Institution- Lionsgate

Lionsgate is the largest and most successful mini-major film studio in North America. It has distributed various commercially successful films including The Twilight Saga (partially), The Hunger Games, Saw and The Expendables. Lionsgate have created films that are mostly the Drama, Action, horror and Thriller genre. Lionsgate have created quite a few horror films, some being very successful and some being not as successful. Some of the horror films they have created are, Saw 3D, Saw 1-6, The Punisher, Alone in the Dark, House of 1000 Corpses, Undead, The Devil's Rejects, Hostel, The Haunting in Connecticut, The Cabin in the Woods, The Possession, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, Texas Chainsaw 3D, You're Next, The last Exorcism, My Bloody Valentine and The Eye. As Lionsgate have created quite a few horror films we believe that it will be a good institution to use because the genre of our film horror.

Institution-Unviversal

Universal Pictures was founded in 1912 but Carl Laemmle, Mark Dintenfass, Charles O. Baumann, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley and Jules Brulatour. It is the oldest movie studio in the United States of America and it is also the fourth oldest in the world that is still in a continuous production. Some of the films created by Universal Pictures are Despicable Me, Kick-Ass, Charlie St. Cloud, Bridesmaids, Johnny English Reborn, Despicable Me 2, Kick-Ass 2, Mr Bean's Holiday, Sydney White and The Holiday. Universal Pictures prefer to focus on the Drama, Adventure and Romance genres. Universal have however created some well-known horror films such as The Strangers, Drag me up to hell, Mama and The Purge. Despite this, it is clear that horror isn't their strong point as they prefer to focus on the Romance, Drama and Adventure genres. This means that we do not think Universal is the best institution to use because they have not had that much experience with horror films and as our genre is a horror we think it would be best to use an institution which has had a lot of experience with the horror genre.

Instiution- Warner Brothers.

Warner Brothers have created a variety of different films in different genres such as comedy, action, horror, romance, adventure and fantasy. Examples of the films they have produced are, Valentines Day, Clash of the Titans, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Sex and the City 2, Inception, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Final Destination 5, Happy Feet 2, New year's eve, The Hobbit: An unexpected journey, The Great Gatsby, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. They are very dedicated in producing a variety of films in different genres. The fact that they create a variety of different genre films show us that Warner Brothers is a potential institution we will use for our film. Some of the successful horror films Warner Brothers have created are Orphan, Sweeney Todd and Friday the 13th. This shows us that they are successful in creating horror films so, therefore, it would be a good institution to use for our horror film.

Institution- 20th Century Fox.

20th Century fox was founded on May 31st, 1935 due to the merge of 'Fox Films', founded in 1915, and '20th Century Pictures, Inc, founded in 1933. 20th Century Fox has mainly created family family and comedy genres. Examples of these are Dr. Dolittle, Dr Dolittle 2, Big Momma's House, Big Momma's House 2, Ice Age, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Cheaper by the Dozen, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Garfield: The Movie, Night at the Museum, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Marley and Me and Aliens in the attic. Some of the films they have created are drama/thrillers but the majority of them are non- scary. Despite the fact that some of the most successful films were created by 20th century fox, such as Avatar and Star wars, we have decided that it is not the most suitable institution to use for our film. We have decided that 20th Century Fox is not the most suitable institution because the genre of our film is a horror. As our film is a horror we have decided to use an institution that has focused more on the horror genre. Despite this, 20th Century Fox has created some horror films, such as Wrong Turn 2, Shutter, taken 2 and Devil's due, which has only recently come out in cinemas. However, we still believe that we should use another institution which focuses more on the horror genre.

Horror Mood Board.

Mood Board Based On Our Film Idea.

Own Film Idea Brainstorm.

Brainstorm

. Zombies
. Apocalypse
. Target audience of 18-23
. Woods / derelict setting
. Title name - Unplanned Rigamortis
. Violence
. Weapons - baseball bat
. Death
. Gore
. Dark lighting
. Fights
. Chases / running
. Mysterious figures - then realising theyre zombies
. Mist
. Different use of camera shots and angles
. Close up shots
. Establishing shot / High angles
. Rotting
. Tracking shots
. Narration
. Smoke
. Dirty
. Contrast of fast and slow editing
. Frighten audience and cause panic
. Old, ripped clothes
. Exagerated diegetic sounds
. Build up of music getting louder
. Tension
. Screams
. Fast cuts
. Hand held camera shots
. Torch light

Codes and Conventions Of Horror.

Horror Genre.

Horror genre

Horror can be split into sub genres:

The monster scare

Psychological thrillers

Slasher…

· Split into sub genres-often hybrids

· Primary target audience –male, 16-24

· 15 or 18 certification (promises of pleasure)- debates on passive consumption

· Extensive use of narrative enigmas

· Slow pace of editing, builds tension. Long takes.

Codes and conventions

· Three act narrative structure

· Predictable narrative content (follows format)

· Clear binary oppositions e.g. good v evil

· Use low key lighting, use of CGI, FX

· Dominant representation of gender: male villain, the female victim

· Extensive use of close up, points of view shots, long angle view shots

· Young/ teenage characters

· Use of hand- held camera: audience identification/realism

associations with a horror film:

• isolated house
• dark lighting
• murder
• gore
• scary music
• victim and villains

Target Audience

• male audience if there are a lot of gorey/ violent scenes
• ages from 15-25
• exciting and thrilling
• dramatic scenes
• pleasure of being scared
• women often play victim which attracts the men

The Antagonist 

• Ghosts
• Zombies
•  Werewolves
• Creepy children
•  Demonic possession
•  Vampires (although they are now sneaking into the romance genre for some unfathomable reason)
•  Lunatic with a chainsaw
• .Scientist with a crazy scheme
• Want vengeance.
•  Have some sort of routine for their appearance
•  Hold some sort of power over technology that disrupts phones and CCTV.

The Protagonist 

• Teenagers - mainly girls.
•  Daredevils/ rebels.
•  Miraculously stupid.
•  College drop-outs.
• Even more stupid boyfriends.
•  Blonde.
• Talented screamers
•  Druggies
•  Alcoholics
•  Party animals.
• Clumsy.
•  Goes somewhere they were told not to, to prove how rebellious they are.

The Story

•  Haunted houses.
• Haunted woods.
•  Haunted graveyards.
•  Haunted islands.
•  Haunted towns.
•  Haunted hotels with equally creepy workers.
•  Shower murders
• Mysterious noises that must always be investigated.
•  A window jump scene
•  A mirror jump scene (usually occurring after the protagonist has washed their face)
•  Nightmares.
• Creaky doors.
• Creaky floorboards 
• Creaky stairs.
•  rocking chairs
•  Clowns.
• Dolls.
• Creepy, suspenseful music.
•  Intense build-ups that lead to nothing...and then the jump comes.
•  Gore.
•  Splitting up or separating to investigate the danger.
• The old man who seems to know everything.
• The killer who walks in slow strides whilst the protagonist tries desperately to find a way out.
• The killer never fully dies.
•  Old folk tales that are actually true.
•  Newspaper clippings of shocking events associated with the killers motives.
•  Shadows.
•  Chainsaws.
•  Knives
• Objects moving without visible force.
•  Doors slamming - occasionally not opening again.
•  Wolves howling.
•  Dogs barking.
•  Animals run away when they sense the danger
•  Lanterns
•  Candles blowing out.
• Chill wind preceding antagonist.
•  The Psycho soundtrack.
• Nursery rhymes.

Questionnaire.

Questionnaire

1) Are you:
A. Male
B: Female

2) How old are you?
A. 15-17
B. 18-20
C 21+

2) What is your favourite genre film?

A. Comedy
B. Romance
C. Action
D. Horror

3) Do you enjoy watching horror films?

A. Yes
B. No

4) What are you favourite types of Horror films?
A. Zombie
B. Action
C. Paranormal
D. Comedy


5) Do you watch them with friends or alone?

A. Friends
B. Alone
C. N/A

6) Where do you associate a horror film setting?

A. Abandoned house
B. Woods
C. In their own home
D. Hospital
E- Other?(Please Note)

7) Do you prefer the victim to be male or female?

A. Male
B. Female

8) How often do you watch horror films?

A. Once a month
B. 2-3 times a month
C. More than 3
D. Other
E. Never

9) What lighting do you associate horror films to have?

A. Dark Lighting
B. Light
C. Other (Please note)

10) What props do you expect to see in a horror film?

A. Knife
B. Noose
C. Gun
D. Rags with blood
E. Other (Please note)

11) If they victim was female what would you rather they do:

A. Run from the killer
B. Hide from the killer
C. Fight the killer
D. Let them kill you
E- Other?(Please Note)

12)What do you expect to see in a horror film?
A- Ghosts
B- Zombies
C-Murderers
D- Paronormal Activity
E- Other?(Please Note)

13)What do you prefer to see?
A- blood
B- violence
C-Shooting
D-Murder
E- Death
F- Other?( Please Note)

The Dark Knight Rises Film Trailer.

As the trailer starts, its shows an establishing shot of a young innocent looking boy, singing the national anthem, in front of a massive crowd in a stadium. The diegetic sound is of the boys beautiful voice, which creates a relaxed and engaged atmosphere of both the stadium and the audience. The sound of his voice brings all the attention on to him and makes you really focus on the soft sound of his voice and hypnotises yourself and the audience. The boy is also dressed in a suit, looking very formal and smart, which you would you expect from someone singing your countries anthem. A slow paced tracking shot is used when filming the crowd and showing the audience how many people the boy has got to stop what they are doing and to listen to him. This use of shot is effective as it allows you to see the full range of people there and to get a better knowledge of the stadium. All of a sudden the boys voice echo's in the background of the next shot which is dark and sinister of a man with a mask on his face, climbing up a ladder in what looks to be a sewer or somewhere underground. This shot completely contrasts the opening shot, as that was bright, and warming with all of the people there supporting to suddenly a shot to a dark cold place underground with a man who looks very sinister. This is very effective as it makes the audience think something bad is about to happen.
More diegetic sound is shown when the old man we see in the next few shots is talking as the narrator, about what he has said in the past. The boy voice is still in the background too, which makes the trailer so far feel quite peaceful yet mysterious. As the old man starts talking we see a close up shot of a silver dish placed on a table in the middle of a room, this is used to emphasise on the dish and makes the audience question its importance and value to anyone, you also see in the reflection a man walking up to it with a walking stick, which you could only imagine it to be the man talking.

Shot reverse shot is then used to show the intense conversation between a younger looking man and the old man. The use of this shot works well as it enables the audience to see who it talking and to get a close up of their facial expressions too. An aerial shot is used showing the city at night all lit up, the darkness of the city could also relate back to the title of the 'dark' knight. The aerial shot helps the audience see where they are placed and to let them know where they are so it is clear to them. It is also shown using a tracking shot too, showing more of the city and getting more of a feel for it. Suddenly the diegetic noise of the young boy singing stops, and the peaceful sound changes into a loud sharp noise as if something is about to happen. An establishing shot is used again, showing a mid shot of a large group of people out side a magnificent looking building, making the shot seem very dramatic and making the people in the shot look very important. The diegetic sound of the boy singing starts again along with a diegetic sound of a mans voice speaking. A conversation is then shown between two men, shown in two- shot. The use of this shot is very effective as you are able to see both men talking and having their conversation. Through mise-en-scene you can see by their costumes they are both important men, one more important than the other as he is in what seems to be a generals suit, with his medal on his shoulder with the ribbons showing his importance, which implicates he is a very well respected man. The other man talking to him is also in a very smart suit, which looks like the American flag on his collar which may have some significance too.

A the shot goes back to the one outside of the building that was shown earlier, you see a close up of a man with glasses and either side of him are two rather large pictures of a man wearing a suit with pretty flowers surrounding the frame. This could suggest that this could be a funeral for someone very well known with a lot of importance, this is shown through the setting and the type of people who are there. A low angle of a dark shot of a black figure on top of the building is shown. This is really effective as it makes the audience question who he or she is and what they are doing there, as they look sinister and mysterious, especially as they are moving in a very sly way as if they don't want to be seen. A really effective shot is then shown which is a focus shot of a man walking through to pillars and into a room full of people dancing and enjoying themselves having a lovely evening. The man is walking slowly creating a dramatic impact as all of the focus is set on him and everyone is a blur showing his importance. The sound of a woman's voice is then played and we are then shown an over the shoulder shot of her dancing with the man. A close up of her face is shown, wearing a mask, implying to the audience that she doesn't want to be fully seen, she then tells the man that a "storm is coming Mr Wayne"
Straight away this denotes that some kind of action or danger is going to occur. We are also able o identify the man as Bruce Wayne who is batman, so this explains his importance. From the enjoyable setting of the dance hall, quickly changes to a shot of police men, experiencing a bomb from a door they were standing next too, this is a sign of the ' storm that is coming'.

After the bomb had just been set off, we see a side shot of the man wering the deadly looking mask walk past, indicating he was the reason for that, showing his power and how dangerous he is. The man is wearing a big fur coat which contracts his sinister exterior as fur is seen to be fluffy and cuddly, whereas this man does not relate to any of that.

As we hear the woman's voice narrating again we see a shot of her in the mirror looking very attractive in a black dress putting on a peal necklace, the fact there is an attractive looking female character in the trailer, brings attention to the target audience of being mostly men. The shots then become very action packed and we see the man with glasses who made a speech, now holding a gun running away from these men dressed in black. The low angle shot used of the stair case is effective as it shows people at the bottom and people at the top, who are throwing things down the stairs destroying the beautiful house. This makes you think the man with the mask is some what responsible for this behaviour. The woman is still talking and is sounding as if she has something to do with this sudden attack as she says" you are all going to wonder why you ever thought you could live so long, with so large and leave so little for the rest of us' hearing this you think that she is the enemy and wants something that someone has, or is seeking revenge for something.

The fade to black editing, is really effective as the music build up and the images are seen quicker,  making the film more intense, and showing you the action what the audience are wanting to see. The use of shots such as the overhead shots, close ups and long distance shots are really effective as they show different aspects of the situation and allow the audience to get a feel for the film and the setting. When you are shown the panning shot of batman up on the tall building, it implies his power and authority over everyone else on the ground as he is standing above them all, it also shows the hero in him as he is watching down on everyone. All of the different characters have unique costumes to identify who they are, this is also shown by the masks they are wearing to show their character and the power in the film.

You can see a clear binary opposition themed in the film, which is good vs evil. Shown with the guy in the mask around mouth and batman himself. This is effective as you can clearly identify the protagonist and the antagonist and it helps the audience take sides and get involved. The film finishes with a load of shooting, fighting and explosive scenes which really grab the audiences attention and make them want to watch on for the action packed film.

Research and Planning Targets.

You are more than capable of A grade technical analysis - so make sure you include analysis of a range of film trailers to show you're an expert, that you know and recognise conventions. Evidence the planning stage by including some video diaries with your group, interviews with actors ect...

Insidious Film Poster.

The main object that stands out on this poster, is the mid- shot of the young boy in the centre on the poster. As the boy is on the cover we suggest that he is the main character in this film, or the fact the film is based on him. The boy looks like an average young boy, he portrays an innocence look about him as he seems to live at home, if that is his house behind him, he is wearing his pyjamas and looks as if he it taken care of well as he looks clean and well kept. However this innocence look is very effective as it leads you to believe that he could be the complete opposite and this look is to just side track you and believe something completely different, as this is as horror film this probably isn't the case as you can tell by the way he is staring he comes across as very creepy and therefore you know something isn't right with him. The boy also looks to be wearing dark clothes and he comes across to look depressing due to the shading on his face and neck. His eyes also look very dark too, making him seem very scary and suspicious. The way he is staring connects to the audience and grabs your attention. The boy also stands out very well on the poster and contrasts his big family home behind him as it is painted white and the boy comes across as very dark, his house also looks very friendly and welcoming whereas he doesn't.

The colours used in this poster are seem as very dull and depressing and mostly dark colours such as dark read, black and blue. the effect that these colours have enable the film to look scary, sinister and mysterious, these all relate to the connotations of a horror film. The sky also looks grey as if it is going to rain or have a storm, these are also linked to horror films and associated to bad occasions and indicate something bad is about to happen. The boy also shows very stern facial expressions, with no emotion. This stands out as it makes him also look sinister and capable anything showing to us he is a danger, and that he hasn't something planned and is focusing on that.

At the top of the poster it shows the audience the other well known horror films that the makers have made and this entices people to watch the film as they know it must be good due to the success and popularity of the two other films, ' paranormal activity' and 'saw' this could also suggest that this film may include paranormal events and also the gore from the saw, this would attract an audience who like this kind of stuff, and make it more interesting if both them elements where made into one. The text is white which stands out to and catches your eye just like the title as the background is dark. The title also contains two of the letters being in red writing, this could represent the death or the gore in the film and the red as the blood. Also underneath the title the tag line reads' its not the house that's haunted' suggesting that the boy is the possessed or the killer in this film.

You can see at the bottom of the poster it includes the actors names who are in the film and the logos of film companies that are involves in the making of the film, this is a great way of selling the film or getting the audiences attention especially if they like the work of these film companies. Also amongst that text, standing out clearly is the date of which the film comes out on, the fact it is bold is so that it helps the audience see when it is out so they can go and watch it. The way the poster is laid out and set up is very professional and looks really good and appealing. The target audience would be from the age 15- 25 males and may even interest some women too.

Black Swan Film Poster.

Straight away the first thing you notice is the crack down the side of her face. This could imply to the audience that this woman is not perfect and maybe has a different side to her. The crack also makes the image look scary, which is effective as it draws your attention to it straight away and makes you see that this young woman could not be as innocent as you think and may have a dark side to her. The crack in her face links to a crack in an 'egg' I think the use of this is portrayed very well, as swans come out of eggs and this maybe related to the fact she may be a completely different person and showing her future that lays ahead as this new woman. The use of just that one crack in her face, is very effective as it will make the audience think all of these things or more and its a great way to attract viewers as they will want to know what it means and will therefore watch the film.

Natalie Portman, a well known actress, is the woman who plays the Black Swan and who's face is on the poster. Her face takes up the majority of the poster and is a close up of her face. By doing this it enables you to see her features close up and to see the emotion and facial expressions displayed on her face. Her eyes stand out really well and come across as very bold, because they stand out they draw your attention to them and makes a connection to the audience. The way they are staring as if they are looking straight at you also creates a scary and creepy affect, as they look very curious. Her facial expressions are very stern and not really showing much emotion, she just looks fixed on something or is very certain on what she is doing. Her skin colour is also very pale, in fact almost white which relates to a 'swan'. However the white part shows purity like a swan and the nice side, although by the title 'Black Swan' it indicates that there is a not so good side by the word 'black' as that is seen as darkness, which is also portrayed by the crack in her face, and to what is believed to be black feathers in the background as a blur. Another point that links to this is the side that the crack is on, is darker than the side without it on, which could show the good and the dark side that she has.

The title is very simple but effective as it, is in bold black writing linking back to the title. Above the title shows the well known 'stars' names. This well appeal to more people as they will know the actors, and everyone enjoys a film more when the know the actors. Their surnames are in capitals compared to their first names in lower case, this is because more people are to recognise their last names so it attracts your attention to their surname instead as you are more likely to notice it. The quote in the small white font to the right hand side, is very simple but they stand out to audiences and look more professional. The quote uses words such as 'Extraordinary' 'Intoxicating' 'Masterpiece' using these words emphasise on how good the film is and by reading this quote its only going to go and entice you more to watch the film. It is also a great way to sell the film and to get people to watch it. Also at the bottom of the poster its says what other films the director has directed, this implies this film will be good as they are listing his other film he has done, which they wouldn't do if they were not successful.

Charlie and Lola Magazine Front Cover.

The reason for analysing this magazine is to show how different this magazine cover is compared to the others. Straight away you can clearly see the target audience which is young children, and the way the magazine is laid out in comparison to the other magazine covers. The pictures, writing, font and colour scheme is completely different and I thought it would be interesting to analyse it, as it shows how sophisticated and professional some of the others have to look to appeal to a certain audience.

The head- mast stands out to the readers as it is bold. The fact that the background of the circle it is in is white and the font used of the writing is black makes it catch your eye and is clear to read and recognise. The font used is attractive and the letters are not all line which makes it look fun and catches your eye, it also goes well with the magazine as it looks informal and unsophisticated which it doesn't need to be to attract its target audience, being young children. The reason for the name of the magazine being in a circle, separates it from the rest of the magazine to draw your attention to it more so that it doesn't get lost in the magazine cover blending in with everything else going on, as it is very colourful and busy. The writing also has hearts/ butterflies inside the circle which make the colours black and white more interesting otherwise it would be boring and plain to look at and wouldn't catch your eye as much id there wasn't other things with it, which is important in this magazine as it is for children.

At the top of the magazine, it has BBC in the top left hand corner, this straight away shows us that the magazine is linked to the TV channel which airs the show.  In the green at the top  the writing saying' very special FREE sticky fun felt set!' suggests that the magazine comes with this which will attract the children to want the magazine as they know they will get free felt to play with. The writing also stands out as it is bold and in white writing which clearly stands out and the explanation mark at the end emphasises on the fact it is also ' free'. Along the side of the cover in a circle reads' use your lovely stickers inside' this would appeal to any child and attract them wanting to get the magazine as they will want to use these stickers, and that you may be able to use them inside the magazine and implies they fact there may be some activities to do inside.

Underneath the name of the magazine it suggests that the magazine is for children who enjoy arts and crafts, and the fact is say ' excuse me this is my crafty magazine' denotes that the magazine is really good and fun that other people will want to read it and have a go too. At the bottom of the cover, you can see straight away that this magazine is full of things to do and make. The parents who are also looking at the magazine may see this as they may believe it will keep their child busy for a while. The word scribble is in bolder writing than the rest, which emphasises the word to make the it look fun.

The cover is full of colours and is very busy with pictures, the magazine needs pictures if it wants to appeal to the target audience as it makes it more interesting too look at. Lola and Charlie are also on the cover which relates to the name of the magazine and shows that the main features are them, which is good for children if they like the show. The show is on Cbeebies which is a channel showing, only kids programmes. The pictures shown on the magazine show Charlie and lola doing crafts and this will make the children want to do it even more as they can see the main features ' Charlie and Lola' making stuff. It also shows you some stuff that you can make too, this is a good way to sell the magazine as the children are going to want to make the stuff shown, just because it is on the cover.