Drafting and planning

After this research https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3664132413503481447#editor/target=post;postID=6311927684124881852;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=2;src=postname i felt it would be a good idea to draft out what stages my trailer would be separated out into and what sound/ music i will use to do this.

1. At the very start of my trailer i wont include any music a part from possibly some tense background music to set the tone for quite a dark and serious drama film.

 I think its important to do this in the first section as music usually determines the audiences expectations of the film's content, but by using none, it leaves them open to what comes next, the granddad's death, therefore making it more dramatic

2. In the second part which is still really at the beginning of the trailer, i think i will keep the basis of this edit which includes the 'deep pang' sound effect which continues the serious tone and helps build to a mini-climax for the granddad's death https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm6eL739yOg

3. In the third part, the intermediate which includes the argument scene, ghostly parents scene and potentially a car scene, i plan to use the 15 second limit of copyrighted music 'The Way' by Zack Hemsey as i feel it will match the shots well, generating a dramatic and sorrowful atmosphere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN2Xs-MvxLw

4. for the fourth and final part of my trailer, the climactic ending, i am content on using multiple sound effects to generate excitement and suspense, this includes 'Rise' sound effects which build up to a point, perfect for the ending of a trailer. I edited an example on my you tube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoc03MbvDDk although a 'Rise' sound effect is not used and the final shots will be re-mastered or re-shot

Drafting and planning

 Here is a minute of practise editing in which i think i make effective use of editing and sound conjunction researched in this blog post https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3664132413503481447#editor/target=post;postID=6311927684124881852;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=1;src=postname

This is because the slow subtle piano notes at the start match the slow pace of the editing allowing me to set a calming, saddening but also quite eerie tone for the beginning of the trailer to present the drama genre straight away.

However i change the tone to something darker and more serious to present the horror part of the genre through the combination of deep and intensified music (sound), a slightly faster editing pace (editing) and dark lighting and the knife prop(mise-en-scene). This also sets an appropriate atmosphere for my film's themes of death and evil.

Using editing, sound and even mise-en-scene in such conjunctions means i can separate even small edits such as this to add structure and development to my trailer, as the different themes get presented in different distinct stages.

Although i could never use this due to copyright reasons i think its a fair reflection of how i want to structure a typical drama film trailer.

Research into similar products

Editing and sound in conjunction

Both of the above media language elements can be crafted together in order to generate an atmosphere or convey messages to the audience. For example, the trailer for this drama film is separated in order to create different atmospheres.

 At the start, up until 0:33, there is upbeat music aided by consistent slow paced editing, conveying a positive, calm and happy atmosphere. However the tone of the trailer changes to something more serious and saddening with low key piano music and fast paced editing which conveys the range of emotions and themes in the film, both happiness and sadness.

The pace of the editing then increases in sync with the music which becomes orchestral and intensifies up until the highest note in order to convey the drama in the climax made obvious through the dark lighting, the gun prop and gun sound effect and the cut to black.

 The conjunction of mise-en-scene, editing and sound here conveys the other themes in the film like evil, death and conflict, the most intriguing features saved until the climax in order to capture the audiences interest as effectively as possible.

I am most definitely planning on using such conjunctions between sound, editing and even mise-en-scene in order to separate my trailer out into stages and effectiverly convey the themes at diffreent points. For example, family and death at the beginning and evil and horror at the end

Drafting and planning

This will have suspenseful music over it in the final trailer as the sound effect alone is monotonous and doesnt conjure as much excitement and anticipation as the climax of a trailer should, especially as a drama.

There will also be more shots so the climax build up will be dragged out longer, allowing the editing pace to slowly increase slowly rather than quickly in order to build more suspense for my audience

However i like the lighting, especially the red as it connotes danger and the contrasting coloured costume, the white of the protagonist and black of the antagonist suggesting good vs bad, pure vs evil

I discovered ho to build to a climax thanks to this research https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3664132413503481447#editor/target=post;postID=7431173459562194411;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=14;src=postname

Drafting and planning

Here are two of the same shots but one has curtains open with the parent's hoods up and the other with the curtain drawn with the hoods down.

I feel the curtains shut adds to the ghostly nature of the scene however the other shot could be argued to be more clear and the use of the hoods helps conceal them just as much as the grey veil of the curtains.

But overall i will be pleased to use either shot in my final piece as it adds to the dark, atmosphere

Drafting and planning

These are a few shots from the back garden of the protagonist' home to help set the scene. The close up of the rain drops suddenly dripping and then cutting to black suggests something has disturbed the peace, foreshadowing that something can quickly go wrong and there will be an absence like the absence of the rain drops.
The zoom in shot of the the two empty chairs that comes after immediately suggests this as though there is something missing, setting quite an eerie scene
The pan up to the large trees is also quite daunting

Research into similar products

My film is most definitely an independent British film and so i started to research into what Uk distributors would be likely to distribute my film
https://stephenfollows.com/who-dominates-uk-film-distribution/
according to this article, StudioCanal distributes 37% of independent UK films, more than any other independent distributor (see right)

StudioCanal http://www.studiocanal.co.uk/ as well as a host of British independent films, they have also distributed films like Paddington, Macbeth and Legend which are all based upon some form of British culture and therefore appeal to a British audience like my own film.

A different type of film distributor i could consider using is BBC films http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms. Unlike StudioCanal however, they distribute a lot less films and are therefore quite selective, so its less likely they'd distribute my film. Despite all of their films being British and heavily based on British culture, they are all quite light-hearted and wouldn't feature anything as serious as my film because of its focus on death and
conflict

Therefore i think because of StudioCanal's statistics, their history with both independent and major british films as well as the unlikelihood of bbc films and major distributors selecting my film, i think studiocanal would be the best institution for the distribution of my film

Drafting and planning

This is another edit of some raw footage which features two of the sound effects from this blog post <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mm6eL739yOg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>.

Although a few more shots would occur before this in the real trailer, i feel this is a good representation of the atmosphere i want to create at the start of my trailer, something thats eerie, serious and of course, dramatic.

This helps me portray my genre well straight form the off and helps build tension amongst my target audience, who, as mature adults, would become intrigued by such a mysterious opening and would continue watching the trailer and then the film, to satisfy their curiosity.

By using editing techniques learnt through this research https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3664132413503481447#editor/target=post;postID=3926650306597559060;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=38;src=postname i was able to use fades and cut to blacks effectively with the sound effects to build suspense without having to use copyrighted music.

 By using sound and editing, it allowed me to convey messages without dialogue which would someone explain what's happening, instead the audience figures it out for themselves

For example, the fast paced editing conveys the idea that the protagonist is in a rush i.e. there is something wrong meanwhile the dramatic pangs suggest danger and the metallic climax that's built up implies something even more serious, death - the death of the granddad.

Drafting and planning

Here are some of the types of sound effects i am planning on using in my trailer to give it a a serious tone to convey the drama in my film.

 These sounds in particular help build tension and suspense, often used in real trailers in the transition of each shot to continuously build anticipation, usually towards a loud dramatic climax like the second one down 'metal climax'. This came to my attention through my research:

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3664132413503481447#editor/target=post;postID=8714572050533685124;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=7;src=postname.

 I think it will be a good way to cohesively bind my shots together and create tension and drama at the same time to give my trailer a better atmosphere and to target a more mature audience.

Organisation

I have organised a shooting session for this weekend which features the encounter of the antagonist and protagonist.

• It will happen at my house where all of the objects in my hall will be removed to set a realistic setting almost like a corridor

• I will be using my Nikon camera free hand style for tracking and close ups as well as a tri pod for some stationary mid shots in the hall

• As i will be in most of the shots i will have the camera automatically record on the tri pod but have my sister to record the free hand tracking shots and close ups.

• The antagonist will be in dark clothing with his face either concealed through dark lighting or void in shots completely

• The protagonist however will be in a suit/ shirt because this scene will take place at the climax of my trailer and so i wanted to give him a more serious and mature look, whilst also provoking the question amongst my audience why was he in the suit in the first place.

• Lighting will be scarce so it will be dark to suit the serious mood of the scene however i also have a strip of small red lights readily available for the background to add an ominous red tinge to the scene to connote danger and add to the atmosphere of the scene

• Props will consist of the knife mentioned in previous blogs and possibly a hat for the antagonist to conceal him