1. Sana Gillani In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? 2. Codes and conventions of a trailer Trailers stick to the general codes and conventions for in order for it to be successful. Most trailers usually last about 2-3 minutes. They include the release date. The title of the film is included. Other titles relating to the clips are shown in the trailer. Names of the characters. Production logo An age certification, which is there to provide a guideline for the type of target audience Music and voiceovers Social media 3. CONVENTIONS INCLUDED IN OUR TRAILER 4. The company details 5. Title of Trailer 6. The length of the trailer 7. The release date 8. Codes and convention of crime thriller trailers Genre: The genre of the film determines how the film will be set out and presented. When creating crime thriller trailers it is essential to keep in mind the micro features. These include editing, mise-en-scene, sound and camera. Camera: There are lots of different types of shots used within crime thriller trailers. This includes, establishing shots, high and low angle, long shots, close ups, medium close ups, shot reverse shot, panning and many more. These shots are used to create suspense and build tension for the audience. They are also used to easily convey the genre of the trailer. Editing: Editing is used in crime thriller trailers in a way to create an uncomfortable or a suspenseful atmosphere for the target audience by adding lots of fast cuts, sudden change of camera angles. This disorientates the viewer as it creates an on screen tension, which is key for crime thriller trailers. Sound: The sound used for crime thriller trailers is for building tension with eerie or tense music being played as diegetic or non-diegetic. High pitched sound is often used to make the audience feel uncomfortable and to give them a sense that something unpleasant is about to take place in the scene and making it seem as though they are experiencing the film through the characters point of view. 9. Continued... Mise en scene: Customes:The customes always depend on the role of the character. For example, if the character is good, he will most likely wear white and other light colours, and if the character is playing the villain role then he will most likely wear dark colours, such as, black. Lighting: The lighting in mostly all crime thriller trailers is dark and dull, often rainy. This is to create tension and build suspense for the audience. Props: The props that are mostly used in all crime thriller trailers are weapons, such as, knives and guns. The use of props helps to inform the audience of the genre of the film. Locations: Crime thriller films are often set in dark, mystery, gloomy locations. For example, in areas with less population. For example, the woods or jungles. Titles: The titles are used to further inform the audience about the film and to engage them. Theme: The theme of crime thriller films often involves revenge killing, murder, suicide, mental illnesses and many more. These themes help the audience to easily identify the genre and they also create tension. Characters: The type of characters that are typically used are the villain, the promiscuous girl, a hero, the innocent/damsel in distress girl. 10. What all Crime Thriller films include - When watching the many different crime thriller trailers and analysing them before creating our final trailer, me and my team members found the trailers did not give the full storyline away. The story is told in lots of different clips put together, each scene lasting about 3 or 4 seconds. This technique is used to make the audience want to watch the full film when it is out in the cinema. - Most trailers had the typical characters of a crime thriller film. This includes the damsel in distress, the promiscuous girl, the hero and the villain. - The trailers length is always about 2.5-3 minutes long. - Lots of different shots and editing techniques are used in the trailer all at once showing lots of clips. - They are always set in mysterious/spooky looking areas. - The sound (diegetic/non diegetic) further contributes to the genre. 11. Analysis of film trailers 12. The Raid 2 Analysing this trailer, as well as analysing other tailers, further developed my understanding of the key points and conventions of a crime thriller trailer.I clearly became aware of exactly what we needed to include in our trailer 13. Themes 14. Our Narrative The November Man and Gone Girl had a massive contribution to our narrative. As a group we decided that we like narratives of these two films and to base our narrative for our trailer as something similar to the narrative of these films. 15. Deciding on our narrative We have changed our narrative at least three times after getting audience feedback and by carrying out focus groups. Our first narrative idea was to have Shiwa Bakhtiyar as the person who will be killed. However, after getting feedback we were told that it would be better if the character Sarah Jones is killed as it would make more sense, because she cheated with her sisters husband. We carried out some more research and wanted to stick with our original plot of having the character Shiwa Bakhtiyar murdered instead. This is because it would create a lot of tension and build suspense for the audience making them wonder how and why she was murdered instead of Sarah Jones, because she is the one who planned the murder of Sarah Jones. 16. Camera I followed the codes and conventions of the use of camera in crime thriller films. I found that the trailers we analysed had various different camera shots. This includes, establishing/wide shots, close ups, medium close ups, long shot, medium shot, pan, shot reverse shot and many more. Me and my group focused on these shots throughout the making of our trailer. 17. Establishing/wide Shot In our trailer we used establishing/wide shots to establish and clearly show the setting of where the trailer is set. These shots provide an overall view of the whole scene. The establishing shot is used at the start of the scene to show and inform the audience of where it is set. The settings create an atmosphere and further builds tension as to what is going to happen next in the clip. 18. Low angle shot The first low angle shot of Shiwa Bakhtiyar is used to make her look isolated and vulnerable and may show that shes weak. It also shows that someone might be looking down on her, which connotes that she is not worth anything in their eyes. The second low angle shot of Shiwa Bakhtiyar and the killer shaking hands, shows that they are making a serious deal. This camera angle focuses closely on the handshake, showing that something terrible is about to take place. The low angle of Shiwa sitting on the stairs again makes her look vulnerable. 19. More Shots Shot reverse shot: This shot is used to show the conversation that takes place between the two sisters. It also builds tension as the camera moves from one character to the other quite quickly. This shot clearly shows their facial expressions which also adds to the building of tension and suspense building. Two shot: This shot is used to show both characters in the same frame. It shows their body language and facial expressions. Sarah Joness body language is more relaxed than Shiwas as her body language tells the audience she is stressed out and looks disappointed. Extreme close up: This shot is used to show the disappointment and worried look in Shiwa Bakhtiyars eyes. 20. Shots continued... Point of view shot: This is a point of view shot from Shiwa Bakhtiyar. This shot is used to see from the characters point of view, to make the audience feel as though they are with the character in the film and they are also involved in the action. Wide/long shot: This shot is very informative. This is because it shows the audience where this particular scene is set and also shows a long shot of the two sisters. This allow the audience to identify their body language and clearly see what they are wearing. 21. Editing Me and my team members followed the codes and conventions of editing from other trailers and re created some of the editing techniques in our trailer. 22. Editing Techniques Cut away: This shot is used as a buffer between the shots used to help the editing process and to move on to the next scene or to show something in relation to what is being shown with a cutaway effect. Black and white effect: The black and white effect is used to inform the audience that the flashback is being played and to help them easily follow and understand the trailer without getting confused. 23. Sound We followed the conventions of a typical crime thriller trailer for sound and included both diegetic and nondiegetic sound. 24. Soundtrack: I downloaded the soundtrack of our trailer that played in the background throughout the duration of the whole trailer. I followed this convention by making sure the soundtrack had a mysterious, eerie and thrilling effect to match the genre. I selected my soundtrack on youtube, then converted the file into mp3 (as you can seen from the print screen shown above). The soundtrack starts of slow, then gets faster and louder adding more tension and building suspense. The soundtrack is non diegetic, because the characters in the trailer cannot hear it. I also included some diegetic dialogue, to help the audience understand the narrative better. The dialogue by Shiwa Bakhtiyar Youre my sister! How could you do this to me? adds to the understanding of the audience, making them aware the other sister has done something terribly wrong. The soundtrack gets louder and faster as Shiwa begins to run from the killer, which builds suspense and gets the audience on the edge of their seats. 25. Characters - Conventions followed Together with my team we followed the conventions of the typical characters used in crime thriller films. - We included the innocent girl Shiwa Bakhtiyar who has been deceived and betrayed by her husband and sister and tries to take action against it by seeking revenge, but fails to do so. - The promiscuous girl, Sarah Jones, who is Shiwas sister. - The villain who pretends to help Shiwa, but is really her sister and is on her husbands side. So he kills Shiwa instead of her sister. - The husband, who plays the main role in the film and is mainly responsible for Shiwas murder. Although He is not shown in the trailer, keeping it at a mystery from the audience. The husband is innocent in Shiwas eyes, as Shiwa is blaming only her sister, but she is not aware that they are both equally at fault, and he is the one who directs his friend (the killer) to kill Shiwa. - We have also challenged the conventions of the good character. As we decided to kill of the innocent character, instead of the evil character. 26. Mise en scene We have followed the conventions for the use of mise en scene in our trailer. 27. Lighting The lighting in the room when the two sisters are having a conversation is very gloomy and calm, creating a tension between the two sisters as they argue . Theres nothing in the background to distract the audience, so the complete focus is just on the two sisters in this scene. The lighting is also not a distraction, as it just simply adds to the mood of the scene. The lighting for this scene is in black and white, to show that it is a flashback and is in the past, but is there to show the audience what had already happened. The lighting for this scene has a daylight effect to match the scene, as it shows the two sisters happily having a conversation. The beautiful green grass colour also adds to the mood of this scene. 28. Costume Although Shiwa is wearing a black coat. The white coloured scarf around her neck helps to add to her innocence as she is not aware of the fact that her murder is being planned and her husband and sister have a hand in the planning.The white coloured scarf also shows that shes vulnerable Although the killers face has been hidden throughout the trailer, the audience is able to see that he wearing all black. This is a convention which we followed from watching other trailers, as the villain is always dressed in black. The colour helps the audience to identify them as the villain. The two sisters are both dressed in similar dark clothing.This is so that the storyline is not given away to the audience. The audience will not be able to identify the innocent and promiscuous girl straightaway. This will further grab their attention into the trailer. 29. Props The cones are used to mark the area and to show others that a murder has been taken place in that area. The stone has been shown to add to the audiences understanding that one of the characters were killed with the stone.This also links to other crime thriller trailers, as some sort of weapon is always involved. The phone is used to show the characters communicating with each other through electronic devices. This also informs the audience that some tragedy will take place 30. Setting The woods: The starting is of a dead body covered in a black bag in the woods, to show the audience that this is where the murder was taken place. I have followed the conventions of a crime thriller film, by having the character killed in a mysterious place. Park: Near the middle of the trailer, the two sisters having a happy moment together is shown in the park, to add a lively and happy effect to the scene Empty house: The empty house adds to Shiwa crying. The empty house also shows that the marriage between Shiwa and her husband was not very successful. This is because the house they both share does not look like a family home and has an empty effect. 31. Titles The titles help the audience understand what is happening in the various scenes all shown in the trailer, so they are able to follow the narrative/trailer without getting confused with what is happening. The audience are introduced to the characters by having the names next to the characters. The names of the characters are in red and the other titles are in black and white basic font, standing out on the black background. 32. Magazine We followed the general codes and conventions of a magazine by making sure we included the main conventions in our magazine. 33. Conventions of a magazine - Masthead: a title used to make the readers aware of what magazine they are reading. - Header: this is always below the masthead and may talk about competitions and draws. - Footer: this is always below the cover, which is another informative convention of the magazine, as it informs the reader of other exciting things to be found in the magazine. - Splash/pull sticker: often used to attract the readers attention. - Left third: this contains the main feature of what is inside the magazine. - Cover lines: used to inform the leader of the main articles inside the magazine. Often found on the right hand side of the magazine, - Date/price/issue: to give the reader some vital information of the magazine. - Main image: the image of the person/object who is associated with the magazine. - Barcode: this is used for the company's purpose, as it informs them how many of their magazine copies were sold whenever it is scanned. 34. Film magazine analysis 35. How I followed the conventions in my magazine? I followed the conventions of a magazine when creating my film magazine by making sure I included the following: - The masthead - Header - Footer - Main cover line - Left third - Barcode/date/issue - Flash/pull sticker - Main image. I have explained the use of them in the next few slides. 36. Analysis of film magazine Masthead: The masthead is in big, bold and capital blocks. The white colour goes really well with the black background. It is in front of the image, making the reader aware that it is the focal point of the cover. The colour give the title importance and also stand out to the target audience. Whiite is often associated with innocence, vulnerability, elegance, reflecting the character in the image, Shiwas personality. The stereotype of the white colour can also be challenged, because it can also connotate death and mystery. This will help the selling of the magazine as it gives the magazine a sense of mystery. The masthead has taken up a lot of space on the top section of the magazine. the effect of this is to make the magazine stand out when placed on the shelf next to other magazines. Main image: This is a close up shot. The image of Shiwa sells the storyline more than any of the other conventions. Her sad, dissapointed facial expression informs the audience of her innocence, and makes the audience side Shiwa. She is looking directly towards the audience, making them feel connected and involved with her emotions. The main cover line: The main cover line is the title of the film. The colours of the title are black and yellow. The black blends in with the est of the cover, whereas the yellow stands out from the cover, giving the title a 3D effect. The right colour will attract the reader's attention towards the title, and if they were to go away, the title will still be in their mind. Flash: The flash is in a red box with white text, attracting the reader to the magazine. The flash shows other well known magazines produced by FILM company. Barcode/date/issue: This informs the reader of the price. I have placed this on the corner of the magazine as it not that important and because I would not want the read to be distracted from the main elements of the cover. On the other hand, it very important to the company, because it informs them of how many copies were sold and whether the publication of this magazine is successful. 37. Left third: The left third of the cover reveals where the main part of the information and content is. The colour of the text is white and yellow with grey boxes around the yellow text. This is to make it stand out to the target audience. So, when the target audience have a look at the cover, this part of the magazine will not be missed out and will also be read. Footer: The footer informs the reader of other content they will find in the magazine. It is in yellow text, with a grey background. This follows the style of the bottom cover of the magazine. Header: This gives extra information to the reader. The colour of the font is white, behind a black background, following the general style of the magazine. 38. Improved film magazine Pull Sticker: the pull sticker i in a grey circle with white text. The colour grey is used to follow up the general houestyle of the front cover, which mainly consists of white grey, white and black. The pull sticker is b6ld, so the audience will have a quick read at the pull sticker as well as all the other contents, which means the pull stick will not be ignored and will draw the readers attention, because its highlighting something special as it is in a circle. Left third: I followed the conventions by adding a left third that informs the reader of some of the exciting content they will find inside the magazine.This technique is often used to persuade the reader to by the magazine. I have used a red banner with white text in capitals as the heading, to attract the reader to this part of the magazine. I added a quote above the title, so that the readers are aware the quote is related to the film. The quote most shocking film of 2015 makes the film seem really dramatic to the audience. Also, the quote is from a well known person,which makes the audience more keen and interested into the release of the film 39. Conventions of a poster - They should keep the audience engaged. - They always include the films title. - Eye catching - They include film ratings - The names of the main characters - Age ratings - Quotations of someone who has already watched the film. - Company details 40. Poster analysis We carried out analysis of four different film posters in order to fully understand the conventions needed for a film poster. The analysis helped me with the layout of my final poster. The layout of the poster The November Man is slightly similar to my poster. I used ideas from this particular poster and also taking ideas from other posters to make it seem like a professional film poster. 41. Analysis of film poster and conventions followed Positive quote: This is a film poster convention that I carried out in my poster. The effect of this is that it brings a positive insight into the film and would make the target audience watch the film. The quote has a major influence on the film because it is from a well known person, Image: I have used a medium long shot image of the main characters in the film (similar shot type compared to The November Man poster). This image helps the target audience understand the trailer better. They are able to clearly see their facial expressions and so this helps them identify who is bad and who is innocent. Title: I have followed up the convention of the title of the film that is placed just below the middle. similarly to the title in The November Man. The font and design of the title is also very different compared to the posters we analysed. This is because we wanted to insert an original idea that will also fit in within the genre, as the black and yellow represents the tape that is put around an area by the police being investigated. Cast: This is a typical convention that is used in all film posters that I have used in my own poster. I used the idea from the poster Seven of placing the cast names at the top of the poster and in white to make it stand out on the black background, Company details: I have followed the convention of adding the company details on the poster. I used this idea of layout from The November Man poster with coming soon placed just above it in yellow. This makes the poster look more realistic. Ratings: The ratings is a good film. This is evidence for the target audience that it is a good film, 42. Overall To conclude, I think I have followed up the conventions needed in my trailer, magazine and poster to make it seem more realistic and professional. My research and planning has helped me develop my production, as me and my group members always referred back to it, in case we forgot to add some of the important conventions. We clearly followed it as our guideline in order to make our production a success. If I had the opportunity to do this again in the future, then I would use more dramatic sound effects and have even more fast paced and steady editing. I would also opt for a different genre, such as horror, which will help me gain more knowledge and develop my understanding of producing trailers.