Development of the Poster

I decided to cut out the image, so I could position it at the bottom of the poster. This means I can add more images to the top of the poster, and make it more complex. To do this I used a mixture of the magnetic lasso tool and the eraser tool, this allowed me to cut out the intricate shapes. 

 I imported a background with a gradient as it has dark colours to connote mystery and fear. I placed it behind the main image by dragging the layer to underneath in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. I also lowered the opacity slightly to create a slightly softer effect. 

I added text with the potential film title 'the abduction'. I decided to make the word 'the' smaller and place it directly above the main word, as this is a convention I have noticed in lots of recent, existing posters. The font seems fairly simplistic which means it is easily readable, as I feel the white colour contrasts well with the background and is very bold and powerful.

I added an inner shadow to the text to make it slightly easier to read and also to create a 3D effect and therefore give it more prominence.

Using the same font and technique, I added a tag line to the top of the page and also the actresses' names to the bottom. These also have inner shadows to make them slightly clearer and to ensure they stand out.

I duplicated the gradient layer and cropped it to cover the bottom of the image so the names can be seen more clearly. I used the eraser tool and the blur tool to soften the edges and to create a more subtle gradient.

I added a picture of my protagonists eyes and I cut them down to remove the edges, using the magnetic lasso tool and softened the remaining edges using the blur tool. I moved the layer to behind the background, and the low opacity of it means that the eyes are slightly visible through it, this creates an eerie, mysterious feel.

I added some credits to the bottom of the page in order to follow the conventions of existing posters. These included names of some of the actors in the film, as well as the production company, producers name and name of the film. I varied the font sizes in the credits as this is conventional and makes the main words stand out more.

I added a paramount logo to the bottom of the poster to make it seem official and more realistic. I also added a '15 certificate' logo for brand identity and to make the poster more accessible.

Editing the Poster Image

I took a variety of pictures as options for my poster image. I used a burst, sport mode as this allowed me to make it look like they were walking. I made them stand very close together in order to immediately convey the close bond between them to my audience. I purposely ensured they were not making eye-contact with the camera in order to achieve a posed-candid shot. The mise-en-scene of the photos shows that they are in a woods which connotes danger and mystery, therefore successfully portraying my genre. The scared/worried facial expressions used by my actors help to convey the sense of fear and danger, along with their reserved, timid body language.

I selected the image that I believed was the most effective and imported it into photoshop. I used a 21cmx28cm sized canvas, as this is a conventional poster size. I selected 'free transform' and enlarged the picture to convey the entire page.

I altered the brightness and contrast on the image to create a more shadowy feel in order to convey the mysteriousness and eeriness of the narrative. I also made some parts brighter in order to make the image clearer and more eye-catching.

By adding a slightly blue/green tint, I enhanced the green colour in the background to make the poster more vibrant. Additionally, the blue colour seems very clinical and has connotations of loneliness and sadness, which is also a key part of the narrative.

Conventions of the Mystery Genre

I followed some conventions of the mystery genre in my trailer in order to create suspense and tension. I followed a typical mystery film narrative as at the start the characters are going about their day to day life, then disequilibrium occurs causing their lives to be disrupted.

Another convention I employed was the use of fade to blacks to build up tension as these create a mysterious feel and connote eeriness. Using this convention allowed the audience to understand the diegesis of the film as they are familiar with this convention and therefore understand that it connotes danger.

 

I also included a recognisable (a detective) as most mystery trailers introduce a 'heroic' character (police officer, intelligent character, private detective) in order to demonstrate that the mystery is difficult to solve. 

The detective character I introduced wore a professional looking outfit, to portray that she is a serious character. I also used a police badge to act as anchoring, which demonstrates to the audience who she is.

Another convention I followed was in terms of lighting, as it was naturalistic when the characters were going about day to day life, but it becomes low-key and more threatening when the 'villain' appears.

Naturalistic Lighting

Low-Key Lighting

Adding Credits to the Trailer

I created the credits on photoshop to allow me to position the text exactly where I wanted it, as the caption option on iMovie didn't allow me to space the words as I wanted to. To do this I used the text tool in photoshop. I used the same font as I did in the film title and on the poster/magazine, this allowed me to create a sense of continuity and brand synergy. 

I chose to keep the credits very basic to fit in with the sparse, mysterious feel in the trailer, therefore portraying the genre. Additionally, I chose to use a black background to create connotations of danger and used a white font as this contrasts with the background and therefore has a high legibility.

Recording a Voiceover

To record the voiceover I used the voiceover feature on iMovie as I didn't need to add a filter to it as I wanted the footage to be raw and unedited to replicate the sound of a real phone call. Recording directly onto iMovie allowed me to position the voiceover exactly where I wanted it and ensure that it fitted in with the pace of the clip. 

I used a USB plug in microphone to get the best possible quality that was available to me.

Choice of Captions

 

 

The first caption in the trailer is the question "How far would you go to save your friends?", this directly addresses the audience and therefore will get them more involved in the trailer. The next two captions are positioned very close together as they follow on from each other. They provide the audience with more information and a further insight into the film, helping them to have a firmer understanding of the diegesis. The last one is the name of the film which tells the audience what the film is and also creates brand synergy between the trailer and the ancillary products, as they all include the title in this font.

Aims and Improvements

In order to improve my trailer and convey the genre more successfully I will aim to do the following:

• Add captions that enhance the diegesis and ask the audience questions
• Increase the pace to create a heightened sense of suspense
• Add voiceovers to anchor the plot and allow the audience to understand what is happening

Creating a Montage

At the end of the trailer I made a quick montage to create a final build up of suspense. I cut the clips down so they had a short duration, to make them  quick previews into the narrative, this conveys the genre as it leaves a sense of mystery as the audience will not find out what happens. I aimed to line up the clips with the music to create a stronger rhythm and a more dramatic pace. 

I used a fade to white before the montage as they are flashbacks as this is a convention of flashbacks in existing media products. Following conventions here makes it clear to the viewer that it is a flashback, which provides them with a better understanding of the diegesis.

I included a jump cut in the montage which shows the girls running. To do this I imported the same clip twice and cut it down to different lengths to give the impression that it is the same clip and time has passed.

I ended the montage with a fade to black to leave the trailer with a sense of mystery and danger, as the colour black has these connotations. This helped to create brand synergy between the trailer and ancillary products, as they all use dark colours to convey the mystery genre. Fade to black is also a convention used in popular mystery trailers.

Change of Music

I decided to change the music of the second half of the trailer as I felt the music I had did not build up enough tension and my demographic said they wanted a quick pace in the trailer. I selected a piece of music from youtube and converted it to an mp3 file and downloaded it. Then I imported it into iMovie and lined up my shots with it. The new music I selected conveyed my mystery genre more successfully, as it has a quicker pace and more climaxes, additionally, it portrays the diegesis by having a sense of panic and tension.

Trailer Progression

In order to achieve equilibrium, I used a fairly upbeat, cheery score, in order to create a pleasant, happy tone. I selected quite a slow pace, in order to have a relaxed, laid-back mode of address. I used shot/reverse-shot in order to follow conventions, as well as a master shot and two shot to show variation. I decided to start the trailer with this tone as it will create a harsh contrast between the post-disequilibrium section and also allows the audience to get to know the characters in a more normal environment, therefore conveying the diegesis of the characters.

I then had a section with no music at all, to create a serious, dramatic tone. This point of the trailer is the disequilibrium in Todorov's narrative theory of equilibrium. This contrasts with the previous relaxed tone and therefore creates a climax and builds up tension.

Creating Disequilibrium

In order for my trailer to follow conventions, I will follow Todorov's Narrative Theory of Equilibrium. The beginning of the trailer begins in equilibrium and then it disrupted by Lizzy going missing, it is then disrupted further by the text message and I followed stages 2 and 3 when the disequilibrium occurs and there is a recognition of this. 

 In order to portray this, I increase the pace to create a more frantic, panicked feel. I shortened the length of the clips, to create a montage feel which will keep the audience on edge.

Adding Music to the Trailer

 I selected a score from the sound effect library on iMovie and that I felt had the correct ambience and mode of address to fit in with the clips I had shot. I dragged this into the trailer and dragged the volume of it down so it does not overpower the audio in the other clips.

Creating a Shot/Reverse Shot

The first thing I did was import the clips into iMovie, then drag the selected clip into the trailer. I then cut it down to the correct length, so it only had the speech in it.







I imported the next clip in the same way and then put it over the top of the clip so the person speaking was shown. I shot this clip using an over the shoulder format.






The reverse shot was filmed in the same way to show the other characters response. This overall created a conventional three-shot set up.

Choice of Costume

I wanted to create characters that were all similar ages, but with different characteristics and clear individual personalities. They are also all wearing winter coats in order to clearly convey the time of year and setting of the diegesis.

Rosie (left):

She was wearing a fairly neutral yet fashionable outfit which connotes that she is a fairly typical teenager, she appears to be fairly laid back and casual.

Amy (middle):

I selected a rock band t-shirt with ripped jeans to create a care-free, rebellious feel. This along with her jewellery and dark hair colour make her seem edgy and unique.

Lucia (right):

Her outfit was feminine and girly which makes her seem like she cares very much about her appearance. She also had quite heavy makeup to enhance this effect. 

I will try to replicate each of their individual styles in other clips throughout the trailer in order to create memorable characters.

Shooting Day One

The photos below show me directing and shooting parts of my trailer in different locations. In each location I set up the camera and tripod then shot each scene from different angles.