser does not use any grammatical structures or alliteration. However the sentence on the intertitiles is broken up to keep the audience guessing as to what it is going to read next. The sentence is broken up into clauses with other shots from the movie in between them.

Vladimir Propp's character analysis in relation to 'The Shining'

The Shining (1980), directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on the novel by Stephen King, starring Jack Nicholson.

 Character roles

• Villain - Jack Torrance
• Donor - Stuart Ullman
• Helper - Tony & Dick Halloran
• Princess - Wendy Torrence
• Princess's father - Danny Torrence
• Dispatcher - Stuart Ullman
• Hero/Victim - Danny & Wendy Torrence
• False Hero - Jack Torrence

Narrative structure

• Preperation

1. A member of family leaves home - Jack leaves his home for a job interview at the Overlook hotel. After getting the job his moves his wife (Wendy) and son (Danny) to the hotel for winter.
2. A prohibition or rule is imposed on the hero - Wendy is told not to enter the room while Jack is working. Danny is told not to enter room 237.
3. This prohibition is broken - Wendy enters Jack's area losing his trust. Danny goes into room 237.
5. The villian learns something about the victim - Jack learns of Danny's "gift" and that he is asking/contacting someone to help them. Jack beleives that Wendy is untrustworthy.
7. The victim unknowingly helps the villian by being decieved or influenced by the villian - Wendy was simingly decieved to stay at the hotel and by being there she is helping to provoke Jacks mental health.
8. The villian harms a member of the family - Jack mentally harms Wendy and Danny. He also tries to harm the later by chasing them ith an axe.

• Complication

8a. A member of the family lacks or desires something - Jack wants to be a writer. One of his reaseon for moving to the hotel was the change to write in solitude.

• Transference

11. The hero leaves home - Both Wendy and Danny leave home to be with Jack at the hotel. This occurs much earlier in the narrative however.
12. The hero is tested, attacked, interrogated and as a result, recieves a magical agent or helper - Danny is attacked in room 237. Wendy and Danny are also both interigated. Danny uses the shining to get help and Dick Halloran comes.

• Struggle

16. The hero and villian join in direct combat - Jack goes after Danny with an axe into a maze. Jack tries to attack Wendy, using an axe to get through a door, and Wendy stabbs Jack in the and.
18. The villian is defeated - Jack is left to freeze to death in the maze due too snow and extreame low temperatures.

• Return

26. The task is accomplished - Wendy and Danny both escape Jack and get away from the hotel. Their tasks in the movie were to get away from the mentally unstable Jack and the hotel.

• Recognition

30. The villian is punished - Jack loses his life getting punished for his evilness.

Return of the repressed

"Freud coined the term "return of the repressed" to explain the existence of neurotic symptoms. He theorized that an unconscious thought/feeling (Id derived) would constantly press for access to the executive fictions of the mind in order to be discharged. The Ego would be on constant alert to prevent the direct expression of the forbidden idea but the idea would find a disguise and surface as a symptom." (source: http://shrinkwrapped.blogs.com/blog/2006/03/the_return_of_t.html)

In simpler terms the "return of the repressed" means a bad memory of experience being put to the back of someone's mind "reressing" the memory. The person will likely have no memory of this. This plays a large role in horror films as the horror genre often contains heavy themes of phycological behaviour. A repressed thought could be used as a plot device as a series of flashbacks or dream sequences could be used to have a character remember repressed memories, leading the audience to question the characters mental health. Having the mind make decisions that a character is no aware of is also important as the audience may also question what else the haracter could be doing without knowing, if that character in in an antagonist role. This idea could also be applied to the protagonist as i could imply tha what the "villain" has subjected them to in the past was so terrible that their mind had to block it out.

A horror teaser trailer that I particularly like - 'The Hitcher' (2007 remake)

I like the way the trailer opens with an asynchronos voice that straight away lets the audience get a glimps into the antagonist. The opening is very effective due to the way the editing has been done to cut between the car window and the silloette of the killer. This adds mystery to the killer and represents him as a dark and dangrous character. The score that has been added to bulild suspense in the scene where the killer pulls out the knife in the car is very efective. Later in the trailer the cuts get faster adding excitement. The shots that were chosen for the fast cuts were of the characters with scared expressions adding tothe idea of the mysterious man with the knife being very dangerous and that the characters are very scared of him. Toward the end of the trailer dialogue is abbandoned with only screaming and a drum like sound being used. The use of this instrument is very cleaver as it sounds like a heart beat, something that tipically raises when scared. The trailer ends with a collection of shots containing a lot of action. I like this as it makes the film look very exciting and gives the trailer a dramaic ending.

Straight away the audience can tell that the movie's genre is horror. This is indicated by the nightly setting which is conventionally the time of day horror is set in. The rain adds to the scene as it makes it far grimmer. A killer is presented as dark and mysterious without giving too much information away. The asynchronous dialogue also tells the audience that something bad has happened to the characters. The brief grim shots between intertitles use odd lighting to add to the scare factor. There are also many weird angles and close-ups used, something that is very conventional for the horror genre.

The titile "The Hitcher" is displayed at the end of the trailer so that the audience know the title. It is saved for the end to entrigue the audience into watching the whole trailer to get the movie title.
The films production value is shows through many special effects including explosions. An intertitle reading "From the producers of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Amityville Horror is provided to associater the production crew with those of other successful films. The films stars and director is not mentioned.
The girls voice sounds distressed most of the trailer indicating her pain. The killers voice sound much more misterious.

The music/score builds up to grab the audiences attention and then dissapears. This has the audience wanting to know how the music turns out. It leaves the audience wanting more. This musical device is called a crescendo.