Alpha Pupil

Titles – font choice, size, colour, positioning, name of film

When choosing the fonts and titles for my trailer, I decided to keep the theme of each very simple; which is why I chose to use black backgrounds and white plain font. I feel that this gives both a continuing clinical feel throughout the trailer which is appropriate because the whole idea behind the trailer was that it was about an experiment. I also positioned the text in the lower right hand corner because it again reinforced the clinical scientific documentation theme.

The name of the film ‘Alpha Pupil’ was chosen as it gave an insight into what the film is based on, a student. The connotations of ‘alpha’ also add to a scientific feel; again solidifying what the trailer is representing.

The overall darker look to the titles allows a viewer to understand the aesthetic of the film, clinical and dark.

Camera shot type, composition, framing

A range of shots were used in the trailer, examples of which include;

A close up shot of the ‘alpha pupil’s face’ which is only on screen for a millisecond as this has a greater overall effect and intensity because a viewer wouldn’t understand what it was, ultimately teasing them.

An establishing shot of the classroom, giving an immediate indication of location and the scientific angle. The shot includes the main character entering, which also reflects that the character has a direct link to the events in that room.

A close up point of view shot is used in conversation with the professor through his eyes. This gives the viewers entire focus on her character. Her positioning is central as if it were a real conversation.

Camera movement and angle

The camera movement was minimal in the trailer, as many shots focussed on the facial expressions of the main character and her reactions to the ‘monster’ within the school. Angles also mainly remained directly facing the subject in the frame. This was mainly because it wanted to remain true to it being ‘point of view’ and therefore making a viewer feel like they are really in the science lab.

dialogue

The dialogue in the trailer is entirely provided by the character of ‘Susie’, except for some backwards dialogue used to create the sound of the ‘alpha pupil’ being created. The dialogue of Susie is an enquiry into the ‘alpha pupil’ itself and is in conversation tone. The reason for the lack of dialogue within the trailer is because the focus is mostly on the build up to the scream and the eeriness created with the backing music.

Music choice and pace of editing

The music choice for my trailer was a very dark song which matched the pace of the action in the trailer. The beginning of the track is underlying beneath very fast cuts of ‘random’ shots of the film. To a viewer these may seem confusing but this will intrigue and persuade them to watch the film as they may feel inclined to discover what they are. The pace of editing for the rest of the trailer slows and quickly peaks at the crucial point in the film where once again the cuts become faster. At this point, there is backward speech used in combination to the backing music to match the shots of the experiment and the ‘creature’ being made. The noises themselves are intended to represent the ‘alpha pupil’. The general intention for the pace of editing was intended to be –fast-slow-fast- as if to catch an audience unawares during the shots of the experiment (combined with the scream).