A few days after asking people to fill out my questtionaire on trailers, I looked at the results I had gathered. From my results you can see that people's views and availability to view trailers is clear. The genre was my focus on what people geared towards when choosing films to watch and from my graph below you can see that horror as the preffered and most popular. For this reason, this will be something that I strongly consider when creating and producing my own trailer, to ensure that I strongly attract the widest audience as possible. The second most imortant component to me was the features that attract people most to watch a film when viewing the trailer, and so question 7 (what feature attracts you most to a film when watching a trailer?), 9 people (45%) people chose a good plot/story line as the defining feature closely followed by Cinematography at 6 people (30%). These components are also features that I will consider when filming my own trailer and using their reasoning for these decisions as inspiration for the layout and structure of my trailer, seen in question 8. I will have to think carefully about every choice that I make when going into the filming process and use this information effectively. I found this process of collecting data ver useful and easy to complete and create, to gather a lot of relevant information. However, I realised a major limitation when analysing my results which was that I did not gather information of how long they prefer a trailer to last for which could mean the difference between views on trailer, a very important aspect of attracting an audience. Too little footage in a short trailer could be enticing but also coulld not include enough footage to attract people to watch the film on release, whereas too much footage ina trailer that lasts quite a while could deter people from watching as it might get tedious or even boring. Also I noticed that 70% of the people that I asked to fill out my questionnaire were male and this could add a biased edge to my results as males and females' opinions may differ when choosing a favourite genre and/or features that most attract them to a film. To improve these things I could have gathered more data overall by asking more people and also asking an equal amount of male to female ratio.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1EsyNwGpvjh_0Rjo6n5Pojcc29lTJ8YxQf9VpuEr29xM/viewanalytics
Monday, 24 June 2013
Thursday, 20 June 2013
The History of Trailers
The first trailer even shown for a film was in November of 1913, promoting the film 'The Pleasure Seekers'. Since this first viewing a lot of developments have taken place through decades, advancing in colour and overall editing to the trailers that we know today.
Another recognisable trailer for its time was psycho which was produced in1960. This trailer is recognisable as it lasted over 6 minutes, this is very unusual as the average trailer length is limited to 2 minutes 30 seconds for a feature trailer. This was the one exception that was allowed to exceed this. This trailer consisted of a tour around the setting of the film, in which it told the premise of the film. This was presented in black and white due to the gore that was involved in the film, this is very unlikely to happen in the present day. The text that was used through out this film was smaller than in previous years this is due to the fact that it now has motion picture to attract the audience and not just the large text. This trailer did not have a main voice over as it had a presenter I'm the form of the directors talking about the events as if they were real. This exact style of voice over was not completely carried on however voice over are usually done as if its real however it is done by a character on the film.
In my view, star wars: a new hope (1977) was a big leap forward in trailers as they now had technology to use even though it was not particularly advanced. For instance it was the first time that special effects were used in a major role. This trailer however still used old techniques to attract the audience as it still used large text to promote the film.this also created the excitement behind such films as thus film in my view kicked of the whole sci-fi film industry as it rallied a very large following when it was produced, this as well as the extremely popular star trek series.
Over the next decade, trailers developed more in terms of sound and visuals - soundtracks to trailers started to include licensed songs and special effects had improved greatly. By 1996, Titanic was released. This showed just how far technology had come. The trailer for the film A Night to Remember (1958) which is also about the sinking of the Titanic, shows a lot of primitive special effects, and also features a loud voice over, and clips of the black and white film. This is greatly contrasted by the 1996 film trailer, with the good CGI, and full colour. The images above show the difference in the special effects used for each film and trailer - 'A Night to Remember' featured a hand made model of the ship, where 'Titanic' featured a ship created using CGI. Also, in contrast with the Disney version of Snow White, the trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman released in 2012 shows much improved CGI (in fact most of the trailer relies on CGI) and the jumps cuts within it oppose the slow transitions of the 1937 trailer. The theatrical trailer is shown below, and the differences are made clear.
A more modern day trailer of iron man 3 made in 2013 is very different to earlier trailers. For instance throughout the trailer a different style voice over is used, this is because the voice over in iron man is a more theatrical and dramatic style which is voiced by the character in the film. This has changed as in previous trailers a voice over was used to promote the film through a bold voice, whereas now it is used to give a sense of the story. Also in this trailer the pace of the trailer changes as it progresses as it starts off allow then turns into a montage of clips, this shows a leap from previous trailers as they all stay at the same pace throughout. Also the sound fx and cgi in the trailer are now the main focus with the advancement in technology. Forest gump was produced in 1994 and this showed a giant leap forward in film trailers this was due to the new technology with the capability of creating a setting that looks real such as a war zone. this also showed how trailers no longer needed the help of a voice over or large text to promote itself it could now exploit the new technology to create a new era of film trailer promotion through the likes of special effects.
One of the most noticeable trailers is snow white 1937, this was the first animated film and was created by Walt Disney. The trailer consisted of still frame work and no motion picture this did not give much away front the full feature. This was probably due to the lack of technology at this time. Also this trailer was a commentary from Walt Disney himself who was explaining characters and their role in the film. This different to the present day as now trailers are most commonly narrated or even a voice over by one of the characters themselves such as in man of steel or iron man 3. Also in this trailer there is a big emphasis on the amount of text used throughout, this is very large text that usually fills the vast majority of the screen, this shows a change in trailer manufacture as during the time of this trailer there were no special effects to catch the eye of the audience so the use of large text was a popular technique. Whereas in the present day the text is rarely used in trailers as they have new special effects such as CGI which draws in the audience. The voice over also in this trailer was very loud and bold this was to make the movie look big and better.
Another recognisable trailer for its time was psycho which was produced in1960. This trailer is recognisable as it lasted over 6 minutes, this is very unusual as the average trailer length is limited to 2 minutes 30 seconds for a feature trailer. This was the one exception that was allowed to exceed this. This trailer consisted of a tour around the setting of the film, in which it told the premise of the film. This was presented in black and white due to the gore that was involved in the film, this is very unlikely to happen in the present day. The text that was used through out this film was smaller than in previous years this is due to the fact that it now has motion picture to attract the audience and not just the large text. This trailer did not have a main voice over as it had a presenter I'm the form of the directors talking about the events as if they were real. This exact style of voice over was not completely carried on however voice over are usually done as if its real however it is done by a character on the film.
In my view, star wars: a new hope (1977) was a big leap forward in trailers as they now had technology to use even though it was not particularly advanced. For instance it was the first time that special effects were used in a major role. This trailer however still used old techniques to attract the audience as it still used large text to promote the film.this also created the excitement behind such films as thus film in my view kicked of the whole sci-fi film industry as it rallied a very large following when it was produced, this as well as the extremely popular star trek series.
Over the next decade, trailers developed more in terms of sound and visuals - soundtracks to trailers started to include licensed songs and special effects had improved greatly. By 1996, Titanic was released. This showed just how far technology had come. The trailer for the film A Night to Remember (1958) which is also about the sinking of the Titanic, shows a lot of primitive special effects, and also features a loud voice over, and clips of the black and white film. This is greatly contrasted by the 1996 film trailer, with the good CGI, and full colour. The images above show the difference in the special effects used for each film and trailer - 'A Night to Remember' featured a hand made model of the ship, where 'Titanic' featured a ship created using CGI. Also, in contrast with the Disney version of Snow White, the trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman released in 2012 shows much improved CGI (in fact most of the trailer relies on CGI) and the jumps cuts within it oppose the slow transitions of the 1937 trailer. The theatrical trailer is shown below, and the differences are made clear.
A more modern day trailer of iron man 3 made in 2013 is very different to earlier trailers. For instance throughout the trailer a different style voice over is used, this is because the voice over in iron man is a more theatrical and dramatic style which is voiced by the character in the film. This has changed as in previous trailers a voice over was used to promote the film through a bold voice, whereas now it is used to give a sense of the story. Also in this trailer the pace of the trailer changes as it progresses as it starts off allow then turns into a montage of clips, this shows a leap from previous trailers as they all stay at the same pace throughout. Also the sound fx and cgi in the trailer are now the main focus with the advancement in technology. Forest gump was produced in 1994 and this showed a giant leap forward in film trailers this was due to the new technology with the capability of creating a setting that looks real such as a war zone. this also showed how trailers no longer needed the help of a voice over or large text to promote itself it could now exploit the new technology to create a new era of film trailer promotion through the likes of special effects.
Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Trailer Research - Horror Film Trailers
After watching all of the horror film trailers nominated for the golden trailer awards, I noticed certain expected codes and conventions that were similar within all of them at some point. In my opinion the trailer for Mama produced by Guillermo Del Toro was the best of this category, closely followed by Sinister. The three main components that I think bring this trailer together ans effectively build suspense is the music/sound, low key lighting paired with a blue filter and the editing. The music plays a big role in captivating the audience watching the trailer as amongst the deep bass and almost heartbeat like drumming music is paired with sharp high pitched sounds and the echoes and whispering of the children all coagulate together to create a really eerie feel right throughout. There are also short frames of silence which also help to build the suspense. The graphics and text in between the clips is non-stereotypical white, where for a lot of horror films it would be red to connote danger, however, in Mama very effective background is used behind the text that is almost ink like, and denotes the look of blood and veins which is perfectly suited for the horror genre to fit with the dark theme. The trailer heavily consists of fast paced jump cuts through the scenes to build suspense, paired with really slow moving scenes with high pitched building sound to create a suspenseful atmosphere/theme. Also throughout the whole trailer I noted that as you would expect of a horror film, the lighting is very low key for the majority of the trailer with effective use of darkness, but also that there was a blue filter for a lot of the scenes creating a cold, uneasy feeling.
From watching all of these trailers I have picked up on a few key components that I will consider using when creating my own trailer, if it was of the horror genre. The main aspect for me to make sure I include is an interesting use of cinematography such as quite a lot of close ups and shallow focus shots to really show the characters expression which I think is a key component for a horror film. This was seen in the trailer for Graceland, where the opening frame/shot was a shallow focus close up of the driver of a car and you could really see the detail of facial expression in displaying his emotions which is effective for this genre. Also I really like the use of lighting to show a scene and I think that is it a key feature that a lot of people forget about when watching a film, and without it, the film would not carry the same theme or atmosphere that it intended to. I really like the low key, blue filtered lighting of the Mama trailer and also in Sinister where the light in some scenes the only light source was from a torch or projector for example to build suspense and focus the scene on one object, and I think that this is a good way of creating suspense. Finally within this genre the structure of the trailers seem to be non-existent and sporadic to create intensity of little snippets of shocking scenes to captivate the audience and entice them to see the film.
Friday, 14 June 2013
Codes and Conventions of Film Trailers
There are many obvious features of a trailer, one being the introduction of the characters. During the trailer, a normal convention is the introduction of characters. The Blumler and Katz' 'uses and gratifications' theory centres around this idea that, one of the reasons we are consumers of media is that, as an audience, we like to identify with characters within films and TV programmes. The establishment of the characters is important because of this as it makes it relatable to the audience so that they become more engaged and then are likely to consume more and more.
Also, the ident which usually shows the production company logo. This can give you an idea of what the film will actually be like - if the production company is Warner Bros. for example, we know that it will have a huge budget and may have very well known actors playing the main roles. This will entice the audience to a film by seeing actors that they have liked previously in other films and so may go and see the film purely because of who is in it without any consideration of the storyline.
Next, the soundtrack of the trailer is an important convention. All trailers have some sort of sound accompanying the clips of film, whether this be a music track, dialogue or a voice over (or often all 3). The soundtrack to a trailer can help set the tone of the film and carrying the story along, adding depth and a overall feel to whatever type of trailer it may be. For example, if there is a music track that is upbeat or romantically slow paced, the chances are that the film will not be a horror, similarly if the soundtrack of the trailer features screams and high pitched violin screeches then it is very unlikely that the film will be a family feature. Voice overs are used to guide the audience through the initial plot of the film, whether this is the voice of a character in the film or an external voice usually depends on the film/ type of trailer that it is used on. This can be done in many different ways and a lot of the time is used for foreign films to make it accessible for a wider audience in different countries.
Another important convention is the actual title of the film that it is advertising. This is clearly a necessity, as if it wasn't a convention of a trailer, we wouldn't be able to identify or relate to anything that the film is about or set a branding that is clear to an audience. The font and colouring of the font also gives us an indication of the genre of the film, and will usually be closely linked to the title font/ colouring within the advertising campaign. This is done to create synergy between different media platform, creating a brand (just mentioned).
One of the most, if not the, most important convention for big budget, Blockbuster is if the actors/ actresses who play these characters are well known and famous, their names may be included as captions underneath. This may help to sell the film as many people may go to see a film with their favourite actor/ actress in it, even before they know the plot of the story. Not only the actors/ actresses can have their names featured on the trailer - the director's name can also be an important selling point for the film.
Several directors have a large fan base around their work, and most often then not, the audience will relate the film to the directors previous work/ films and if they have liked all of their previous projects, this may be an incentive alone to go and see the film. Examples of these directors include; Quentin Tarantino, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Tim Burton. A lot of these directors have individually stylistic uniqueness about them and so even if the audience don't know who the director is from looking it up, they will be able to tell by the style and the way the film i shot, who it is that directed the film. For example, in films directed by Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter are almost certainly going to be featured, and Wes Anderson directed films almost definitely feature Bill Murray in some way, and may include actors such as Owen/ Luke Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Anjelica Huston, Adrien Brody and other actors that he usually works with).
Furthermore, another convention is the release date. This allows people viewing the trailer to have an idea of when they are able to see the film in the cinema (which is obviously the key reason behind trailers - to entice the viewers to go and see the film to get money), and without a release date, the viewers would not have any idea of when they'd be able to go and see it. This usually appears right at the very end of the trailer along with the billing block so that it is the last thing the audience will take away with them from viewing the trailer, to make it stick in their minds.
Finally, A lot of trailers follow Todorov's narrative theory as the structure of thriller which carries the storyline through. This consists of having equilibrium to begin with, then some form of a disruption of that equilibrium. In the trailers, it doesn't usually tell you wether this disruption gets sorted out and returns back to equilibrium because this would give the whole film away which defeats the purpose of having a trailer to tease you. Trailers will usually just show the consequences of the disruption which will be the main body of the trailer, with either tense or suspenseful, heartbreaking or action packed scenes and transitions.
Also, the ident which usually shows the production company logo. This can give you an idea of what the film will actually be like - if the production company is Warner Bros. for example, we know that it will have a huge budget and may have very well known actors playing the main roles. This will entice the audience to a film by seeing actors that they have liked previously in other films and so may go and see the film purely because of who is in it without any consideration of the storyline.
Next, the soundtrack of the trailer is an important convention. All trailers have some sort of sound accompanying the clips of film, whether this be a music track, dialogue or a voice over (or often all 3). The soundtrack to a trailer can help set the tone of the film and carrying the story along, adding depth and a overall feel to whatever type of trailer it may be. For example, if there is a music track that is upbeat or romantically slow paced, the chances are that the film will not be a horror, similarly if the soundtrack of the trailer features screams and high pitched violin screeches then it is very unlikely that the film will be a family feature. Voice overs are used to guide the audience through the initial plot of the film, whether this is the voice of a character in the film or an external voice usually depends on the film/ type of trailer that it is used on. This can be done in many different ways and a lot of the time is used for foreign films to make it accessible for a wider audience in different countries.
Another important convention is the actual title of the film that it is advertising. This is clearly a necessity, as if it wasn't a convention of a trailer, we wouldn't be able to identify or relate to anything that the film is about or set a branding that is clear to an audience. The font and colouring of the font also gives us an indication of the genre of the film, and will usually be closely linked to the title font/ colouring within the advertising campaign. This is done to create synergy between different media platform, creating a brand (just mentioned).
One of the most, if not the, most important convention for big budget, Blockbuster is if the actors/ actresses who play these characters are well known and famous, their names may be included as captions underneath. This may help to sell the film as many people may go to see a film with their favourite actor/ actress in it, even before they know the plot of the story. Not only the actors/ actresses can have their names featured on the trailer - the director's name can also be an important selling point for the film.
Several directors have a large fan base around their work, and most often then not, the audience will relate the film to the directors previous work/ films and if they have liked all of their previous projects, this may be an incentive alone to go and see the film. Examples of these directors include; Quentin Tarantino, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Tim Burton. A lot of these directors have individually stylistic uniqueness about them and so even if the audience don't know who the director is from looking it up, they will be able to tell by the style and the way the film i shot, who it is that directed the film. For example, in films directed by Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter are almost certainly going to be featured, and Wes Anderson directed films almost definitely feature Bill Murray in some way, and may include actors such as Owen/ Luke Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Anjelica Huston, Adrien Brody and other actors that he usually works with).
Furthermore, another convention is the release date. This allows people viewing the trailer to have an idea of when they are able to see the film in the cinema (which is obviously the key reason behind trailers - to entice the viewers to go and see the film to get money), and without a release date, the viewers would not have any idea of when they'd be able to go and see it. This usually appears right at the very end of the trailer along with the billing block so that it is the last thing the audience will take away with them from viewing the trailer, to make it stick in their minds.
Finally, A lot of trailers follow Todorov's narrative theory as the structure of thriller which carries the storyline through. This consists of having equilibrium to begin with, then some form of a disruption of that equilibrium. In the trailers, it doesn't usually tell you wether this disruption gets sorted out and returns back to equilibrium because this would give the whole film away which defeats the purpose of having a trailer to tease you. Trailers will usually just show the consequences of the disruption which will be the main body of the trailer, with either tense or suspenseful, heartbreaking or action packed scenes and transitions.
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Main genres of Hollywood films
Golden Fleece
This genre is named after the myth of Jason and the Argonauts and his quest for the golden fleece. In this genre the hero/protagonist goes "on the road" searching for something but along the journey tend to discover more than they originally thought, for example find "themselves". A few examples of these films would include The wizard of Oz and Star Wars produced many years ago, however more recent films could be The Hobbit: An unexpected journey released in December of 2012.
Rites of Passage
Films in the genre of Rites of Passage follow the transitions in life that everybody goes through, such as puberty and mid-life crises, which usually poses a problem. This could be in the form of a relationship break-up or old age etc. The central protagonist must face this "unseen monster" throughout the film. The circumstances that the character is placed in tend to be relatable to the audience who will have gone through may of these positive or negative circumstances themselves. The rites of passage genre films tend to be comedies or dramas a lot of the time, for example Bridesmaids, Napoleon Dynamite, Moonrise Kingdom and The perks of being a Wallflower ( a more recent example made into a film from the classic book).
Out of the Bottle
This genre follows a main character who is experiencing unordinary occurrences and the film follows the character dealing with these happenings. These can be in the form of "magical" traits. An example would be a film that followed a similar structure to Cinderella, in the sense that the audience both expects and wants the main protagonist to find happiness, however, in the end the character must learn that this "magic" that they believed brought them happiness does not mean everything in life, and so most of the time, the film tends to finish with a moral message for the audience to take away with them. The audience will hopefully then take away with them the feeling that it is better to be like we are as people. Examples of films of the "out of the bottle" genre include Liar Liar and Yes Man (both starring Jim Carrey).
Monster In the House
A 'monster in the house' type film plot consists of literally a 'monster' (something which the protagonists must escape from) and a 'house' (a confined area in which the whole story takes place). The characters are usually threatened in some way by the monster, meaning they have to kill it, or hide from it throughout the film. A 'sin' is also usually created, which provokes the monster in some way (for example, in Jurassic Park, the greed of the park owners led to the creation of the dinosaurs, which, by nature, are a danger to the human characters). There are many famous examples of this genre such as Alien, Jaws and The Exorcist, but more recent examples would be the Paranormal Activity films (the fourth recently released in October 2012), where the ghosts terrorise the families from within their own homes.
The Fool Triumphant
These types of films from this genre usually consist of main protagonist that is seen as an "Underdog" which other characters see as unequipped for life to be able to succeed and so doubt their journey in life. This doubt usually transfers to the audience who visually see this, however, throughout the film the character grows in their abilities and by the end of the film, triumph in their goals, despite the negativity that surrounded them. Famous example of these film types are Forest Gump (starring Tom Hanks) and School of Rock (starring Jack Black), two well known actors.
Buddy Love
Buddy Love films are typically centred around 2 characters and the problems they face together. These problems usually bring them closer together and they realise that they can't live as well without each other. This love can take many forms from love including pets, animals or even fantasy creatures such as Free Willy or Paul (March 2011), to romantic love such as the nation wide phenomenon the Twilight Saga (2008-2012 including 5 separate films).
Dude with a Problem
These type of films start off with an average man who finds himself in 'extraordinary circumstances', whether it be rescuing his wife from bad guys, or rescuing a huge group of people from a natural disaster. Most of the time, the main character has to overcome a personal issue to conquer the bad guys and triumphs over evil. Examples include things like Titanic, but more recent examples could be Taken (2008) and Taken 2 released in October 2012.
Superhero
This genre is the complete switch to the "Dude with a problem" genre. This is where the central protagonist is an extraordinary person in an ordinary world. In this circumstance the character is usually misunderstood in some respect by other characters and can sometimes be an outcast from others, leading to sympathy from the audience. The character has to deal with those who are jealous of his abilities, and those who do not understand his mind or his point of view. The point of identification from the audience can usually only come from them sympathising for him for being misunderstood - the audience normally never fully understand the main character. The obvious films under this genre are the typical marvel heroes such as Batman and Spider man.
Institutionalised
Films in the "institutionalised" genre nearly always consist of a group of characters and the story usually unfolds to either honour the institution or present the problems of being lost when being a part of it. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is a very famous institutionalised film and even films that you wouldn't normally think to put in this genre such as Disney's Pocahontas and Avatar.
Whydunit
The play on words for the title of this genre is quite self explanatory and basically means that the films within this genre, focus more on why a complex protagonist commits the evil doing rather than who actually did it and trying to figure this out. It is the total opposite of the character trying to discover themselves and more places the audiences in the role of detectives throughout the film and keep them thinking. Examples of these films include The Silence of the Lambs, Blade Runner and Seven.
This genre is named after the myth of Jason and the Argonauts and his quest for the golden fleece. In this genre the hero/protagonist goes "on the road" searching for something but along the journey tend to discover more than they originally thought, for example find "themselves". A few examples of these films would include The wizard of Oz and Star Wars produced many years ago, however more recent films could be The Hobbit: An unexpected journey released in December of 2012.
Rites of Passage
Films in the genre of Rites of Passage follow the transitions in life that everybody goes through, such as puberty and mid-life crises, which usually poses a problem. This could be in the form of a relationship break-up or old age etc. The central protagonist must face this "unseen monster" throughout the film. The circumstances that the character is placed in tend to be relatable to the audience who will have gone through may of these positive or negative circumstances themselves. The rites of passage genre films tend to be comedies or dramas a lot of the time, for example Bridesmaids, Napoleon Dynamite, Moonrise Kingdom and The perks of being a Wallflower ( a more recent example made into a film from the classic book).
Out of the Bottle
This genre follows a main character who is experiencing unordinary occurrences and the film follows the character dealing with these happenings. These can be in the form of "magical" traits. An example would be a film that followed a similar structure to Cinderella, in the sense that the audience both expects and wants the main protagonist to find happiness, however, in the end the character must learn that this "magic" that they believed brought them happiness does not mean everything in life, and so most of the time, the film tends to finish with a moral message for the audience to take away with them. The audience will hopefully then take away with them the feeling that it is better to be like we are as people. Examples of films of the "out of the bottle" genre include Liar Liar and Yes Man (both starring Jim Carrey).
Monster In the House
A 'monster in the house' type film plot consists of literally a 'monster' (something which the protagonists must escape from) and a 'house' (a confined area in which the whole story takes place). The characters are usually threatened in some way by the monster, meaning they have to kill it, or hide from it throughout the film. A 'sin' is also usually created, which provokes the monster in some way (for example, in Jurassic Park, the greed of the park owners led to the creation of the dinosaurs, which, by nature, are a danger to the human characters). There are many famous examples of this genre such as Alien, Jaws and The Exorcist, but more recent examples would be the Paranormal Activity films (the fourth recently released in October 2012), where the ghosts terrorise the families from within their own homes.
The Fool Triumphant
These types of films from this genre usually consist of main protagonist that is seen as an "Underdog" which other characters see as unequipped for life to be able to succeed and so doubt their journey in life. This doubt usually transfers to the audience who visually see this, however, throughout the film the character grows in their abilities and by the end of the film, triumph in their goals, despite the negativity that surrounded them. Famous example of these film types are Forest Gump (starring Tom Hanks) and School of Rock (starring Jack Black), two well known actors.
Buddy Love
Buddy Love films are typically centred around 2 characters and the problems they face together. These problems usually bring them closer together and they realise that they can't live as well without each other. This love can take many forms from love including pets, animals or even fantasy creatures such as Free Willy or Paul (March 2011), to romantic love such as the nation wide phenomenon the Twilight Saga (2008-2012 including 5 separate films).
Dude with a Problem
These type of films start off with an average man who finds himself in 'extraordinary circumstances', whether it be rescuing his wife from bad guys, or rescuing a huge group of people from a natural disaster. Most of the time, the main character has to overcome a personal issue to conquer the bad guys and triumphs over evil. Examples include things like Titanic, but more recent examples could be Taken (2008) and Taken 2 released in October 2012.
Superhero
This genre is the complete switch to the "Dude with a problem" genre. This is where the central protagonist is an extraordinary person in an ordinary world. In this circumstance the character is usually misunderstood in some respect by other characters and can sometimes be an outcast from others, leading to sympathy from the audience. The character has to deal with those who are jealous of his abilities, and those who do not understand his mind or his point of view. The point of identification from the audience can usually only come from them sympathising for him for being misunderstood - the audience normally never fully understand the main character. The obvious films under this genre are the typical marvel heroes such as Batman and Spider man.
Institutionalised
Films in the "institutionalised" genre nearly always consist of a group of characters and the story usually unfolds to either honour the institution or present the problems of being lost when being a part of it. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is a very famous institutionalised film and even films that you wouldn't normally think to put in this genre such as Disney's Pocahontas and Avatar.
Whydunit
The play on words for the title of this genre is quite self explanatory and basically means that the films within this genre, focus more on why a complex protagonist commits the evil doing rather than who actually did it and trying to figure this out. It is the total opposite of the character trying to discover themselves and more places the audiences in the role of detectives throughout the film and keep them thinking. Examples of these films include The Silence of the Lambs, Blade Runner and Seven.
Monday, 10 June 2013
The Two-Step Flow Theory - Katz and Lazarsfeld
History and Orientation
The two-step flow of communication hypothesis was first introduced by Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson, and Hazel Gaudet in The People's Choice, a 1944 study focused on the process of decision-making during a Presidential election campaign. These researchers expected to find empirical support for the direct influence of media messages on voting intentions. They were surprised to discover, however, that informal, personal contacts were mentioned far more frequently than exposure to radio or newspaper as sources of influence on voting behavior. Armed with this data, Katz and Lazarsfeld developed the two-step flow theory of mass communication.
Core Assumptions and Statements
This theory asserts that information from the media moves in two distinct stages. First, individuals (opinion leaders) who pay close attention to the mass media and its messages receive the information. Opinion leaders pass on their own interpretations in addition to the actual media content. The term ‘personal influence’ was coined to refer to the process intervening between the media’s direct message and the audience’s ultimate reaction to that message. Opinion leaders are quite influential in getting people to change their attitudes and behaviors and are quite similar to those they influence. The two-step flow theory has improved our understanding of how the mass media influence decision making. The theory refined the ability to predict the influence of media messages on audience behavior, and it helped explain why certain media campaigns may have failed to alter audience attitudes an behavior. The two-step flow theory gave way to the multi-step flow theory of mass communication or diffusion of innovation theory.
The two-step flow of communication hypothesis was first introduced by Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson, and Hazel Gaudet in The People's Choice, a 1944 study focused on the process of decision-making during a Presidential election campaign. These researchers expected to find empirical support for the direct influence of media messages on voting intentions. They were surprised to discover, however, that informal, personal contacts were mentioned far more frequently than exposure to radio or newspaper as sources of influence on voting behavior. Armed with this data, Katz and Lazarsfeld developed the two-step flow theory of mass communication.
Core Assumptions and Statements
This theory asserts that information from the media moves in two distinct stages. First, individuals (opinion leaders) who pay close attention to the mass media and its messages receive the information. Opinion leaders pass on their own interpretations in addition to the actual media content. The term ‘personal influence’ was coined to refer to the process intervening between the media’s direct message and the audience’s ultimate reaction to that message. Opinion leaders are quite influential in getting people to change their attitudes and behaviors and are quite similar to those they influence. The two-step flow theory has improved our understanding of how the mass media influence decision making. The theory refined the ability to predict the influence of media messages on audience behavior, and it helped explain why certain media campaigns may have failed to alter audience attitudes an behavior. The two-step flow theory gave way to the multi-step flow theory of mass communication or diffusion of innovation theory.
Film Trailers Questionnaire
As part of my initial planning and research to help me indicate my target audience for my main product of a film trailer, I created a questionnaire to collate together a range of quantitative and qualitative data that may help guide me to do this. Below is the link to the questionnaire form, please feel free to fill it out if you have spare time on your hands, Thank you.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1EsyNwGpvjh_0Rjo6n5Pojcc29lTJ8YxQf9VpuEr29xM/viewform
Claude Levi-Strauss Theory
Claude Levi-Strauss argued that meaning in narratives is based upon binary oppositions (conflicts). He was less interested in the arrangement (syntagmatic) of the narrative (order) and more in the deeper meaning (paradigmatic) of the themes.
Binary oppositions
Man VS Woman
Good VS Evil
Earth VS Space
Science VS Nature
human VS Paranormal
Blumler and Katz: Uses and Gratification Theory
Uses and Gratifications Theory is a popular approach to understanding mass communication. The theory places more focus on the consumer, or audience, instead of the actual message itself by asking “what people do with media” rather than “what media does to people” (Katz, 1959) . It assumes that members of the audience are not passive but take an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their own lives. The theory also holds that audiences are responsible for choosing media to meet their needs. The approach suggests that people use the media to fulfill specific gratifications. This theory would then imply that the media compete against other information sources for viewers' gratification.
The theorists say that a media user seeks out a media source that best fulfils the needs of the user. Uses and gratifications assume that the user has alternate choices to satisfy their need.Blumler seems to envision a marriage between cultural studies and the Uses and Gratifications approach, but he is not clear on what terms. Instead of asking "What are your reasons for watching this programme?." Blumler would ask "What about it do you find true to life?" or "What picture of the world does it seem to convey?" (Blumler, 1979).
The theorists say that a media user seeks out a media source that best fulfils the needs of the user. Uses and gratifications assume that the user has alternate choices to satisfy their need.Blumler seems to envision a marriage between cultural studies and the Uses and Gratifications approach, but he is not clear on what terms. Instead of asking "What are your reasons for watching this programme?." Blumler would ask "What about it do you find true to life?" or "What picture of the world does it seem to convey?" (Blumler, 1979).
5 reasons why people may engage with the media;
1) Escape from reality (film)
2) Relate to others/characters (soap)
3) Entertainment (drama/comedy)
4) Informed and educated (news/documentary)
5) Socialise with others (Facebook/popular series)
1) Escape from reality (film)
2) Relate to others/characters (soap)
3) Entertainment (drama/comedy)
4) Informed and educated (news/documentary)
5) Socialise with others (Facebook/popular series)
Trailer terminology and Definition
Definition
A trailer usually consists of a sequence of carefully selected scenes from an upcoming blockbuster or "indie" film to promote it to audiences. Trailers can appear in many forms from teaser trailers to extended trailers and usually encapsulate the most noteworthy and entertaining parts of the film without giving away any spoilers of the plot or in sequence order. To achieve this trailers are under strict guidelines of the duration being under two and half minutes, which is the maximum length allowed by theatres. This maximation is relaxed once a year where a studio may extend a trailer or exceed this time if they feel that it is necessary to successfully promote the film to the desired audiences/demographics.
Plot Summary
Most trailers have a three-act structure; similar to the structure of a film with a beginning that lays out the premise of the story, continuing to a middle act 2 which drives the story further that mostly ends with a dramatic climax. The final act 3 usually features a strong piece of "signiture music" (recognizable song or powerful piece that fits the film and trailer edits and sequence). This last act often displays a visual montage to accompany the music of powerful moments of the film, sometimes featuring a cast run to help sell the movie, especially if they are noteworthy stars.
Voice Over
A voice-over is a narration used to briefly set up the premise of the movie and provide explanation when necessary. It is usually used to enhance the audience's understanding of the plot in a short space of time.
Music
Music is usually an important part in setting the feel and mood portrayed to the audience and is not usually from the film itself as this music may not have been composed at the time the trailer is released. The music piece in the trailer may be music from other movies, popular or well known music (recognisability- usually chosen for link to an appropriate lyric for example), "library" music (composed by an independent composer), specifically composed music or songs that are similar to originals but may be too expensive to license.
Cast, Crew and studio information
A cast run is a list of the stars that appear in the movie. This can also be the same for the director or producer if they are well known. Also most trailers include a billing block at the end. This a list of the cast and crew which appears on posters and print publicity materials and also usually on-screen at the beginning or end of the movie. As well as the billing block and cast run, studio production logos are featured in trailers (usually placed at the beginning, since the 1970s). There are often logos for the production company and the distributor of the film.
Technical Elements
Video resolution: Trailers are usually presented in the same way as the feature film, whether it is in 35mm film or a digital format. Improvements in internet connection means that many trailers can be distributed at resolutions up to 1080p HD quality.
Sound Mix: most movie trailers are presented in Dolby Digital or another multichannel sound mix. Stereophonic sound enhances any sound effects or music, which makes it one of the focus points of modern trailers.
A trailer usually consists of a sequence of carefully selected scenes from an upcoming blockbuster or "indie" film to promote it to audiences. Trailers can appear in many forms from teaser trailers to extended trailers and usually encapsulate the most noteworthy and entertaining parts of the film without giving away any spoilers of the plot or in sequence order. To achieve this trailers are under strict guidelines of the duration being under two and half minutes, which is the maximum length allowed by theatres. This maximation is relaxed once a year where a studio may extend a trailer or exceed this time if they feel that it is necessary to successfully promote the film to the desired audiences/demographics.
Plot Summary
Most trailers have a three-act structure; similar to the structure of a film with a beginning that lays out the premise of the story, continuing to a middle act 2 which drives the story further that mostly ends with a dramatic climax. The final act 3 usually features a strong piece of "signiture music" (recognizable song or powerful piece that fits the film and trailer edits and sequence). This last act often displays a visual montage to accompany the music of powerful moments of the film, sometimes featuring a cast run to help sell the movie, especially if they are noteworthy stars.
Voice Over
A voice-over is a narration used to briefly set up the premise of the movie and provide explanation when necessary. It is usually used to enhance the audience's understanding of the plot in a short space of time.
Music
Music is usually an important part in setting the feel and mood portrayed to the audience and is not usually from the film itself as this music may not have been composed at the time the trailer is released. The music piece in the trailer may be music from other movies, popular or well known music (recognisability- usually chosen for link to an appropriate lyric for example), "library" music (composed by an independent composer), specifically composed music or songs that are similar to originals but may be too expensive to license.
Cast, Crew and studio information
A cast run is a list of the stars that appear in the movie. This can also be the same for the director or producer if they are well known. Also most trailers include a billing block at the end. This a list of the cast and crew which appears on posters and print publicity materials and also usually on-screen at the beginning or end of the movie. As well as the billing block and cast run, studio production logos are featured in trailers (usually placed at the beginning, since the 1970s). There are often logos for the production company and the distributor of the film.
Technical Elements
Video resolution: Trailers are usually presented in the same way as the feature film, whether it is in 35mm film or a digital format. Improvements in internet connection means that many trailers can be distributed at resolutions up to 1080p HD quality.
Sound Mix: most movie trailers are presented in Dolby Digital or another multichannel sound mix. Stereophonic sound enhances any sound effects or music, which makes it one of the focus points of modern trailers.
Summary of A2 Coursework Brief
For our A2 media coursework I will create a film trailer for a new film for my main brief that will be the end product of in depth planning and research, accompanied by two ancillary projects which include a poster for the film using the codes and conventions from AS and a front cover for a film magazine displaying/featuring our film on the cover. I will be using this blog to document my journey through this course.
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