1. Research into wider texts
Adverts
For the horror genre adverts are used to grab the audience’s attention. Before the whole
film is released trailers are released so the audience can get an idea on what the film will be
about. The best and most intriguing parts of the film are used in the advert to preview what
the whole film would be like. The purpose of a film trailer is to make you want to see the
movie and this is portrayed within 2 minutes. I like the idea of using adverts to get the
audience’s attention because when the whole film is released there will be a larger audience
that go to view the filmas it is better known. In adverts music is used to help set the tone
and mood of the trailer. The music is usually recognisable and popular and most likely in the
film itself. Therefore the audience can be aware of what is going to be in the filmor may
even know the song already. In the horror trailer for the film 'The Crazies'. This trailer uses
faint murmuring music which creates an eerie feel. This trailer also uses quick changing
shots and fast paced screen transitions which I could easily recreate. When I produce my
horror filmtrailer I will use this as an influence because it is successful at targeting the
correct audience. My audience will be teenagers therefore I will use popular music and add
in the most intriguing shots to attract the audience.
Posters
The sole purpose of a film poster is to advertise an upcoming filmby letting the audience
know that a new film is due for release. A film poster provides a range of information on an
upcoming film such as; the name of the film, the release date, the stars/actors and actresses
who are in the film. The photos and graphics of the poster can suggest a particular genre
and narrative that the filmwill follow which is an insight to what the film may be about. Film
posters can appear in a range of places. Such as on billboards in streets and along
motorways, train stations and bus stops, on the sides of buses, inside and outside cinemas,
in magazines and on websites and many more places. For example the Woman in Black film
poster is dark and mysterious and this makes the audience want to know what is going to
happen in the film. On the poster the characters face is shown up close therefore we can
see and understand his emotions and this makes the audience want to know more. The
Woman in Black filmposter is inspiration for when I advertise my horror trailer. This is
because it reflects the horror genre and makes it obvious to my audience. You can tell from
the dark colours that it is for a horror film. The man in the picture and the spooky house in
background are also used to show they will play a big role in the film.
2. Short films
The purpose of a short filmis to be experimental. They are relatively cheap to produce
therefore filmmakers are able to attempt new techniques which a full length film would not
allow the director to engage in such an artistic way. One of the purposes of a short film is to
reach out to a particular audience. Distribution is varied with short films as we rarely see it
in cinema unless it’s part of a film festival. However, the distribution for short films comes
mainly through viral distribution which is on video sites such as YouTube where a mass
amount of people can view it for free. A popular horror genre short film is 'Bedfellows'. In
this short film a woman receives a phone call in the middle of the night. The director Drew
Daywalt quickly and efficiently builds suspense and terror. I like the idea of short films
because they are easier to produce and you can showcase all your talents in a small amount
of time. Also the audience’s attention is grabbed immediately and they are left in awe and
suspense for the whole time of short film.
3. For my horror genre a really spooky and intense image would suit it. The picture should be
quite dark and use low key lighting as it emphasizes the genre. I think having a close up of a
figures face would suit the genre perfectly because it makes it clear the emotions of the
character. Moreover we can see the characters state therefore we can see that they are in a
vulnerable situation.
James Wan is an Australian film producer and director, known for Saw (2004), Insidious:
Chapter 2 (2013) and The Conjuring (2013) and many other films. These are very popular
and successful horror films. James Wan is my inspiration for the horror genre as all the films
he has done have been successful and spooky. When creating my horror clip I would like to
replicate some of James Wan's techniques. James Wan focuses largely on sound. Insidious
and The Conjuring use horrific sounds to fill the mind’s gaps. This is because image already
has the power to display and depict horrific, disturbing acts, but its sound that allows abject
terror to enter the audience’s psyche beyond. Moreover James Wan is aware of how people
see his work, even when it’s not his work. Thus his films are not just to his tastes but he
considers other peoples wants and opinions on the horror genre. He is a filmmaker
genuinely and thoroughly interested in mastering stylistic tools to build suspense, not
creating cheap shocks for audiences with gore. Furthermore James Wan uses sincere scares.
Many false scares reveal the falseness of being scared in a movie theatre. Whereas
worthwhile scares allow the audience to continue investing in the story of the film, and thus
they become more affected by the scares.
