Trailer Credits Research

Above is the Credits for The Last Airbender. The font is very simple and readable but the colours match the feel of the film and the colours used in the title of the film. The information included is the Production company, who the film is by and who it stars. This is to create a recognisable name and sometimes it can tell the audience what to expect from the film, e.g a film by disney would be expected to be for children.

These two Credits are from The Golden Compass trailer. They both match each other in both colour and style even though one of them is an actors name. The same information is given as in the Last Airbender but it also has logos of the production companies and an official website which audiences can visit and see extra features for the film. This creates more interest in the film so they are more likely to watch it. Also it has a small copyright paragraph at the end which states that the characters and places etc in the movie belong to New Line Productions.

The design of the text also matches the film. The font is in gold which obviously matches the film name The Golden Compass. All the font matches the font of the actors name and is easy to read against the plain black background.

Music to Use

I chose these three tracks to possible use for the trailer because they are all quite fast and tense but also contain smooth and quiet music for building up the anticipation. I used a quiet part of 'Unstoppable' on the last scene of the trailer to try out the sounds.



The track above called 'Kuvera,' the beginning would work perfectly with the voiceover I wish to use at the start of the trailer then it has a more fast paced towards the middle. The disadvantage of using this track is that it uses opera voices in most of it which I do not want because it may distract from the voiceover, also it has little suitable gaps where I can cut it down to the size of the trailer and I would not easily be able to edit out the opera voices.



This track is called 'Vishnu' and contains no major operatic voice. However it doesn’t start off as smooth as I need it to in order to create a build up of excitement.
This track does have the feel of a fantasy film to it by the high use of stringed instruments and the subtle use of the choir nearer the end which could be edited out. The pause near the end could be useful in adding a dramatic scene there but this effect could be created using any of the tracks that have suitable cut off points.
Another disadvantage to using it is that the end doesn’t stop how I would like when Lorcán and Cattell speak as I want a soft background noise to it.

This track, 'Unstoppable,' seems the most usable for the trailer, the beginning is slow and intense, there is a short dramatic pause and then it continues right into the fast and heavy action part of the track which I can cut away easily to make it short enough for the trailer and add it into the correct parts. The part when the track reaches its climax would be perfectly matched for a scene montage where I will introduce the credits for the actors’ names. As mentioned before I have used the very end of this track when it fades to quiet for the speaking scene at the end which is subtle but works very well.

Unstoppable was also used as the track in the Sherlock Holmes trailer so I know it works well as a fast paced and also slow track for the intense scenes and action scenes and fits very well in the montage and credits.

Credit Font

Now I started looking for a font for my star's names using Eleanor Sim as an example. This font is too simple and doesn't match the title font. It is however very easy to read but looks too Arabian style to use with the theme of the trailer.

With the font on the left, 'Kingjola', it works well with the title font as it has simialr curls but the font doesn't have capitals so the name does not stand out. It is the most fitting to the title font though.


This last font called 'Evanescent' is similar to what I wanted as it is easy to read and stands out, it also fits as a fantasy font but does not match the title very well unlike the one above.

I will choose between the 'Evanescent' and 'Kingjola' fonts by putting them into a first draft of how I want them to look on the trailer.

Text Font

I need a font for the title of the trailer and a font to use for the credits too. For this I used dafont and looked in the sub category 'Gothic' and 'fancy' to find an appropriate font.


The font above is called 'A Charming Font' and looks like something similar to what I want but it would match the trailer and genre better if it was a little more decorated and stood out.

This font above is more fancy than the one before and does reflect the fantasy style but the sharp edges and moon shapes may give people the impression that it is going to be a vampire or werewolf movie.
This last font is called 'Dutch and Harley' and is perfect for the trailer title. The font unfortunately doesn't contain numbers so I added the '90' in on photoshop but I like the spiky contrast from the smooth and fancy curls, it matches the contrast in the trailer between the fantasy side and the modern hardness to Cattell's character and what she has had to live through.

Music Research

For my trailer I am most likely going to use a track from E.S Posthumus. They are an independent music group whose music is a form of classical with drum rhythms and electronic sounds accompanying it to create a cinematic style. Their music has been featured in films, television shows and trailers such as Sherlock Holmes, Vanity Fair and Unfaithful.

Their music has also been used on Top Gear, Celebrity Masterchef, the AFC Championship and the re-release of Avatar.

I think the music would be suitable for the trailer because the escalating structure in most of its songs is perfectly suited to the traditional montages that are featured just before or during the credits of a trailer.

Scene Filmed

This is the scene from the storyboard filmed. Some of the shots were changed as they looked better when I filmed and edited it together.

There are a few problems with it which I will change and then see which version works better:

One of the main problems, is with the colour of the shots. This is because the ones with only the female character in them, had to be filmed at a different time from the ones with both characters in. This caused the ones filmed later in the day to be too dark, compared to the rest. When editing, I tried to compensate for this by adjusting the brightness of all clips. However it didn't work very well so I am going to re-film the dark, grainy shots and make sure the light is better. This would also mean I can use the original brightness of the clips I made darker, which will restore the colours.

Before I decided to re-film these shots I first asked people what they thought of the scene with specific reference to colours and lighting. I got a mixed opinion from this question, some people said that it looked fine how it is because the effect on the colours added to the feel of the scene and genre. Whereas, others said that the scene itself is good but because the clips are all different in colour and lighting, it doesn't work well together but if the colours were all similar it would look better.

Due to the 50/50 response, I have decided to re-film the scene and use the same colour effect by changing the contrast of the clips. This with the re-filming in lighter conditions would mean that all the clips match.

Photographs For Alley Scene

One of the key scenes is the final scene of the trailer because it has to create enough interest for the audience to watch the film, it is the only part which will have diegetic speech and I also want it to portray the relationship between the two main characters, Cattell and Lorcan.

Now that I have draw the storyboard for the scene, I need to find a location that best suits what I want to show in the scene. It needs to be long with walls on either side but also needs to have a good light source that I can use while filming. Synthetic light would be ideal for this and I can darken the parts I need to in post production.

This alleyway looks like a suitable location for the scene, it has much natural light coming through but still has dark corners. The bad points are that it is obviously next to two houses with windows and doors which the residents may object to, I would have to ask their permission before filming. Also it is too arrow to clearly pan enough to see one of the characters at the far end of the alley.

For these reasons I have decided to not use it and to find a better location for the shoot.

This subway would work well for the scene because it is dark but also has lights that come on at night which will create enough light for me to use and darkness at either end of the alley which is the look I was aiming for.

The disadvantages to using an underpass is that most of them are painted which makes the shot too busy and goes against the mood I want.

Also people use them regularly and this could cause problems when trying to film and also when using the gun in the scene, there are laws to having an air softing gun in public, so I would either have to not use the gun which I would rather not do because it is important to the scene, or find a more secluded location. So I am not going to use this location.

This location is the most suited to the trailer scene. It is easy to get to and has much light but doesn't eliminate the dark shadows. It isn't too busy despite the pillars but they add to the look of the scene. It is very atmospheric and I know that no one uses it and walks near it at night.

The only downsides to it is that there is a wall at the end instead of a dark entrance but that is not so important as long as the character can be seen walking into the passageway. It doesn't look as modern as I wanted it to as I wanted it to be clear that this scene is in present day but that can be shown by the clothes the characters are wearing and the gun.

I will film this in the evening when no one is around and will make sure the camera is facing towards the wall so outside cannot be seen.

My Storyboard Final Scene

Catt's 90 Lives- Final Scene

This is the storyboard drawn up for the final scene of the trailer where Catt is walking down an alley and at night and then Lorcán is seen at the end of the corridor and they greet each other though not on friendly terms.

The storyboard is set out in a similar way to The Golden Compass example with the number of each shot and a description of what is happening in the frame and to the camera angle.

Storyboards

Storyboards are a visual mockup of a film or animation. They have various degrees of realism from stick people to life like images.

Storyboards give film makers the advantage of deciding before filming, where the camera is going to go, what the characters are going to be doing and how the overall shot is going to look and how each one will progress to the other and create the continuity needed. It is advantageous when the film needs to be shot correctly the first time and also helps to work out any kinks in the filming. It is most needed in films that contain visual effects that are added after the film is made as it helps the actors and director know where the effect is going to be in the final product.

The disadvantages to having a storyboard is that they can be very expensive depending on how the film makers want them to look. Also it takes away part of the improvised creativity of the direction if a storyboard has to be strictly followed.

In this example of a scene from the Golden Compass that has been storyboarded, there is a description of the shot and arrows on the images to show the movement of the camera. They are also numbered and dated so the directors can keep it in order and easily reference each shot and scene.

In the actual filming of the scene it is a little different to the storyboard but the way the camera moves is the same. The monkey is animated in after the scene is shot and the storyboard helps the actors and the animators know how the scene is suppose to look.

Location Photographs

I need locations that look like they could be from any era because some of the trailer will be of the past. Forests are the obvious place to use as they do not change much over time. Also the outside of old houses or ruins are a good place to film.

For one part of the trailer I need a dark place in modern time where Cattell and Lorcan are going to meet again. An easy place to do this would be an alleyway or subway. It would have to have at least a little bit of light coming into it so the camera picks up the characters and can be darkened a little later if necessary.

These pictures above show the type of location I am looking for to film the trailer and they don't have people walking past often which may cause problems when trying to film.

Movie title and Ideas

The title is appropriate to the movie as it is about a girl who has had as many as 90 live, the main reason for the number is so that the title and consequently the storyline is memorable as it plays on the myth that cats having 9 lives. I simply had to make sure the name of my character fits the idea I was trying to achieve.

General Ideas:

In the trailer I want to focus on Catt, her lives and how remembering everything has had an effect on her.

I plan to have a voice over as the only speaking part except for the end when I will have a small dialogue between Cattell and Lorcán to show their relationship. The voice over will be spoken by the character Catt to set the narrative of the movie.

I want my trailer to be fast paced and emotive but mainly intriguing enough for people to watch it. It would more resemble the Golden Compass teaser trailer because I like the way it makes you want to watch it again to make sure you have seen all the imagery. I think this is a good thing for my trailer to do to get people interested in watching the movie and it reflects the genre and feel of the film.

Trailer Sub Genre

My film synopsis would most likely fall under the fantasy sub genre, Magic realism because it blurs the distinction between realism and fantasy by showing an equal acceptance of the ordinary and the extraordinary. It does this by merging the idea of past lives- that is still debated over their existence- and the real world.

The film may also contain elements of alternative history as one of the ideas in the film will be that the evil character Lorcan was the “evil” people throughouthistory such as Hitler, but the elements of this are not the main feature of the trailer so I will categorize it as Magic Realism.

Definition:

"A chiefly literary style or genre originating in Latin America that combines fantastic or dreamlike elements with realism."

Film Synopsis

Catt’s 90 Lives

Cattell is a girl of seventeen who can remember all her past lives. She is now on her 90^th life of over 4000 years and throughout these years there has been only one other person who has appeared in each one, Lorcán.

He is most definitely evil and most defiantly set to make her life unpleasant. But Catt can not rid herself of him till she finds a way to make it permanent.

However, she is faced with a dilemma, will Cattell use the method to free herself of the pain of remembering all her lost family and friends or will she finally destroy the evil soul that follows her spirit in every life?

Fantasy conventions

“The definition of this fictional genre could be described as something that contains rudiments that are not realistic, such as magical powers, talking animals, etc. Fantasy is often characterized by a departure from the accepted rules by which individuals perceive the world around them; it represents that which is impossible (unexplained) and outside the parameters of our known, reality. Make-believe is what this genre is all about.”

(http://www.findmeanauthor.com/fantasy_fiction_genre.htm)

Fantasy is the least likely genre to be affected by age. An example of this is the Chronicles of Narnia film that is enjoyed by both adults and children. This may be because fantasy stems from mythology and legends that has been widely enjoyed by

generations throughout history.

Fantasy is commonly set in a medieval time period. The main conventions of the genre that people expect are the inclusion of mythical creatures, heroes and villains, castles and magic.

Fantasy can overlap the science fiction genre, as

there is often a very thin line between them. Star Wars is a good example of this, it is widely

known to be in the science fiction genre but has been argued to have elements of a fantasy

genre. This is referring to the part of the story using ‘the for

ce’ which is

not scientifically explained, adding the fantasy convention.

Sub-genres:

· Romance Fantasy

· Fairy Tales


· Alternative History


· Arthurian Fantasy


· Comic Fantasy


· Dark Fantasy


· Epic Fantasy


· Fairy Tales and Mythology

· Magic Realism


· Heroic Fantasy 


· High Fantasy 


· Mystery Fantasy 



· Modern Fantasy


· Sword and Sorcery

Find a magazine cover for one of the 3 films.

Who does it include, what are the tag lines used and does it follow a consistent theme?

The magazine cover includes the three main characters of the movie. The main protagonist is in the centre of the magazine looking directly at the audience of the magazine to draw them in. The other two characters are important because they are also well known actors which are being used for the marketing of the movie.

The tag lines are underneath the title of the movie, which is in in bold white colours so it stands out, they say "Behind the scenes of this year's fantasy smash!" It tells the audience what type of film it is and how good it is.

The image dominates the cover and looks like part of the title of the magazine. It follows a similar theme to the posters in the way of colours and the glow around the main girl holding the compass.

Also it says "On set exclusive" before the title which makes people want to read this magazine to find out what has been happening and why the film is a "smash!"

Posters

This poster for Percy Jackson follows a similar circular layout to The Golden Compass main poster but without so many layers. The boy is the main focus of the poster and framed by the water. The only layer is the background which shows a modern setting accompanied by his contemporary clothes.

The water looks as if it is coming from his hand which hints to the audience that he might be controlling it.

It is almost certain that this character is Percy Jackson and the lightning in the background is in correlation with the title of the movie.

The other posters for this movie are mainly character based ones. This could be because the film was based on a series of books so the audience would be looking out for these characters and would recognise them, also it creates more of an interest in the characters and consequently in the movie.

Posters

Many of the posters for The Golden Compass follow a circular layout which we see regularly in posters for a fantasy film. There are generally more characters in a fantasy film that need to stand out and the layout of the poster give the focus to the main character but also fans out to show other characters that will figure in the movie.

This poster promotes the movie’s cast, as it has well known actors in it such as Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman, by displaying the cast names along the top of the poster. It also has both these actors behind the main character so they stand out.

It is clearly shown that this poster contains layers as it may also be in the film. The main character is at the front and lit up in a warm and important light which is consistent with the name of the film.

The next layer is not as lit up but appears to be showing up clearly from the glow coming off the first layer. This shows they are less important but still must be recognised in the film.

The third clear layer makes the suggested outline of the circle and also adds a dramatic backdrop to draw the audience in. The final faded layer simple shows the setting of buildings and mountains to give it depth and interest.

There are also other posters that show each individual character to attract interest.

Posters

Analyse the posters for your 3 trailers, do they follow a consistent theme?

The posters for The Last Airbender follow a consistent theme of mystery and the suggestion of good against evil. This is done using the contrasting colours next to each other as with the poster here and the way the two characters are facing away from each other and also away from the camera.

Everything in it is centred and symmetrical and we can see in this poster and similarly in others that there are images in the same colour as the side of the poster below the two characters which gives the impression that they will be involved with the particular character they accompany.

Finally, we can also notice that the fire and air swirls appear to be coming from the character’s hands. This teases the audience about the powers the characters may have and gives us an insight into the fantasy genre.

Narrative in Trailers

Which trailers do not give you a great deal of information about the narrative? What do they convey and what elements are needed to do this?

Percy Jackson and the Olympians does not give much information about the narrative of the film but it does convey that the film may be centred on the young teen who is the main focus of the trailer. This implies that he is Percy Jackson.

The elements used to show this is the camera action following him and he is on his own which makes the audience watch him only. There is also a sense of mystery as to who he is at the beginning of the trailer which further focuses the viewer’s interest in the character.

Trailer Narrative

Which of the trailers you have seen gives a strong indication of the narrative in the film? List the features that are needed for this to happen.

The Last Airbender trailer gives the best indication of the narrative of the film because of the narrative in the trailer. It gives a personal view of the Airbender told by an unseen voice. It indicates that the narrative will be an overview of what is happening in the storyline of the movie possibly showing all the characters views and feelings. It suggests an omnipresent narration for the film even though the teaser trailer is focused on the one boy.

Trailer Research

Percy Jackson-

Style- It is very modern and simple.

Music- The music is slow then becomes increasingly fast then slow again. It creates an atmosphere of anticipation making the audience want to see what is coming next.

Plot- There is a lack of plot to this trailer which makes it the more conventional teaser. What little information we can guess at is that the boy in the trailer is Percy Jackson and that to get to the city in the clouds you have to go to the empire state building and the city will be important to the movie.

Editing- At the beginning of the trailer there are only fades used and no cuts till near the end of the trailer in accordance to the music tempo when the anticipation is reaching a climax and the action of it is increased.

Graphics- The graphics are shown mainly at the end as with the other trailers and are very modern in style and look realistic.

Five events in the trailer and the questions each raises-

1. Views of contemporary New York and a taxi pulls up on the street
• Who is in the taxi and why are they there at night
2. Boy walking along the corridor of the Empire state building

· Why is he at the empire state building

3. Gets handed the keys from the security guard

· What are the keys for and why did the guard let him pass unquestioned

4. The lift moves right to the top of the building lighting up

· Is it going to stop and why is it lighting up

5. He steps out of the elevator and looks at some Greek style buildings in the clouds.

· Who lives there, why is he there and where is it if it is in the clouds

Trailer Research

The Golden Compass-

Style- It had a fantasy style in its costumes and settings and is shot in a fast and exciting way.

Music- Dramatic classical music with no lyrics but an accompanying choir which fits in with the fantasy setting and genre.

Plot- From the trailer the plot seems to be that a young girl is given a compass she has to keep hidden and a woman is trying to find her because of a prophecy. Also there is some sort of battle which she wants to fight for and she is helped by a warrior polar bear.

Editing- There are many fades and cross over of scenes. Also cuts are evident in the trailer. There are voiceovers that cross scenes and the scenes are short and fast paced.

Graphics- The graphics are very up to date and are mainly shown at the end of the trailer for dramatic effect and interest of the audience to make them want to watch it. The audience can see that it is realistic and watchable.

Five events in the trailer and the questions each one raises-

1. She gets given a clock and told to keep it secret
• Why does she have to keep it secret and where did it come from
2. A woman is told about a prophecy told by some witches
• What is the prophecy and who are the witches
3. She is stood with children behind her and spits at an army
• Why are there children against an army and why is she spitting at them
4. She falls of a flying ship and a woman flies after her
• How can the woman fly and is the girl caught in time
5. A polar bear hits another polar bear in the face
• What is the purpose of this and what will it lead to.

Three Trailers From Chosen Genre

The Last Airbender-

Style- Very simple with little writing, mainly narration

Music- Japanese style at the beginning matches the narration, the setting and the action that is happening then changes as the action and view changes which gives it a tense and exciting feel as the audience sees the ships against one boy.

Stars- No star cast is shown off so the film must stand as its own.

Plot- Very clearly and simply portrayed in the narration, someone who is the last of their kind who can control air has many people wanting to kill him and he is going to try defend himself.

Editing- Only a couple of fades when writing is on. Has very smooth camera movement to focus on the character and also controlled which gives the feeling of his characterisation also in the controlled way he moves.

Graphics- The graphics are shown at the end of the trailer when the army coming to destroy him is revealed. It tells of action that may happen in the film and about how important this one boy is.

Five events in the trailer and the questions each one raises-

1. He blows out some of the candles with his hand
• How did he blow out the candle without some sort of device.
2. He blows out all the candles in one go by slamming down his staff
• How far does his power go and why is he there alone
3. He takes off his hood showing his face
• Is he as young as he looks and why does he have marks on his head
4. He blows all the people off the edge of the cliff they are climbing
• Why do those people want to kill him
5. Lots of ships fire fireballs at the temple where the Airbender is.
• Who is in charge of those ships if anyone and why are they trying to destroy the Airbender.

My Chosen Genre

I have chosen to do a trailer of a fantasy genre because I think it would be interesting to do and different. Also it gives alot of options to the plot, characters and camera angles I could use.

Conventions

What are genre conventions?

The style of the film that follows the normal features of that genre. Each genre has it’s own style concerning the settings story lines and characters. Genre conventions are the ‘rules’ that are followed by each genre. Breaking these conventions could be considered breaking the genre style.

Trailer Research

Where might a trailer be seen and how do different formats affect the viewing of the trailer?

Trailers can be seen mainly on television and the Internet. By watching it on the Internet the trailer can be watched more than once and have links to websites and related news that can be followed by the audience of the trailer. Also, as with the example below, websites such as youtube can use cookies to target the intended audience of the movie.

In comparison, by viewing it on television, the trailer's screening time has to be very specific to gain their target audiences attention and as well as that it has to be interesting enough to make the audience want to go and find out more or watch for when the movie is coming.

Trailers can also be screened in the cinema. Here it is easier to target the intended audience by showing the trailers in films specific to that genre, also it is definitely known that the audience will be watching it by putting it on before the film.

The above screen shot shows how trailers can be viewed on cinema websites, this advertises the film as well as the cinema.

Teaser Trailer and Full Trailer

What is the difference between a teaser trailer and a full trailer?

A teaser trailer is much shorter than the main trailer and is intended to grab the audience’s attention and have them looking out for the film or for the main trailer. It is usually between 60-90 seconds long and are released far in advance to the film, sometimes even years. They usually contain very little actually film footage if any and their main purpose is to tell the audience that the film is in production.

Spiderman is a good example of this whose teaser trailer was released two years before the movie.

A full trailer is longer and contains actual film footage and also tells more of a story to entice the audience to watch it and usually has a more exact date of the movie release unlike a teaser.

The main trailer has more substance and gives a clearer idea of the storyline without giving too much away for the audience to decide if they like it.

In the above example of the 1991 film 'Hook' the teaser trailer is very simple and is mainly used to show off the star director Stephen Spielberg and the star cast of Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams and Julia Roberts. There is no actual film footage and it lasts for only about 90 seconds.


Whereas the full film trailer contains all actual film footage and starts to reveal the general storyline even though it is only 30 seconds longer than the teaser.

Background Research

What is a trailer?

A trailer is a preview of an upcoming film. It contains clips of scenes that are within that film, put together to create interest. It tries to entice people to go and watch the movie when it comes out so aims to heighten the excitement and anticipation of the film.

A teaser trailer is short, usually about 1 to 1.5 minutes, and is released far in advance to the film’s release.