For this I have constructed a research plan so I can gain a better understanding of the product and make sure my audience will find my product appealing.
What is a teaser trailer?
A teaser trailer is a short advertisement for a film yet to be exhibited in the future to cinemas. A teaser trailer is used as a promotional tool in order for a film to get noticed. Usually, length of trailers last between 30 seconds to 2 minutes, involving shots from the upcoming film that leaves mystery for the intended audience. A teaser includes key footage in a condensed version including hints and clues used to build anticipation and curiosity about the film being advertised. Teaser trailers tend to be released alongside the announcement of the upcoming film, or relatively close. Some teaser trailers are released up to a year before the final film release.
References to sources:
http://shannoncotton2.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/research-teaser-trailer-definition/
http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-a-teaser-trailer.htm
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=teaser%20trailer
The trailers I will be analysing are;
- The Great Gatsby
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Titanic
- 13 going on 30
- Dear John
- The Hunger Games
Key Conventions of a Teaser Trailer
Analysing a similar product 1 - 'The Great Gatsby' teaser trailer
Before beginning my brief, research is essential. By analysing similar media products I can give myself an advantage by recording what makes other media products successful. I can perhaps recreate certain techniques and professional aspects used in these similar products. For this first research task I have chosen to analyse the teaser trailer for 'The Great Gatsby' directed by Baz Luhrmann. This is a similar genre to the media product I am planning on producing therefore analysing this particular teaser trailer may give me a good insight to secure the success of my own.
Summary of analysis
Overall, this particular similar media product has used varied techniques with its uses of sounds, editing, camerawork and title choices to enable its success as a film teaser trailer.
A soundtrack was placed over the entire trailer, matching the mood of the scenes and shots being conveyed. For example the beginning of the teaser trailer include slow changing shots of romance and narrative while the soundtrack playing over the shots is calm and romantic sounding. As the trailer reaches half way, suddenly the shots speed up and the music cuts out and a sound sharp sounding sound effect is used over the top of a dramatic scene. The soundtrack then begins again except the music is harsher sounding and sped up. This matched the scenes being shown to the audience. Throughout the trailer dialogue is heard occasionally to dramatise particular scenes from the movie, to emphasis the importance of particular scenes. Lastly, at the very beginning of the trailer a character from the film is used for narration signifying his importance as a character and giving the audience an idea of the plot.
I noticed that at the beginning of the teaser trailer a lot of transitions of shots were not simply straight cuts but in fact either fade to white or fade to black, in some cases I noticed a cross over technique was used. This gave the change of shots to look 'dream like' towards the beginning of the trailer, emphasising the simpler times within the narrative. As the plot begins to complicate and more drama is shown in the teaser trailer, the shots become straight and jumpy, exaggerating the complications and drama.
Lastly, titles were used throughout the trailer but only began to show towards the end. The main actors and actresses appeared within the titles at the end, along with the director and after all of the shots in the trailer were finished, the name of the film appeared on a title. The style of each title matched each other and fitted the genre well.
One thing I liked towards the end of the trailer was the way the beat of the music paired with when titles appeared on the screen. It gave the trailer and rhythm and exaggerated each title appearing to the audience. I think this is a technique I would like to follow in my own media product due to its effectiveness for me as a consumer.
The effects model, otherwise known as the hypodermic needle theory, can be applied to this media product. This is because of the power that lies within the media and the way the media is manipulating audiences for this particular film to see only what they are presenting. Particular parts of the film, possibly the more enticing and impressive parts may be included in the trailer to get audiences 'hooked' and progress to pay to see the film on its release. Meanings and influences are also given to the audiences throughout the trailer which may have direct influences on them. For example drinking and alcohol features prominently in the film, this is shown solely from the teaser trailer. The theory suggests that this could influence audiences in that drinking should be prominent the in day to day lives of our own, due to the manipulation of it being shown as normal in the trailer. The theory suggests these types of meanings are 'injected' into the minds of media consumers without them recognising it.
Analysing a similar product 2 - 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' teaser trailer
Although the genre of this teaser trailer is very different from my individual idea for my own media product, I discovered this trailer and thought it had a very captivating effect for me as audience. The techniques used interested me and I felt they could perhaps be used in my own teaser trailer.
Summary of analysis
I felt this trailer was particularly interesting to analyse due to the suspense it holds for the audience throughout the entire trailer. It is certainly a successful teaser trailer because of the fast pace changing shots of the most enticing parts of the film, therefore it definitely does 'tease' the audience.
Regarding my analysis of the camerawork in this trailer, each fast changing shot switches to a different camera angle or type of shot. For example within the space of 3 seconds the teaser trailer displayed an establishing shot, a mid shot, a close up and an extreme long shot. I feel this is effective in a teaser trailer as the varied use of camera shots keep the audience enticed throughout the entire trailer. This, therefore, I am considering for my own media product. The change in types of shot in the trailer allowed lots of different parts of the film to be shown in a small amount of time, allowing the audience to gain an insight as to what to expect in the film to come. This, however, is done in a way which doesn't reveal much of the story line because each shot only lasts half a second long.
Editing techniques are limited in the teaser trailer because of the technique used for displaying each shot. Shot transitions are simply clean cuts throughout except for the fade in technique used at the very beginning of the trailer. The straight cuts used between each shot gave the teaser trailer a feel of urgency, keeping the audience gripped as each shot doesn't appear in the trailer for a very long time.
The sound used in the teaser trailer was kept very simple. The fast paced soundtrack which was continuous throughout the trailer allowed each of the shots in the trailer to change with the rhythm of the music, this parallel sound was effective as matched the shot in mood and tone as well. The soundtrack which accompanied each shot made one continuous sound bridge, linking each shot together and allowing sound continuity. The chosen soundtrack in the teaser trailer matched the genre of the film, as typically thriller films are often fast paced, jumpy and full of action.
The titles included in the teaser trailer was another technique that I felt worked well. The titles only began to appear within the last twenty seconds of the trailer and appeared quickly in between shots. The most effective technique I thought was included in the trailer was the tie between shots, sound and titles. For example the soundtrack held a strong beat as the titles flashed up in the trailer, in between each title there was a shot of a mysterious location, of which each time it reappeared after a title it appeared closer to the audience. This exaggerates the mystery of the location and enables the audience to anticipate its importance within the narrative.
Overall, I think that the last 30 second sequence was the most effective throughout the trailer, where the titles began to appear on the screen. The idea of sound, shot and titles all being linked together gave the trailer a strong and enticing effect. The titles were also bold and captivating, adding a greater sense of suspense which again fitted within the thriller genre. I will definitely be considering some ideas from this trailer.
Analysing a similar product 3 - '13 Going on 30' trailer
I have chosen to analyse the trailer '30 Going on 30' because of the romantic aspects within the film. The film is a typical 'chick flick' aimed at a female audience. I think that this is an ideal media product to analyse because of the romance narrative. The film follows conventions of a romance, which I can perhaps follow in my own teaser trailer.
Summary of analysis
This trailer included limited titles. For example the production company flashes up more than once, one at the very beginning before the trailer begins, and another time after the first few scenes in the trailer. One of the titles I liked in the trailer was the ticking year date which is displayed to emphasis the time passing. I felt this was a good idea as it exaggerates the speed at which events in the narrative are changing. The title style for this was also quite dainty, as if to represent a state of fantasy or dreaming. This was also accompanied with synchronous sound of a fast ticking clock which increased its professionalism. Because this idea was effective I may go on to use it in my own media product depending on if my narrative is trying to convey the passing of time. Conventionally, this trailer also displayed the film name title towards the very end of the trailer. I feel this idea is effective in terms of a teaser trailer because the audience know that the film name is likely to appear at the very end, therefore they would feel compelled to watch it until the end to find out.
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In terms of editing a lot of different techniques were used. I feel this film may have a slightly younger target audience to my own because of the age of the main characters before she becomes 30. Due to the lower age target audience, I think the camerawork techniques may make the trailer look slightly immature for the idea I had in mind for my own media product. For example many points throughout the trailer included techniques such as cross overs as well as sweeps. By using this at random points and inconsistently, made the trailer look fun but for more of an immature audience. The transitions used also convey quite a lighthearted feel to the film, of which I do not think would be appropriate for my own film genre; romance tragedy. However, my teaser trailer narrative begins with a lighthearted feel therefore some of the transitions and editing techniques used in this teaser trailer may be idea in my own.
Camerawork varied throughout this teaser trailer. It ranges from close up, to exaggerate the emotion of a certain character, as well as long shots, to emphasis vulnerability is certain characters. Many other techniques are used to create a varied approach to creating a trailer. Each of the camera techniques progress the narrative well and the variation makes the trailer eye catching throughout because it lacks consistency. The lack of consistency I feel actually allows the trailer to become interesting to the audience. This, therefore, is a technique I may follow throughout my own teaser trailer.
Sound is another way the trailer lacks consistency. For example, the soundtrack throughout the trailer changes seven times throughout the trailer. Due to the choppy changes in story line throughout this particular trailer, the soundtrack sound allows the shots on screen to match well therefore the use of parallel sound suites this trailer. However, for my own trailer I do not think I will have such a diverse soundtrack and sound range because I feel it may be too much for an audience to take in, in such a limited amount of time. However, the the use of diegetic sound in the trailer is approached well, for example the alarm clock sound and the sparkle sound effect. The use of this diegetic sound was used well and I may well go on to use such techniques myself to create an effect or better understanding to my teaser trailer.
Analysing a similar product 4 - 'Dear John' teaser trailer
I have chosen the 'Dear John' because it shares a similar genre and target audience to the teaser trailer I intend to create. This film is a romance drama and the teaser trailer is only 34 seconds long but still very effective. It gives enough shots to create a small understanding to the plot, without giving the story away.
Summary of analysis
This teaser trailer is very fast moving and uses some choppy techniques to create an some effective visual effects. The editing throughout the trailer appears to be consistent and follow a similar pattern throughout. Fading transitions are used to begin to display following shots and progress the trailer. This is effective for the romance drama genre because it gives the trailer quite a relaxed and romantic edge. There is also a cross cutting technique used in the middle of the trailer displaying both a close up of a letter being written, as well as him actually writing the letter from a mid shot. I think this is effective as it shows what is happening from two different perspectives and creates a sense of importance of the letters as it is being displayed using two angles from on the same shot. The editing for this trailer is definitely something I will consider for my own teaser trailer due to the register I felt these effects gave off when I was watching it.
Each of the titles from the trailer created the same 'romantic' feel as the editing techniques. This was because each title that appeared on screen appeared by fading in to the shot. Again, I felt this use for titles created a calming approach to the film, fitting the genre nicely. The film was inspired by a book, therefore the title fonts shared the same font as those typical in a novel. This was effective as it allows people gain familiarity and compare the story line to the novel, if the audience have previously read it.
Many camera techniques were used in the trailer, but I found mid shots were more frequently occurring. This was because the locations vary within the trailer, allowing the audience to see both facial expression, as well as clothing, as well as location, therefore mid shots are an effective shot to use in a teaser trailer. A few close ups were used in the trailer as well, emphasising the facial expressions of the characters. I feel this is especially important in my own media product because of the distress of some of the characters, which can be shown using their facial expressions. An extreme long shot was shown in this teaser trailer as well. Only one of these appeared in the teaser trailer, showing silhouettes of the two main characters in the sun set. This proved effective and created another 'romantic' feel to the trailer, following the typical conventions of a romance film.
Sound was very straight forward in this teaser trailer as it carried a consistent soundtrack throughout the entire thing. This was a laid back soundtrack creating a romantic yet suspense holding tone. This was good although I feel in my own media product I may add more than one soundtrack to create two conflicting moods. The dialogue certain overlapped shots creating mood and progressing the narrative. The voice over in the teaser trailer created a sense of suspense for the audience and the voice over exaggerating the details such as the title of the film and the novel.
Analysing a similar product 5 - 'Titanic' teaser trailer
I have chosen to analyse the teaser trailer 'Titanic' for my fifth analysis. This is because again it follows similar themes such as love and hurt, as my own media product will follow. I think by analysing this will give me a greater understanding to what kind of techniques will be most effective for a successful blockbuster romance film, as this is the second top grossing film of all time.
Summary of analysis
The entire teaser trailer was proven to be very successful. The titles shown in the trailer were all relevant and had a consistent 1920's font house style. This meant that the font would match when the film was set which meant the titles in the teaser trailer looked very professional. Throughout the trailer the titles appeared on screen towards the beginning showing all the relevant information the audience would be interested in seeing, for example when it is released, as well as the director. It also followed set conventions where the name of the film appeared at the very end of the trailer. From this, I know I will try and keep my style of font to match when the my film was set, as well as give the information to the audience in a conventionally correct order.
Editing followed similar rules throughout, fading titles on screen as well as fading shots on screen. Similar to my analysis to 'Dear John', these fading transitions gave a romantic feel to the trailer at the beginning. Towards the end where the dramatic scenes began, cuts became more jumpy and fade transitions became less frequent. This I felt was a great technique for editing the trailer as the edits followed a similar pattern to the shots.
Lastly sound was used to emphasis the mood of throughout the trailer. There seemed to be a constant soundtrack throughout and the parallel soundtrack at both the beginning and end allows the audience to grow a deeper understanding to the film simply by hearing the this type of diegetic sound which accompanies each shot. A voice over from the character also accompanies some of the shots, creating a sound bridge between shots continuing from one scene to the next. This dialogue came from a main character and again, allows the audience to gain a deeper understanding towards the plot.
Analysing a similar product 6 - 'The Hunger Games' teaser trailer
I have decided to analyse the teaser trailer for 'The Hunger Games' due to its target audience. It holds a similar target audience to my own intended target audience, being teenagers/young adults. It also carries a similar discreet theme of romance.
Summary of analysis
Unfortunately I found this teaser trailer analysis to not be as helpful as I'd have hoped. Although I had knowledge that the film held themes of romance, this was not displayed in the trailer, of which I was hoping for. However, it allowed me to understand certain conventions within a typical teaser trailer.
The sound techniques in this teaser trailer were particularly strong. This was because it was the first time I'd heard lots of ambient sound rather than a constant soundtrack. The ambient sound of the forest held suspense as the main character crept through it, this I felt was a good and effective way of keeping the audience interested. This may be a good technique to follow in my own media product at points I want suspense held. The synchronous sound effects, such as the tree falling or the arrow being fired helped to exaggerate the action that was happening as well as shock the audience, this I felt was another effective technique. Another interesting sound input I found in this trailer was that when the soundtrack faded out at the end of the teaser trailer, as the last set of titles appeared a whistle sound which relates to the film is heard, I feel this added mystery up the very last second of the trailer.
Low angle shots were used in this trailer to exaggerate the vulnerability of the main character. For example the a low angle establishing shot of the forest trees were shown more than once to emphasise the characters loneliness. A hand held camera technique was used throughout the trailer, which often tracked the shots. This gave the teaser trailer a sense of roughness and urgency. Again, if there there were any action shots in my own media product these techniques would be useful and effective.
Titles were kept minimal in this teaser trailer, perhaps because of the length of this teaser trailer being very short. Conventionally again, the production company titles were shown at the very beginning before the shots begin, and the film name and release date were shown at the very end. I will not challenge this in my own media product due to its professionalism within the advertisement.
Narrative and Trailers
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| Tzvetan Todorov http://www.yenra.com/quotations/tzvetan-todorov.jpg |
Teaser trailers are often structured in similar ways. These structures show the audience particular parts of the film without revealing too much about the story line. Tzvetan Todorov explored the idea of having five stages within a narrative. His theory begins with a stage of equilibrium which is a state of normality for the main characters. The next stage offers a type of disruption for the characters where the state of equilibrium begins to complicate. The third stage of the theory includes the recognition of the disruption the fourth stage often involves an attempt to restore the equilibrium and the theory concludes with a reinstatement or 'repair' of the equilibrium, often restored with a few changes. I feel that this particular theory will be helpful in preparing my own teaser trailer narrative, this is because the stages are structured and will help progress my narrative in an interesting and enticing way, keeping the audience interested throughout the teaser trailer. However, although this theory is proven to be true in many film narratives, the media text is a teaser trailer, therefore stages from Todorov's theory will not be included in my own media product. For example the resolution and ending part of the narrative will not be shown in my own teaser trailer. If my teaser trailer was to include this, audiences would not feel it necessary to watch the film on its release. By missing this stage out of Todorov's theory, it will entice audiences and they may feel compelled to watch the film if the trailer is striking enough. By missing out the resolution, my media text will follow Barthes theory of the Enigma Code. This is the understanding that tension is built up through the media text, and leaves the audience guessing what is going to happen next, or in this case, what is going to happen in the film when they progress to watch it.
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| Vladimir Propp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Propp |
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| Claude Levi-Stauss http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~jmaclean/es.rous.cls.html |
Claude Levi-Strauss came up with the theory of binary opposition. I feel his theory is relevant to my own because of the controversy between the male and female character in my narrative. The conflict which occurs between the two characters help to progress the narrative and create problems throughout my intended story line. Strauss's theory will be evidently shown in my own media text due to the tragedy and conflict that will arise between my two opposite characters. Characters and the conflict between them will progress my narrative by using binary opposition - (stereotypical vulnerable girl and stereotypical strong-willed male), my narrative will progress with the clashes in their relationship. Due to their strong bond at the beginning of the teaser trailer, the conflict will be highlighted as they begin to clash. This will entice audiences because the characters had such a tight bond to begin with, any likelihood of them clashing would hit the audience by surprise. The narrative will begin to be driven forward by the opposing forces (male and female),
References to sources:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/8332523/Narrative-theory-notes
Genre
What is genre?
Genre is a category a media text falls within according to its established themes and conventions.
Why is genre so difficult to define?
Genre is very difficult to define. This is shown and demonstrated by particular theorists who suggest different ideas as to what genre actually involves. For example genre is sometimes seen to have set conventions and always follow typical conventions. This is explained by Christian Metz who says genre is developed in four stages. The first stage is developing and establishing set conventions, he then says that movies go on to follow these conventions and they become 'classic' conventions where the genre begins to peak. Parody's are usually then released to mock the classic genre. The last point that Metz makes about genre is that film conventions are deconstructed and the established codes and conventions are refreshed.
Genre success relies on difference as well as elements of uniqueness. For example Steve Neale is a media theorists who suggested that a genre has distinctive characterisations but having originality is essential for a films successful outcome. This therefore means that genre conventions should be challenged in order to continue to attract an audience. If a genre becomes too predictable audiences will feel no need for going to the cinema to see new releases of genres they enjoy. Adding and putting an twist on established set conventions will enable a great chance of success.
Not all audiences will have the same opinion of genre. Interpretation of a film style can be very subjective. Rick Altman suggested that to understand genre a pragmatic approach should be used. He feels that syntactic and semantic approaches to genre seem to dominate genre interpretation. When analysing genres, more than simply narratives, themes, relationships as well as location and props should be considered. The three point approach suggests that to label a genre a media text needs to have certain conventions syntactically and semantically. I can relate this approach to my own production work. For example the syntactical elements that reinforce the typical 'romance tragedy' genre are; a loss of main character (narrative), involvement of love, lust and disloyalty (themes), as well a characters need to help the other character that they love (relationships between characters. The semantic approach of the theory can be related to my own work to determine the genre of my media product as I will make sure it includes an attractive male character and an vulnerable and needy female character (characters). My media product will also be set in a busy town/city (setting), and it will include items such as romantic gifts, flowers (props). All of these semantic elements will be included so that my audience can notice all of the distinctive features which make up my genre.
It is very difficult to describe such a thing as 'genre' this is because categorising particular texts is near enough impossible as every texts has its uniqueness and often combines sub-genres. This idea is expressed by Jane Feuer who states ' a genre is ultimately an abstract conception rather than something that exists empirically in the world', suggesting that genres vary so much that labelling a genre to a text is near enough impossible.
References to sources
http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/genre-theory-revision/
It is very difficult to describe such a thing as 'genre' this is because categorising particular texts is near enough impossible as every texts has its uniqueness and often combines sub-genres. This idea is expressed by Jane Feuer who states ' a genre is ultimately an abstract conception rather than something that exists empirically in the world', suggesting that genres vary so much that labelling a genre to a text is near enough impossible.
References to sources
http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/genre-theory-revision/
Ensuring success of my own teaser trailer
I will be taking a number of steps to ensure my own teaser trailer is successful. This includes ensuring my trailer includes all of Todorov's stages in his narrative theory except for the new equilibrium. This is because all of the other details are important and entice an audience without giving away the ending (final stage of Todorov's theory). Although genre has been difficult to describe, I feel genres do have standard conventions that have to be followed. For example film genres seem to be categorised depending on their typical story lines character types, settings, themes and editing techniques. I will therefore be carefully selecting set conventions from 'romance tragedy/drama' films and choosing each of these categories according to whether they fit my genre conventionally. For example, editing techniques tend to be softer in scenes of romance, while as the story line increases in drama, editing techniques would gradually quicken. Again, I will carefully choose the mise en scene throughout my teaser trailer. This will include ideas such as low key lighting to give particular scenes a romantic and lustful feel, as well as choosing appropriate romantic props such as red roses and candles.
To achieve the success I am aiming for in my teaser trailer, I need to conduct research into the typical codes and conventions found within the Romance Tragedy/Drama genre and analyse trailers, as well as doing secondary internet research. Below is a mind map of my findings.
Summary of conventions analysis
Considerations of conventions needs to be considered when deciding what to include in a particular genre of text. A romance tragedy have many conventions in the areas of iconography, editing, characters, locations, themes and story lines. After picking out the typical conventions I can then go on to decide whether I will attempt to challenge them or reinforce them in my own media product. Deciding this relates to Steve Neal's theory of genre, suggesting that texts are categorised depending on rules that they follow, but in order for them to be successful they need to include some aspect of originality.
The themes I explored when analysing romantic tragedy films seemed to be typically the same. For example the theme of disloyalty seems to arise in many romantic tragedy films such as The Great Gatsby. Obsession is another film that frequently is involved in in this genre of film. This includes The Great Gatsby, Romeo and Juliet and Blue Valentine. This theme doesn't seem to be included as a nasty type of obsession, but a loving obsession showing a characters devotion to one another. The extreme nature of these characters entices an audience because they are not able to relate to such deep thought processes, therefore strive to understand it by watching the film. The theme of death is another theme I found within this genre. Not all films are firstly conveyed to be tragic, therefore with a tragic ending the audience is shocked because of the hope they continue to have throughout the film.
I found a number of typical character types when researching this genre. The most common character types is the typical 'hero', most often than not he is attractive and caring towards the typical 'princess' love interest which I found as a prominent character type in this genre. The typical 'princess' character is also often attractive, and in many romance tragedy films have quite an outgoing attitude which in some instances overpowers the male protagonist. This is shown in romance tragedies such as The Notebook and Blue Valentine. Although the female character is sometimes perceived as dominant, other films of the same genre represent the 'princess' character as vulnerable and need looking after. This help to explain Steve Neal's approach to genre, as these films follow similar events but includes its own differences (such as the representation of the female love interest) which keeps audiences interested in the genre. Other romance tragedy films that represent females in a contradicting way to The Notebook and Blue Valentine are Romeo and Juliet as well as A Walk To Remember, portraying the female as more vulnerable and emotional.
The settings in romance tragedy films tend to vary quite a lot. Examples of contradicting locations are; busy cities from the film 500 Days of Summer compared to small and quiet villages and towns from the film The Notebook. Both locations work well and after analysing I realised the setting depends on the context. For example more recent romance tragedies seem to be based in more vibrant and busy settings, while romance tragedies that are older seem to be filmed in quieter and more smaller locations.
The typical story line that I found occurred in mostly all of the films in this genre is a committed couple not being able to be together for various reasons. These reasons differ, for example in the film Blue Valentine it is because the couple know they do not work. Another example is Benjamin Button where Benjamin cannot be with his love interest due to their age difference, and lastly my example of The Great Gatsby due to the loss of one of the main characters. Because this is the most typical story line convention for a romance tragedy, my own media product will feature the two main characters to be unable to be with each other.
Sound and editing seem to be very conventional within romance tragedies. A romantic soundtrack always features in romance scenes throughout these films. Editing techniques are quite conventional for example a lot of soft transitions are used during romantic scenes, and cuts begin to speed up and become jumpy during dramatic scenes. As for iconography, typical things feature within these romance films such as romantic gifts, flowers, roses, churches and rings. The majority of this will feature in my own media product as the audience will be able to establish its genre from the iconography.
Overall, the analysis of convention task was fairly helpful. I feel I am able to use typical conventions such as an iconic and moving soundtrack to provoke the romance within the teaser trailer. I also now know the types of iconography to apply to make sure the genre is set and audiences can interpret the correct genre. For example items and colours that represent romance such as roses, rings and candles. Low key lighting will also be applied to shots of romance or lust.
I will be taking a number of steps to ensure my own teaser trailer is successful. This includes ensuring my trailer includes all of Todorov's stages in his narrative theory except for the new equilibrium. This is because all of the other details are important and entice an audience without giving away the ending (final stage of Todorov's theory). Although genre has been difficult to describe, I feel genres do have standard conventions that have to be followed. For example film genres seem to be categorised depending on their typical story lines character types, settings, themes and editing techniques. I will therefore be carefully selecting set conventions from 'romance tragedy/drama' films and choosing each of these categories according to whether they fit my genre conventionally. For example, editing techniques tend to be softer in scenes of romance, while as the story line increases in drama, editing techniques would gradually quicken. Again, I will carefully choose the mise en scene throughout my teaser trailer. This will include ideas such as low key lighting to give particular scenes a romantic and lustful feel, as well as choosing appropriate romantic props such as red roses and candles.
Conventions of Romance Tragedy genre
To achieve the success I am aiming for in my teaser trailer, I need to conduct research into the typical codes and conventions found within the Romance Tragedy/Drama genre and analyse trailers, as well as doing secondary internet research. Below is a mind map of my findings.
Summary of conventions analysis
Considerations of conventions needs to be considered when deciding what to include in a particular genre of text. A romance tragedy have many conventions in the areas of iconography, editing, characters, locations, themes and story lines. After picking out the typical conventions I can then go on to decide whether I will attempt to challenge them or reinforce them in my own media product. Deciding this relates to Steve Neal's theory of genre, suggesting that texts are categorised depending on rules that they follow, but in order for them to be successful they need to include some aspect of originality.
The themes I explored when analysing romantic tragedy films seemed to be typically the same. For example the theme of disloyalty seems to arise in many romantic tragedy films such as The Great Gatsby. Obsession is another film that frequently is involved in in this genre of film. This includes The Great Gatsby, Romeo and Juliet and Blue Valentine. This theme doesn't seem to be included as a nasty type of obsession, but a loving obsession showing a characters devotion to one another. The extreme nature of these characters entices an audience because they are not able to relate to such deep thought processes, therefore strive to understand it by watching the film. The theme of death is another theme I found within this genre. Not all films are firstly conveyed to be tragic, therefore with a tragic ending the audience is shocked because of the hope they continue to have throughout the film.
I found a number of typical character types when researching this genre. The most common character types is the typical 'hero', most often than not he is attractive and caring towards the typical 'princess' love interest which I found as a prominent character type in this genre. The typical 'princess' character is also often attractive, and in many romance tragedy films have quite an outgoing attitude which in some instances overpowers the male protagonist. This is shown in romance tragedies such as The Notebook and Blue Valentine. Although the female character is sometimes perceived as dominant, other films of the same genre represent the 'princess' character as vulnerable and need looking after. This help to explain Steve Neal's approach to genre, as these films follow similar events but includes its own differences (such as the representation of the female love interest) which keeps audiences interested in the genre. Other romance tragedy films that represent females in a contradicting way to The Notebook and Blue Valentine are Romeo and Juliet as well as A Walk To Remember, portraying the female as more vulnerable and emotional.
The settings in romance tragedy films tend to vary quite a lot. Examples of contradicting locations are; busy cities from the film 500 Days of Summer compared to small and quiet villages and towns from the film The Notebook. Both locations work well and after analysing I realised the setting depends on the context. For example more recent romance tragedies seem to be based in more vibrant and busy settings, while romance tragedies that are older seem to be filmed in quieter and more smaller locations.
The typical story line that I found occurred in mostly all of the films in this genre is a committed couple not being able to be together for various reasons. These reasons differ, for example in the film Blue Valentine it is because the couple know they do not work. Another example is Benjamin Button where Benjamin cannot be with his love interest due to their age difference, and lastly my example of The Great Gatsby due to the loss of one of the main characters. Because this is the most typical story line convention for a romance tragedy, my own media product will feature the two main characters to be unable to be with each other.
Sound and editing seem to be very conventional within romance tragedies. A romantic soundtrack always features in romance scenes throughout these films. Editing techniques are quite conventional for example a lot of soft transitions are used during romantic scenes, and cuts begin to speed up and become jumpy during dramatic scenes. As for iconography, typical things feature within these romance films such as romantic gifts, flowers, roses, churches and rings. The majority of this will feature in my own media product as the audience will be able to establish its genre from the iconography.
Overall, the analysis of convention task was fairly helpful. I feel I am able to use typical conventions such as an iconic and moving soundtrack to provoke the romance within the teaser trailer. I also now know the types of iconography to apply to make sure the genre is set and audiences can interpret the correct genre. For example items and colours that represent romance such as roses, rings and candles. Low key lighting will also be applied to shots of romance or lust.
History of genre timeline
For this task I researched into different key events which have helped to shape the romance tragedy genre. For each film I analysed I have applied which stage of the genre theory Christian Metz created the film lies within. By conducting this task I can go on to decide what I feel have made these films in the genre successful, and possibly what I can apply to my own to guarantee the success just as well. I can also establish whether I would like my media product to remain in the classical stage of Metz theory, or to deconstruct elements of the classic stage to refresh the genre to possibly appeal to my target my audience more strongly.
Please click the timeline below:
The film making process
From my research I was able to make a flow chart with all the main features of the film making process. As shown by my flow chart, the trailer is not constructed until over half of the total process is completed. It is only in the 9th stage where the film trailer is created, alongside taking the film to market and securing deals. The trailer is originally designed to sell the film to busy film buyers showing them the most marketable aspects of the film. After the producer has secured deals with the best distribution companies, trailers will be commissioned as part of the overall marketing strategy. The promo trailer will form the basis for advertising the media product. In order for a film to be a success, the trailer should have generated enough excitement to provoke large box office numbers.
References to sources:
Methods of Film Promotion
Film companies use different film promotion techniques depending on their target audience and budget. Conglomerate companies tend to access the more extravagant promotional techniques, where as independent companies tend to stick with the more basic, affordable techniques.
Being a new film maker, I do not have access to a huge budget in order for me to market my film on a global scale. However, knowing my target audience has allowed me to gain some key knowledge into the most effective places to place ads to make sure my media product reaches them. For example my primary research suggests that most time spent by my target audience is either online on watching TV. This means the most supportive way to advertise my film is either through internet websites of teaser trailer television advertisements.
References to sources:
References to sources:
Analysis of conventional leading characters
For this task, I looked at the typical characters that feature in a romantic tragedy using Propp's theory and the stereotype each character follows. I analysed different types of characters from three different films to see if they were conventional and to decide if I was going to follow these conventions in my own media product.
The Hero Noah Calhoun - The Notebook
The Princess Summer - 500 Days of Summer
Propps theory includes a 'princess' character, of which Summer represents this in this particular romantic tragedy film. Conventionally, Summer's look portray her to be vulnerable and clothing she wears is often quite elegant and pretty. Stereotypically she appears to be innocent and girly, this is conventional for a romance tragedy. She also wears accessories such as ribbons and wears natural make-up. All of this reinforces Propp's theory of characters within a narrative. However, in the film Summer is not emotionally engaged and cannot bring herself to become attached to the male role of the narrative. This challenges the typical princess role and fits in with Steve Neal's genre theory of refreshing conventional old ideas to make them more interesting and to keep audiences keen who are fans of the romantic tragedy genre.
The Villain Mia - Love Actually
Mia from love actually is a typical 'villain' character from Propp's theory of narrative. She is often wearing heavy make-up throughout the film, and in many scenes she wears red. Red connotes danger and in the film she is a love rival involved in an affair. This stereotypes her to be manipulative and cause trouble within the film. This then reinforces Propp's 'villain' character within a films narrative. Because Mia is not conventionally unattractive as a villain, she challenges the conventions of a typical villain from a film. This therefore means that audiences will be more shocked when her villainous side within the narrative is revealed.
Institutional Research
For this task I had to conduct secondary research and find out how profitable and successful my chosen genre is in the UK as a whole. This will help me to establish whether I could potentially release the genre and make it appeal to audiences.
References to sources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11011520
http://www.bfi.org.uk/publications/corporate-documents-publications/film-industry-statistics-research/box-office-reports-6
http://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-statistical-yearbook-2013.pdf
Film Studio Research
For this task I need to establish what film company would best suit the production and exhibition of my film. I need to consider reputation, budget and likelihood of securing a deal.
In conclusion, I feel that Village Roadshow Studios would be the most appropriate company to help to produce and distribute my film. I think conglomerate companies are more likely to be a part of the production of a film from established and reputable film makers to secure the success and maximise profit for themselves. Independent companies such as Village Roadshow have lower budgets therefore contribute to film makers which have not yet fully been established within the film industry. Village Roadshow also has an outstanding reputation for being involved with the production and distribution of many independent films, therefore success with their involvement I feel is tightly secured. For example they have been a part of production and distribution for films such as 'Sherlock Holmes', 'Oceans Eleven' and 'The Lucky One'.
References to sources:
Funding Research
There are many ways I can get funding for my media product, but some companies are more likely to secure deals with small film makers. A lot of areas that can finance parts of my production tend to secure deals with established film makers to guarantee money on completion.
In conclusion, as I am a small film maker, I don't not think either the BFI, or an individual are likely to secure a deal with me. I think this because they are more likely to give funds with previous experience with film making to guarantee them a profit. Although the BFI want to promote Britain and to discover new talents within film making, I still do not feel they are likely to fund until I have built up a reputation within the industry a little more. This therefore means I am going to approach my local council for film funds. This is because I feel they may be interested in promoting the issues within my film, such as drug and alcohol awareness which may end up benefiting the community. Although funds will be smaller coming from the local council, for a small film maker they will provide me with enough funds to help to create slight hyperrealism and allow me to edit professionally. This hopefully means my final media product will be successful, meaning I can start to establish a greater reputation so perhaps in the future I can approach bigger companies to help to fund my film.
References to sources:
http://www.bfi.org.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/before-you-start/funding
http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/before-you-start/funding
Film Regulation
Who are the BFFC?
The British Board of Film Classification
What is their role in regulating films?
Their aim is to protect children from unsuitable or even harmful content in either films or videos and to give consumers information they need about a particular film or video before deciding to watch it or not. The BFFC examine films and give them age ratings before they are released. This independent scrutiny before a films release ensures the highest possible level of protection for audiences.
How will film regulation effect the production of a teaser trailer?
If content is reviewed by the BFFC and it is not appropriate for those in my age classification then my media product will not be released until it is eligible This means content needs to be scrutinised beforehand to ensure the BFFC will accept all of the footage. If some content gets rejected, footage will have to be re-shot or taken out completely to ensure it can be released later. However, if content is chosen to be kept the same, but the age classification changes, potentially, a large percentage of audience will be reduced due to these restrictions, therefore it will be difficult to achieve the outcome of success previously hoped for. Another effect the rejection of the BFFC could have is date of release. Some films target a certain time of release for high sales. For example releasing a Christmas themed film around Christmas, or perhaps releasing a a children's film during the summer holidays. This would increase box office numbers therefore if release dates are pushed back this could have a negative impact on overall success and box office hits.
What steps will you take to ensure my media product is suitable for my target audience?
I will ensure that any use of drug taking or alcohol use in not encouraged, but it may still be shown due to the awareness an audience aged 15 and above may already have of such content. I will also make that any violence included will not dwell on detail. Strong language may be used as long as it is justified within the narrative. As long as all of this is stuck to within my film making process then the BFFC should accept the content within my media product and my teaser trailer is suitable for those aged 15+.
BFFC Guidelines Research
I have decided that in this research I need to summarise the BFFC guidelines to be able to establish the target audience for my own media product. The guidelines I will be summarising it the rating for a film rated '15' and a film rated '18'. Depending on what features can and cannot be included in these rating will enable me to establish what rating, thus establishing the target audience, my film will have. Below is an interactive flip card system where the film rating guidelines.
Flip the card and then click the left arrow
After researching the guidelines for film ratings, I have concluded that my film will be rated a 15. Rating my film an 18 would give much more freedom as to what I could include in my media product. However, it would become inappropriate and cut out a large chunk of potential target audience under the age of 18 which could perhaps limit the profit that could be made from the film. Restricting my media product to a rating of 15 doesn't mean there is no freedom in terms of what I can include, it only means that what I can include will be more appropriate to watch for a wider audience. Topics and themes can still be explored such drug abuse and violence but on a minimal level.
References to sources
Audience Profile
I am able to make a clear target audience profile from the primary and secondary research I have gained. All of the data I have collected allows me to specify my target audience in terms of age, gender, socio-economic groups, as well as interests and lifestyle.
My target audience summary: I have decided that my target audience will be aged between 16 and 24. This age group tends to live sociable lives and have a small income which allows them to visit the cinema on a recreational basis, therefore they are likely to be willing to see my finished film. I have categorised my target audience in the C1 and C2 group of the socio-economic scale, meaning that their parents have fairly skilled jobs and are comfortable with finance. Marketing my media product will be fairly simple due to the type of media consumption 16 to 24 years olds use. Spreading the word virally. Both mainstream and explorer categories will be targeted. The psychograpic explorer group are constantly keen to try new things, and I believe my media product creates fresh ideas and challenges conventions e.g. using a male protagonist in a romance film. The mainstream group will also be targeted because it is the most dominant group, they fit with what is new and what is familiar. There will be new ideas within my media product and some conventions are staying the same therefore aspects of my media product will be familiar to them e.g. having a love rival within the narrative.
References to sources:
http://www.aweber.com/blog/email-marketing/are-you-marketing-by-psychographics.htm
References to sources:
http://www.aweber.com/blog/email-marketing/are-you-marketing-by-psychographics.htm
Research into target audience
To find out the wants and needs of my target audience I need to produce my own findings using the most appropriate research methods.
Primary Research
I feel questionnaires and focus groups will benefit my research the most for the following reasons;
Questionnaires
Advantages: Relatively quick to collect information. Questionnaires are gathered in a standardised way which means they are quite objective. They are practical and large amounts of information can be collected. The data collected can be quantified, it can be used to compare and contrast other research. Questionnaires can also be convenient to conduct online. This means that the questions can be sent over several social networking sites, allowing a large number of responses from varied people.
Focus Groups
Advantages: Discover how different groups think and feel about a topic and why they hold certain opinions.Focus groups can deepen understanding and explain statistical data. They can also verify or clarify the results from surveys. They can provide a broader range of information. They provide detailed information about personal or group feelings, perceptions and opinions.
My primary research will be done through questionnaires and focus groups. I have chosen to use questionnaires as I can present my findings easily using bar charts and graphs. Secondly I have chosen a focus group as a type of my primary research because it will allow more detailed answers from specific people.
Below is an example of my online questionnaire (surveymonkey.com/s/CKBW9YY ). I managed to put these links on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. This allowed me to get lots of responses from people with varying interests, making it representative of my target audience.
Below is a focus group I was able to film, asking them open questions allowing their responses to be detailed and my data to become qualitative, as well as quantitative from my questionnaire.
Secondary Research
I was able to conduct my secondary research using reliable internet websites.
Romantic tragedy films did not feature in the top genre chart of 2013. However, romantic comedies did. This shares the same sub-genre as my own media product. From this table I can see that this genre made a gross of $142,978,966. This is not a majorly high gross compared to genres such as action and comedy, however it does reinforce that romance has a place in the market and it continues to gain credibility for it.
One of the most successful romantic tragedy film in 2013 was 'The Great Gatsby'. It came 11th in the top movie chart and made over $144,840,419 in at the box office. This proves that this genre can be popular with audiences with the right ideas and marketing campaigns.
There are many reasons for the success of this film. Audiences would have been attracted to this film for many different reasons. For example this film was based on a book written by the famous author F. Scott Fitzgerald, therefore keen readers would be interested in viewing the narrative from an on screen recreation. Baz Lurhman is one of the most famous directors therefore his fans would feel compelled to watch his new releases. The stars within the film are extremely famous and are likely to have large, previously established fan bases. Returning to my primary research this is an important factor in deciding whether a film is worth watching. For example this film included stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligun. Lastly, the soundtrack which was released before the film included artists which would appeal to a young adult age group. These artists included Lana Del Ray, Florence and the Machine as well as WILL.I.AM. This is important because music is seen as an important factor within a film, according to my primary research. This was an effective audience gaining strategy because by using so many popular artists attracted a larger audience on the films release.
The 16 to 24 year old age group tend to use a third more media than any other age groups. 58% of this age group consume media through TV, mobile phones, the Internet, radio and print. This is an outstanding figure compared to the 18% that use these types of media aged over 55. This is useful when decided how to publicize my media product. Over half of my target audience's media consumption is online, 23% is used on general computer activities whereas 14% is used on instant messaging. This is a good figure when deciding my promotional techniques. I now know that it will be effective to target my audience through online media websites. If online ads are effective enough, audiences will spread my media product through 'word of mouth' therefore my media product should spread quickly.
Youtube is one of the most effective ways of reaching my target audience. This is because it gains 17.5 monthly users, most of which are young adults. If I upload promo videos and teaser trailers to this internet website my media product will spread online quickly.
References to sources:
Analysing my audience research
Application of Audience Research
As the majority of responses from my questionnaire fed back that they prefer themes of romance and death, both will be included in my own media product. The theme of romance will feature heavily because this is my primary genre, the sub genre of tragedy will allow me to include death in my film. It was nice to that in my focus group that males also enjoy the theme of romance in film. This means that choosing a secondary audience of males was a realistic and achievable target. The theme of family was not an important theme desired in my audience feedback. This means my teaser trailer will not include any aspects of family which would have featured for a small amount of time in my finished film. It will not be included in the teaser trailer because from my feedback this would not necessarily appeal to them and make them want to watch my film.
The most important aspect of a film was shown to be the narrative. My focus group stated that 'the narrative is what the whole film is based on', suggesting that without an enticing narrative, the film would not be appealing even if it did have effective editing techniques and sound use. This feedback means that I have to be creative with my narrative in order for it to appeal to my target audience, if my idea is too mainstream and predictable a large percentage of my target audience may be lost. Sound and editing was also shown to be quite an important factor in the making and the producing of a film. I am therefore planning on using some enticing editing techniques such as a cutaway to distort shots in the second half of my trailer, this will help portray the disruption in the plot. Sound effects such as parallel soundtracks will be placed alongside shots, emphasising the particular stage in the narrative, for example a romantic and light soundtrack will be placed over the shots showing the equilibrium stage of the teaser trailer, giving the audience a great sense of awareness of which point there is a turn of events.
Media Debate
Referring to media theory, I need to research the media debates on taste, decency, violence and censorship. This research will hopefully allow me to see both sides of this debate and decide what is appropriate and what isn't appropriate to include in my own media product based on the reaction my audience may have to certain issues or footage. Some audiences may be more sensitive to certain issues and interpret messaged differently.
Some members of society worry about the content of film. The hypodermic needle theory suggests that there is a direct correlation with the violence portrayed in the media, to violence taking place in real life. The model suggests that young adults or children are vulnerable to media content because they are still very impressionable. Teenagers and children are subjected to violent acts and inappropriate issues shown them through media such as films and TV programs. This prolonged exposure to violence can increase violent or inappropriate behavior as they grow up. This is shown as there has been a change in moral behaviors in generations. People now have weaker morals codes and are more likely to behave in anti-social ways.
This suggestion is one of the reasons censorship was introduced within the film industry. The BBFC have now insisted on all films being classified with an age certificate, and more pressure has been put on film makers to avoid including shots with bad language, violence and drug and alcohol abuse.
Some audiences do not take censorship as seriously as others. The audience reception model suggests that audiences interpret media messages in different ways, therefore audiences choose what they believe to be true. In this theory, the dominant reading accepts that media content is legitimate. The oppositional reading opposes to media messages that are shown. Lastly, negotiated reading is where audiences reinterpret media messages to fit their own opinions and values. This means that audiences are active and generally decide what they want to be influenced by, meaning that censorship isn't a major issue in this theory.
The Uses and Gratification theory suggests that audiences are completely active. Audiences use the media and they are not used by the media. Films are used for pleasure or gratification for an individual. Because audiences are so in control of their media consumption, media in fact helps them with issues such as; emotional satisfaction, relaxation, learning, issues with personal identity, issues with social identity, as well as issues with aggression and violence.
Overall, the hypodermic needle theory is the main issue with making my media product. If this theory is the case for audiences, I will have to make sure that my footage doesn't influence the behavior of my audience. I will prevent this by giving my media product an age certificate of '15', meaning that anyone under this age is advised against watching it due to issues such as drug and alcohol content. Because some individuals above this age restriction may still find this type of content a sensitive issue, I will have to restrict the footage and make sure the issues are not addressed too dramatically.
Overall, the hypodermic needle theory is the main issue with making my media product. If this theory is the case for audiences, I will have to make sure that my footage doesn't influence the behavior of my audience. I will prevent this by giving my media product an age certificate of '15', meaning that anyone under this age is advised against watching it due to issues such as drug and alcohol content. Because some individuals above this age restriction may still find this type of content a sensitive issue, I will have to restrict the footage and make sure the issues are not addressed too dramatically.
References to sources:
Representation Analysis
For this task I will be analysing how particular characters within a media text are portrayed, and which stereotypes they follow within my chosen genre. I will then decided if I wish to accept of challenge these stereotypes depending on whether these representations will appeal to my target audience. I will be focusing mainly on how females are presented in a romantic tragedy film.
Representation Issues
Representing different social groups can bring problems. Laura Mulvey came up with the 'Male Gaze' theory, suggesting that film makers make films from a males point of view. This is the idea that the women being portrayed on screen is seen as an object of desire. Women in films are coded to be looked at, and Mulvey wanted a new feminist approach to film making, achieved by reversing this idea, and making the males within a film an object to be desired. An example of male gaze is shown in the film 2013 film 'Lovelace' which objectifies women and gives a negative representation of women as the female protagonist is a porn star and in the film she is valued by the male characters in the narrative. This has a negative impact of the female social group in reality, reinforcing the idea of females being objectified.
David Gauntlett is a media theorist who suggest that identities are not given, but they are constructed and negotiated. He feels that modern media has little respect for traditional and stereotypes. Traditions have been overthrown and popular ideas about identity are not seen as more transformable. Traditional house wife females, for example, has now been changed and females are now presented as dominant and males are losing their power. This is to do with the change in society and identities are becoming more diverse.
Judith Butlers theory suggests that there is no room for choice, difference or resistance within identity and stereotypes. She argues that gender cannot be seen as a single representation, because each member of both genders are unique and individual. The theory states that women should not be seen as a concrete group, as there are obvious differences such as race, class and ethnicity. Due to the idea of women actually being so diverse, we cannot unify them as a single group.
Overall, I think representation is a complicated concept. Each audience member will interpret representations differently anyway, for example a more active audience may receive the representation, but will not stereotype everyone from this representation if they feel it's incorrect. A passive audience may be more narrow minded to accept these representations and begin to stereotype social groups in the same way. Each of the theorists are have good points and could apply to how audiences receive representations from film makers. There are still films which reinforce the Mulvey's 'Male Gaze' theory, for example 'Lovelace'. Gauntlett's theory has been reinforced with films such as 'The Saffires', which conveys the turn around of women's power in society. And lastly, all films can reinforce Butlers theory, as films seem to be presented women in more diverse ways than ever, showing audiences that women no longer fit into a single stereotype.
David Gauntlett is a media theorist who suggest that identities are not given, but they are constructed and negotiated. He feels that modern media has little respect for traditional and stereotypes. Traditions have been overthrown and popular ideas about identity are not seen as more transformable. Traditional house wife females, for example, has now been changed and females are now presented as dominant and males are losing their power. This is to do with the change in society and identities are becoming more diverse.
Judith Butlers theory suggests that there is no room for choice, difference or resistance within identity and stereotypes. She argues that gender cannot be seen as a single representation, because each member of both genders are unique and individual. The theory states that women should not be seen as a concrete group, as there are obvious differences such as race, class and ethnicity. Due to the idea of women actually being so diverse, we cannot unify them as a single group.
Overall, I think representation is a complicated concept. Each audience member will interpret representations differently anyway, for example a more active audience may receive the representation, but will not stereotype everyone from this representation if they feel it's incorrect. A passive audience may be more narrow minded to accept these representations and begin to stereotype social groups in the same way. Each of the theorists are have good points and could apply to how audiences receive representations from film makers. There are still films which reinforce the Mulvey's 'Male Gaze' theory, for example 'Lovelace'. Gauntlett's theory has been reinforced with films such as 'The Saffires', which conveys the turn around of women's power in society. And lastly, all films can reinforce Butlers theory, as films seem to be presented women in more diverse ways than ever, showing audiences that women no longer fit into a single stereotype.
References to sources:
Techniques I like
After finishing my teaser trailer analysis task, I picked up on a few techniques I felt were strong and professional. In trailers such as 'The Great Gatsby' and 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' I particularly liked the title effect. Both teaser trailers synchronised titles with the beat of the music, of which I thought was an enticing technique which added to continuity. This technique I feel also created tension within the trailer. To finalize whether I am going to use this technique in my own media product I decided to attempt the technique myself using the program 'Movie Maker' to the soundtrack 'Intro' by 'The XX'. Below is my attempt.
Technique trial:
After my attempt I still feel like I would like to recreate this technique in my own media product. When I have shot my footage and added a parallel soundtrack I think this technique will be very effective and create dramatic effect, making it a strong teaser trailer which audiences would be drawn to. This technique is not necessarily conventional for a teaser trailer therefore it would not be a technique my audience would have certainly seen before.
I have attempted this technique to trial out its success for my own media product. At the beginning of my teaser trailer I may use cross over transitions which is a convention for romance genres.
Technique trial:
Overall I feel like this editing technique definitely gives footage a relaxed feel, therefore it would be appropriate for the first half of my teaser trailer as I want to convey romance. I am also thinking of slowing down the shot duration to create a slow motion effect, alongside added brightness to the shots including romance, this will perhaps create an 'in love' feel to the footage. However, the second half of my teaser trailer cuts will become jumpy as shots of drama begin to increase. This will create juxtaposition in my teaser trailer, changing shot lengths, shot transitions, and sound which will create suspense in the latter half.
Director Research
Director Responsibility
Directors provide an important link between production, technical and creative teams.They are responsible for the transformation from a script, into both sounds and images on screen, other wise known as 'bringing vision to reality'. The main duties for this role include; casting, script editing, shot selection and editing and shot composition.
For my own media product I needed to consider key directors and how and why their films have been such a success.
References to sources:
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