Using the equipment

Demonstration on how to use the kino flo light.

using the kino flo lights.

Production of the camera tutorial.

Talking about the kino flo lights can be used.

How to use the lighting equipment.

Filming the tutorial on how to set up a camera.

Cyprian

Weekly update: week ending 25th november

This week has been a busy one for the team. We shot an tutorial film on how to place a camera onto a tripod. We are currently editing this clip and it should be on our youtube page very soon! Also this week we all took time to write some textual analysis's on different movie magazines and horror movie posters.

Textual analysis of a movie magazine (Michael)

Textual analysis of a movie magazine

 Total film is a British movie magazine published by future publishing 13 times a year. The magazine was launched in 1997 and offers film, DVD and BLU-ray news. Guest editors have included Peter Jackson, Kevin Smith and Ricky Gervais

 The front cover consists of a near middle aged Caucasian male posing with two guns. He is also wearing a dark heavy jacket. The two guns are placed at an angle which gives the audience the impression that the man posing with the weapons is highly skilled to use them or is maybe even an assassin. His fingers are clenched tightly on the two guns which could denote he is ready to pull the trigger or could denote he is holding someone hostage. The background of the magazine indicates the setting of the photo is set in a snowy cold day which could connote the fact the main character has no empathy for anyone. The use of a mid-shot on the front cover covers up the lower body of the male and arouses and creates suspicion as to what exactly the male has on him in terms of weapons

The look on his face is one of seriousness which also denotes he is has no sense of empathy. His posture is very aggressive and relates very well to the plot of the film due to the fact in the film; he is seeking vengeance for the death of his wife and child. His costume is black which gives the audience the impression that he is not a bubbly person. The lighting for this magazine is mostly low key. For example in the chest area of the Caucasian, this part of the body appears to be darker then any other part of his body which could give the audience the impression that he is hiding something sinister underneath his jacket. Also the low lighting used in the picture could connote that evil and darkness has engulfed him and twisted him. This relates well with the plot of the film; in the film and the game itself he is a normal happy person with a bright future with his wife and newborn child. When his family are murdered he seeks vengeance and in my opinion, the more and more he sought after it, the more and more he changed. The prop of the guns are cleverly placed at such an angle that it could connote he is on a crossroads in terms of his psyche and his mental stature. 

The main anchorage that the target audience are immediately directed to on the front cover reads: MAX PAYNE. Wahlberg finds his bourne. The text is not formal and is in sans-serif font. The other text in the magazine follows a colour scheme and goes well with theme of the main front cover, due to the fact the colours, for instance, the colour grey is a dark colour. However at the same time, the colours juxtaposes with themselves because of the fact, for example the colour yellow is a bright colour and is used in the magazine. The masthead of the magazine (Total film) is big and bold which could relate to male in the magazine front covers bravery. It’s in sans serif font which connotes it has a modern appeal which may be used to appeal to the magazines target audience

Textual Analysis of a Movie Trailer (Michael)

Title: Saw 3D

Year of release: 2010

Director: Kevin Greutert

Producers: Mark Burg, Oren Koules, Gregg Hoffman

Production/Finance Company: Lionsgate

Actors: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell

Film origin:  Saw 3D is the seventh and last Saw film in the largely popular Saw film franchise.  An eighth Saw film was originally planned for cinema release after Saw 3D but was scrapped due to the declining popularity of the Saw franchise. Saw 3D like many of the other Saw films was dubbed as being ‘Torture porn’ because of the excess splatter and gore in the movie.

Synopsis: A group of people, who survived jigsaw’s games, gather together to seek the help of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen, a man whose own hidden secrets unleash a new wave of terror .

The trailer begins with a voiceover and dialogue which says “You can’t hide”. This use of dialogue is clever because of the fact many saw fans who hears this voice will easily recognise this to be Jigsaws voice, an iconic antagonist heavily associated with the Saw franchise. These three words are straight to the point in terms of what the rest of the trailer or film is about; a battle for life. There is then a quick cut of a device experiencing static which connotes uncertainty and disbelief, words associated with the horror genre.

Following that there is a quick unusual Foley sound which fits with in well with the quick fade. The following caption “Every master craftsman” appears and goes into another fade. It then fades into a scene with a writ off car and man in the background which with the low key lighting used gives the audience no indication of where the location really is.  There is then a quick cut of something unclear to the audience which is something very common in splatter teaser trailers.

Following that there is another quick fade into the following caption “AND ALL TRUE GENIUSES” which with the previous caption connotes that there is a running story alongside the teaser trailer.  Following that there are four clever quick cuts which identify the key actors in the film all looking tormented.

There is then another fade into a bright normal location which acts as a juxtaposition to the previous act which conveys a sense of false assurance. There is then a quick cut of a prop familiar to many saw fans.

There is then some quick cuts and intense sounds to go with it which shows the characters in unclear locations; something associated with the saw franchise

To conclude, I think that usage of nonlinear editing is a success with Saw 3D because not only does not give many of the plot away it also leaves a feeling of ‘what just happened’ in the audiences mind.

Textual analysis of a movie poster (Michael)

Drag me to hell is a psychological horror film, written by Sam and Ivan Raimi and directed by Sam raimi. It stars Alison Lohman, Justin Long and many others. The story is about a young loan officer (Alison Lohman) who finds herself under a curse which in a few days will take her to hell. Desperate for curse lifted, she tries her hardest to save her soul however she is tested by evil forces.

The colours used in the poster are very dark and connote emptiness and torment. This is cleverly connected to the theme of damnation which is the main character is ultimately subjected in the end of the film. The use of the fiery reddish orange colour at the bottom of the poster is cleverly placed there to convey to an audience that the character is slowly yet surely being dragged to hell as the colour symbolizes fire and torment. The mixture of colours to form the dark grey colour of the sky connotes the theme of Armageddon/end of the world in a readers head because of the fact the colour of the sky does not normally look like that . The colour of the anchorage is white which in deeper depth could connote a sense of salvation for the character in the poster as white symbolizes purity and holiness, attributes associated with Heaven.

The main props are props of some ghastly hands placed on the actresses’ body to portray to the audience that she is hell bound against her own will. This is shown by the mouth of the actresses being open and her eyes closed to convey her pain being unbearable. The setting of the poster seems to be in the suburbs which break stereotypes as suburbs are normally portrayed as being leafy, boring and predictable. However something like damnation is clearly not predictable thus breaking the stereotype of suburbs being predictable. The lighting in the poster is neither very low key nor high key which could make the intended audience uncertain of what the fate of the actress. Thus the lighting acts like a persuasive tool to attract the target audience as it makes the audience keen to know whether the actress in the poster is going to suffer eternal damnation or not. There is nothing unusual about the costume the actress is wearing which could give the audience the impression that her torment came out of nowhere.

The camera shot used in the poster is a mid shot which cleverly hides the lower part of her body. The usage of a mid shot could give the impression that’s its too late for her, that she is now hell bound or that she is running out of time.  This just like the lighting the camera shot is a persuasive tool to attract the audience because its gives an internal impression in a viewer’s mind the possibility that she is damned.

The anchorage in the movie poster is sans serif and very formal which could set the tone of the film in terms of the fact it’s a serious issue. Also the colour of the text is white and could connote that there is still chance of her not going to hell. It’s placed correctly just below the middle of the poster with a tagline that says: Christine Brown has a good job, a great boyfriend and a bright future. But in three days she’s going hell. This tagline further persuades the audience because it’s one of the first things they see when they see this poster. Such a tagline is horrifying because at first it starts of normal one might say and ends with something that would frighten many people

Written by Michael

Textual analysis of a Scream 4 teaser trailer (Christina)

Film Title: Scream 4
Year of Release: 2011
Director: Wes Craven
Producer: Iya Lebunka & Kevin Williamson
Production/Financing Company: The Weinstein Company


Main Actors:

Lucy Hale … Sherrie

Roger Jackson (The voice)

Shenae Grimes (Trudie)

Dane Farewell (Ghostface)

Anna Paguin (Rachel)

Kristen Bell (Chloe)

Aimee Teegarden (Jenny Randall)

Britt Robertson (Marnie Cooper – as Brittany Robertson)

Neve Campbell (Sidney Prescott)

Alison Brie (Rebecca Walters

David Arguette (Dewey Riley: Police Officer)

Courtney Cox (Gale Weathers-Riley: Police Officer’s wife)

Hayden Panettiere (Kirby Reed)

Emma Roberts (Jill Roberts – Sidney’s cousin)

Marielle Jaffe (Olivia Morris)

Films Origin/Info


Scream 4 was originally meant to be a trilogy, but Bob Weinstein – the head of The Weinstein Company along with his brother Harvey Weinstein – thought that it was a good idea to make another film. Depending on the box office, Scream 4 is intended to be the first of a new trilogy. When scream 3 was released in the year 2000, it was Ehren Kruger that was brought in for re-writes. This was due to the fact that Williamson had to leave productions early because of contractual obligations. Campbell, Arquette and Cox are the only returning cast members from the previous films and were the first to sign on to the film in 2009. Panettiere and Rory Culkin were the first of the new cast to sign on in May 2010. Ashley Greene was initially the choice of the lead character, jill, but the role eventually went to Roberts. Filming took place in and around Ann Arbor, Michigan in June 2010 to September 2010, with reshoots in early 2011.


Synopsis


Scream 4 is about an author of a book, named Sidney Prescott. Sidney Prescott returns home to a town called “Woodsboro” and this is where her book tour is supposed to end. During her visit she reconnects with Sherriff Dewey and Gale, who are now married. She also meets her cousin Jill and her Aunt Kate. Unfortunately, Sidney’s appearance back in her hometown brings about danger towards her friends and family-including Dewey, Gale, Jill & Aunt Kate, as the Ghostface killer returns. When Sidney's cousin Jill's life is threatened, and her friends are being picked off one by one, Sidney, Gale and Dewey need to figure out who's reinventing the deadly game before it becomes too late.


Analysis

The teaser trailer starts with a phone ringing followed by a fade in transition revealing the main character. The shot is very brief as it then cuts to another short footage of the main character. The medium close up shots of Sydney Prescott shows her facial expressions. She is portrayed as a young vulnerable woman and this is seen through her NVC, as she looks frightened and confused. The sound used here connotes the horrific genre of the film. The non-diegetic music adds on to the spooky effect of the teaser, when used in combination with the fade in fade out transitions. Also, we can hear the voice over through dialogue of the villain in the film. This is a good way of teasing the audience because it gives them a feel of what the antagonist sounds like. Also the voice over makes the trailer sound more scary because the voice is a bit deep. This makes viewers aware of the fact that the trailer is promoting a horror film. The voice of the villain carry's on throughout the teaser.

After the opening of the trailer, more fade transitions are used to reveal several more shots together. The transitions are quite slow which could possibly connote peace. However, the next 9 shots contrast the idea of peace, as the several characters seen here are also shown as vulnerable characters. They all seem to be confused and frightened just as the character seen in the opening shot of the teaser trailer.

Firstly, the shots followed after the opening shot are very brief; however it is very clear to the audience. The medium close up shot of the police officer, shows that he is confused through his facial expressions. This shot is a good element in the teaser trailer as he is portrayed as a character with authority, this is also apparent through his costume. This will engage the readers into wanting to know what the film is about by getting them to be confused as well, questioning as to why the police officer seems to look so confused. 

After the shot where the police officer is revealed, there are 3 medium close up shots of young females. Makers of the scream 4 trailer stuck to the conventions of horror film trailers by making the female characters look inferior and fragile. it s possible to see this through the portrayal of their NVC. The way the shots have been put together is almost as if the directors want the audience to look straight in the eyes of the various characters. This is a good way of gaining the audience's interest.


In this particular shot displayed above, the young female presents sex appeal to an extent. The film makers have done this in a way that isn't too obvious by filming her getting dressed. She is barely clothed and her underwear is revealed, but only the top half of her body is revealed as it is a medium close up shot.

 Although females in horror films generally appear to be the ones most frightened and puzzled, the 7th shot after the police officer shows a male who is also portrayed in the same way as the female characters. This also creates a sense of mystery.

In the wide shot displayed on the left, are a group of teenagers at school. Here, they are taking part in a discussion where two boys are telling them about the "neo-conventions" of a horror movie. The way they have been portrayed in this part of the trailer gives the audience an impression that some of them may be the victims in the film. One reason for this is because; the body language of the teenagers reveals that they are stunned by what they're being told. Also, the incidental music added to this shot signifies that they are significant characters to the film, as well as, building up suspense. In this clear wide angle shot, it is possible to see that they are casually dressed in costume, to emphasise that they quite young people - because, stereotypically this is how young people tend to look like. This suggests that, the chances of them being victims in the film are very high as they are displayed as innocent characters, and according to the conventions of horror, innocent people usually get killed first or become victims.

There are also aspects of the trailer where low-key lighting is used. For example, during the next few cuts after the classroom scene, the lighting is used in such a way that creates a darker setting and gives a more scary atmosphere. Firstly, there is a quick over the shoulder shot used that captures a medium close up of two women looking up. It is clearly visible through their NVC that these women are scared because their mouths are widely open and they seem to be in shock. At this point a diverse group of characters are shown where they're all moving away from where a victim is about to land, falling from the sky. Low-key lighting is still used, and this makes it seem that danger is within their midst and that something bad is about to take place. Then, the death of one victim is revealed.

In this shot we see a body falling and being slammed into the roof of a van, with sparks and electrical sound effects used. This is the only death of a victim that is shown in the whole trailer, probably because the directors didnt want to give too much away. As it is the only death that occurs in the trailer, it gets the audience to wonder what is going to happen next in that particular scene or who will/will not survive in the movie. This is good because it makes the audience want to see the film and this is the main goal for the producers of scream 4 - to get people to watch the film and increase sales.

A while after that, the trailer continues to build up more suspense by revealing a few shots revealing some of the action that takes place in the film. This gives the audience a taste of what will occur in the actual film without giving too much away. The ghost face killer is shown as the character with the most power in the trailer. It is possible to say this because he is the only character using a prop (the dagger) , where he/she is seen attempting to kill a few other characters. 

The use of captions are also a very good part of this trailer. It gives brief descriptions about what the film includes and also who the ideas have come from. The effects used here are quite eye catching because two different colours are used for the text. Also the way the text has been animated makes the trailer more interesting. As the text slowly drifts, the light in the background is uncovered which is a nice effect because, it allows the captions to stand out more.

The trailer ends with a phone ringing and a young girl answering it. As she speaks to the person on the other side of the phone her body language gives away to the audience that she is frightened. The last character we see in this trailer is the ghost face killer. This suggests that the villain is very significant to the film. Also this is a way of increasing the chances of gaining the viewers interest because, the viewers would be able to see a bit about what this character is like and what they bring to the film itself. 

The film makers have been consistent with the use of sans serif fonts and colour scheme. From viewing this trailer, i can see that they have used the design of the film title in the release date at the very end of the trailer. For example, the same colours (red and white) are used in the film title and the release date). And the number "4" is designed in a pointy shape that symbolises the weapon the villain uses in the film to kill the characters. This is seen in both the release date and title. The reason for this probably is for the viewers to recognise and remember the film as well as the release date.


In my opinion i feel that the trailer for the film scream 4 is very good. The composition of the shots are quite simple but this doesn't take away from the fact that the trailer has an interesting narrative. It is easy to understand and probably appeals to a young audience because of the type of people that appear to be in the film. 

 





Textual analysis of horror movie magazine (Christina)

The front cover of 'HorrorHound' magazine presents a medium close up image of a man carrying a knife. This connotes what the magazine may be about, for example, violent films especially scream, as the signature image of the film is used. This is significantly used to gain recognition from the fans of the scream franchise. The expression on the mask of the character is horrific with its mouth wide open, this shows an unwelcoming greeting to the audience through NVC. The character is wearing a black hooded cape which portrays him as a villain. Stereotypically, this is the type of clothing worn by protagonists, or we are most likely to imagine them in this way.

Horrorhound's front cover is very unique in terms of its layout. Usually on a magazine we would expect to see coverlines slightly covering the sides of the main image. However, on this front cover the coverlines are placed in such a way that it is completely seperated from the main image. Also, it is matched with pictures that illustrate what is being said in the coverlines. This also suggests what is included in the magazine. Sans serif fonts are mainly used on the cover of the magazine, which is normal and has no flick ups making it easy to read. It also connotes a more modern feel to the cover.

The masthead of the magazine is located behind the image of the man. It is big and bold to catch the eyes of consumers. The positioning of the masthead is unique which makes the magazine more recognisable if more is to be published. This would benefit the magazine company, as it will be in competition with many others being sold at the same shop. Also, the masthead is bigger in size than the rest of the text on the front cover. This shows that “Horror” is the main focus of the magazine. A red, fiery background is used behind the male character which makes him stand out. As the background colour is red and orange, it creates a glowing effect emphasising that he is significant to the theme of the 'Horror' magazine. The main image of the character indicates that the magazine is made to relate to those of a younger audience, for example, 16-35 year olds. This is because this is typically the age range that are most likely to be interested in reading this genre of film.

The selling line located below the masthead, allows the magazine to differentiate itself from its competitors. It tells consumers what makes their magazine unique, as well as providing description of the title’s main marketing point.

Also The dateline (located at the right hand corner of the magazine) along with the price, tells us that the magazine is issued every month, “March/April 2011” at a price of $6.99. The pricing stratergy used here is a way of gaining and maintaning consumers. By setting it at an affordable price, Horrorhound magazine is likely to attract consumers because, the magazine is targeting young people with the majority of them likely to be in unemployed and in full time education.The barcode is placed vertically in the bottom left corner of the magazine. This is also where consumers can find the magazine company's website if they wish to view a lot more than what the magazine offers. Placing the website details on the horror magazine is a good technique of trying to generate more interests of individuals as well as maintaining their usual consumers.

The front cover seems very dominated by male characters. Of all the images on the front cover there is only one of a female on the side of the magazine along with a coverline. The picture shows the female as a victim with a rope being held infront of her. The hand holding the rope looks quite masculine which suggests that a man is holding the weapon. The woman's facial expressions shows that she is frightened, with her mouth wide open signifying that she is yelling. This also shows that she is inferior to the person holding the rope, who could be the "villain." From this picture it is possible to say that the makers of Horrorhound magazine applied the stereotype of women having less power and high insecurities during horrifying situations to reinforce the theme of "horror" in the magazine. With the cover line below the image: "Sex horror torture, females in chains," It can be said that the magazine seems to appeal to men more than women because of how the woman is portrayed on the front cover amongst the various images of male characters. The woman's costume is very revealing, showing a lot of skin. This is how women are usually presented in magazines, to attract male audiences. The other images and coverlines show males as villains, going with the stereotype that men tend to be more agressive and violent than females.

Written by: Christina

Textual analysis of horror film poster (Christina)

-Director of Saw: James Wan

-Release Date: 1st October 2004

-Genre: Horror

The poster appears to be simple with the way it has been laid out with this particular photography as the background. The colour scheme of the poster is quite dull, creating a clinical effect with the use of high key lighting and gray scale colours. In many conventional horror film posters, the colour red is used a lot and usually there is blood or some type of gore. This represents the horror genre, as such elements are typically found in these kinds of films. The use of gray scale colours is as equally effective as the use of colour red because it also makes the audience feel uncomfortable. This is especially effective towards people who have phobias of hospitals, clinics, dentistry etc. This look was made to make the audience feel more uneasy.

The poster conveys an image of a bruised and scarred hand, which is also quite swollen. This connotes the horror genre with the fact that the hand looks very dirty aswell. It is also implying the narrative of the film which are the deaths and tortures of people.

There is also a convention of a horror film poster where an image of the victim or villain is put on the poster, or, this could sometimes be both. As the image on the poster is of a brutally damaged hand, it is possible to tell that the photo is the hand of the victim. It can be said that the fact that it is not possible to see who this person is, makes the audience feel distanced away from the character and  the situation he or she is in. This reinforces the feeling of being uncomfortable. Also, this is a way of getting the audience to wonder and think of the possible scenarios to suggest what might have happened to this person. And, most importantly, who this hand belongs to.

The font used for the film name stands out because of the shadowy effect created. It is very dark with a colour combination of red and black which relates to the horror genre, adding to the spooky effect of the poster. The way the font is presented here appeals to people who like this genre because it is simple and is similarly used in other horror film posters in terms of colour and simplicity of the font. Sans serif fonts are used here, which generally gives a more modern feel to the poster.  Horror films tend to attract more male audiences because they usually enjoy this genre more than women as they are stereotypically said to be quite “sensitive.” With this idea, in my opinion, I believe that this poster is more appealing to men. With the use of blood in the corner of the poster and on the hand, dark colours and grunge, the poster creators are right to appeal mainly to men. This is due to the specific techniques used, conveying a sense of masculinity. Also, simply because this is stereotypically some of the things that males are interested in.

At the bottom of the poster are a list of names such as directors, actors etc. There are also logos of the sponsors for this film. This gives additional information to the audiences willing to see the film. Also, there are websites located above the logos, giving the audience a chance to refer to it for any other additional information they may want to find about the movie.

Finally the overall layout of the poster is mainly centre aligned. This makes it very easy for the audience to look at. It looks very neat and allows them to read down the page with ease. In comparison to the other saw posters they are all similar. They maintain the dull colour scheme with a simple layout that gives away very little information about the films narrative. This is very good on the poster creators’ and film makers’ part as this technique allows Saw fans to recognise the poster. They are used to seeing the same elements used in the posters having the same sort of imagery and colours; therefore, the outcome of this would be successfully maintaining and drawing in fans of Saw.

Textual analysis of horror film trailer (Gabrielle)

- The film title: Shaun of the Dead

- Year of release: 2004

- Director: Edgar Wright

- Producer: Nira Park

- Production / financing company: Working Title Films and StudioCanal

- Actors: Simon Pegg (Shaun), Nick Frost (Ed), Kate Ashfield (Liz), Lucy Davis (Dianne), Dylan Moran (David)

- Films origin: The films name is a spoof of the horror movie 'Dawn of the Dead'

- Synopsis: Shaun of the Dead is a British zombie comedy that was released in 2004, with actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost among the main characters. It features Shaun (played by Simon) trying to save his close friends and family from being turned into zombies after a members of a whole community are turned into the walking dead whose only desire is to feast on the living.

ANALYSIS

The trailer for Shaun of the dead uses high-key lighting throughout which gives the audience a clear view of what is happening and a brief insight into what the film is about. From settings used (i.e. the bus) and the accent in which the actors speak we can tell that the film takes place within England, most probably London. 

Right from the very beginning of the trailer the audience are introduced to the to main characters. The characters are presented as normal, everyday people, with whom almost everybody will be able to relate to, which may make this teaser trailer more appealing to a much wider audience than some other horror films. This is conveyed through the costumes, accents, settings and mannerisms of the characters. The setting can be used to make the characters seem much more realistic as for example in the first shot it is clear that the two men are in the pub which is commonly culturally associated with 'lads' or men or a 'laddish' culture which I believe will help the target audience to warm to the two main characters.

Another element that will help to make the main characters more 'likeable' is their costumes as the majority of them are wearing plain clothes as for example Ed goes throughout the entire trailer in a t-shirt and jeans.

From simply watching the trailer, it appears as though the target audience for this film would be a wide one as it could possibly appeal to people aged 12 to 24.

Another aspect that will allow the audience to relate to this particular film is that it has been filmed using predominantly steady-cam which gives the person watching it the feel that they really are a part of the action.

As with a lot of horror film trailers, a degree of realism is added as numerous fictional news broadcasts have been incorporated into the teaser including popular news broadcasters added for extra familiarity.

This trailer has also been edited extremely effectively as it followed more conventions of horror films by including blood, violence, and the use of quick cuts. Although all of these techniques were used the production team behind the from were still able to get across the comedy aspect of the film.

I say this because just from watching the trailer it is clear that not only is it a horror film but a comedy horror without the use of system-generated laughter in the background.

What I believe will make this film different for the target audience is that it is unique in being one of the first ever UK comedy horror films which is most definitely going to make it more attractive an tempting for the audience to watch.

One thing that this teaser trailer achieved effortlessly was to convey what the film was about without giving too much away, and it did exactly what it says on the tin - teased the audience. 

I would say that this trailer in hand with the poster and magazine cover did a great job of creating a buzz about the film encouraging and urging audiences to want to go and see the film.

Textual analysis of movie poster (Gabrielle)

The main image of this poster is the main focus, it uses a mixture of high-key and low-key lighting. This variation in lighting is used to give the effect of two different rooms, one of which is in front of the doors and the other is behind the doors.

The denotations of this poster are that it is of a group of people – most of who appear to be zombies with only one man appearing ‘normal’. As we, the audience can clearly see zombies have been used in the poster this leads us to believe that it is probably a horror movie from the zombie subgenre. The man holding the bouquet of flowers has a higher key of lighting on him than everyone else is the poster which tells the audience that he is most likely a main character within the film. As the title of the film is ‘Shaun of the Dead’ it is clear that he is most likely to be ‘Shaun’.

Shaun’s NVC (in this case his facial expression) portrays him as rather confused and puzzled as though he is unaware of what exactly is going on and why everyone else appears to be a mindless zombies. The anchorage at the top of the poster reads “Ever felt like you were surrounded by zombies?” – hand in hand with the main image this becomes some sort of pun, as Shaun is in fact surrounded by zombies.

From what can be seen of the character’s costumes, it looks as though they were all normal everyday people from different walks of life before being turned into zombies which makes me believe that it is most probably is down to some sort of epidemic.

The tagline written under the title of the film reads “A romantic comedy. With zombies” this tells the target audience that not only is the film a zombie horror movie but a romantic zombie comedy, this is supported by the website link posted at the bottom of the poster which reads ‘www.romzom.com’.

This poster follows the main convention that most film marketing projects do which is to follow a theme, e.g. the picture features zombies, the anchorage talks about zombies and the date of when the film will be released into cinemas makes a zombie like reference

Another popular convention that this poster follows is the use of a colour scheme - red, white and black. These three colours in particular are now commonly associated with horror films, as if you saw the use of red, white and black to market a film i.e on a poster you will most probably associate this film with the horror genre which is down to connotation that these colours hold, red in particular.

One convention which is challenged with layout of this poster is the idea of ‘the final girl’ as Shaun is clearly represented as the main character whereas, in the vast majority of horror films, the main character would be a young woman.

A wide-angle shot is used to fit as many characters as possible into the picture which gives the audience a better view of the setting for the film and allows the audience to differentiate between Shaun from the ‘zombies’ showing some sort of contrast. 


Written by: Gabrielle

Textual analysis of movie magazine (Gabrielle)

The denotations of this magazine cover are a man with what appears to be blood on his shirt and a cricket bat in his hand. This main image connotes violence and brutality; I say this because of the man’s costume and props. The cricket bat in his hand is dented and has evidently been used, but from looking at his blood-stained shirt it could easily be argued that it has been used for gruesome and possibly criminal purposes.

The anchorage of this magazine cover follows a clear colour scheme as the coverlines and use four main colours - red, white, black and grey. The red and white appear match the colours of the characters costume, with the red representing the blood on his white shirt, whereas the black could possibly match the handle of the cricket bat and the grey could simply to differentiate the character from the background. Not only does the colour red connote bloodshed, but in the may also represent danger, battle and passion.

The main coverline also tells the audience who exactly the character is, who, in this case is “Shaun” played by actor Simon Pegg.

Shaun’s non-verbal communication (i.e. facial expression and body language) also connotes anger because he looks as though he is ready for some sort of battle. To someone who is unaware of what film is being advertised it could be said that he is a character from an action movie, as aside from horror films - action films are another genre that often follows the popular convention of blood.

Shaun is represented as a powerful character mainly because of his NVC and the popular convention of the masthead being covered by the main image. As the main picture is a medium close-up this enables the audience to obtain a good view of the costume used as well as Shaun’s facial expressions.

The use of high-key lighting on the image helps to reflect every detail from the plain black wristwatch to the dents in the cricket bat.

Shaun’s costume is one that a lot of the target audience will be able to relate to as it presents him as an everyday hero despite him coming across as looking quite a violent looking individual. The position in which the image is placed makes it the focus of the cover, even more so than the masthead and coverlines which are written quite boldly.

          

 The cover has very little information about the film itself despite it being the main cover story. This leads me to believe that the image is bound to attract the attention of curious film fans and urge them to want to find out more, which can only be done through opening then magazine and ready the relevant article.

Written by: Gabrielle

Textual Analysis of movie magazine (Cyprian)

The above movie magazine front cover is the January 2008, Dark Knight Issue of the British film magazine ‘Empire’.  The fact that the name of the month is used instead of a specific date immediately suggests that this magazine is released monthly.

The front cover consists of an image of the Joker (the main antagonist in The Dark Knight, played by Heath Ledger) sitting in what appears to be a jail cell, with low key lighting, possibly chosen to reflect the dark, twisted nature of the Joker's character which the connotations of this magazine exude. I am given this impression by factors such as the font used in the Jokers name. It is one usually associated with ransom letters and suicide notes pieced together with newspaper cut-outs. Spray paint markings on the front cover also help to promote darkness, as spray paint graffiti is commonly regarded as the work of disturbed teenagers. 

He is dressed in his usual wacky attire and has a very open body language. The non verbal communication on the face of the Joker as well as his dress sense supports his wacky appearance. The front cover also follows a clear colour scheme of purple, green and white, colours widely recognised as ‘the Jokers colours’, thus employing consistency between the magazine and the joker character. Surrounding the Joker are cover lines such as ‘Meet the Joker’ and “He’s a cold-blooded, mass-murdering clown!”  The other cover lines also inform the reader of other content in the magazine besides the main ‘Dark Knight’ feature.  

This special edition magazine is also an excellent example of synergistic marketing for the film that the character on the front cover stars in (The Dark Knight). As two  seperate forces in Empire magazine and The Dark Knight have come together for one desired outcome; to promote both the film and the magazine. 

Textual analysis of a horror teaser trailer (Cyprian)

  

THE HILLS HAVE EYES 2 TEASER TRAILER:

• DIRECTOR - Wes Craven
• RELEASE DATE - 2007
• RUNNING TIME - 1minute 05 seconds 
• GENRE - Splatter

The setting of this teaser trailer is a dusty, empty desert where we see two tall, muscular, male figures in tattered clothes pulling two lifeless bodies by a rope. It is almost as if it's a prisoner/gaurd situation. The setting gives the audience the impression that the events unrolling in the movie are taking place in a unknown area and that typical rules in society do not apply here as you would never see this in your local environment. The audience are then prompted to consider what type of antagonists are in this film, as we try to figure why the two figures are pulling these two bodies, thus giving the audience an incentive to view this film.

 

as the teaser trailer continues it is revealed that the camera shot is in actual fact a point of view shot from one of the bodies (or prisoners) on the rope. This is strange from the audiences point of view as these are not usual characteristics you would expect to see from a horror film teaser trailer as it is in one long take with no editing. This is effective in giving this film its own identity as by not following this convention it may stick out to audiences, therefore making it more recognizable and possibly more memorable.

The decision to not show any deaths or even the faces of the two possible antagonists is a bold decision, as audiences like to be engaged in what they view and in the case of horror films, this is usually done by a death or glimpse of an iconic prop. However, by doing this, it allows the teaser trailer to live up to it's name as a teaser, by making audiences feel like they are left with insufficient knowledge about the film and may look to research the film and as a result gain an interest in it.  

Despite its simplicity, I do believe that this teaser trailer is effective as it challenges its audiences to understand the events going on, to the extent that they are left wanting to know more and takes advantage of the 'Hills Have Eyes' fan base gained from the first installment to employ this vagueness.  

Written by Cyprian

Textual Analysis of movie poster (Cyprian)

 

The image above is the advertising poster for the 2011 psychological horror movie ‘Insidious’, directed by James Wan and distributed by multiple subsidiaries of media conglomerate, Sony. The denotation of this poster is a young boy possibly aged 11-12,  who is the subject standing in front of a house , low key lighting is also used. The young boy is dressed in red and blue chequered pyjamas and has what appears to be a code in his right eye. He is stood in front of a quite large suburban house in a clean, tidy suburban street and his non verbal communication is one of vacancy.  The weather in the poster is dark and cloudy as if a storm were brewing. The writing on the poster says the name of the film ‘Insidious’ and also states that it is from the makers of ‘Paranormal Activity’ and ‘SAW’ two very well known horror films. From the text on the poster we, the audience, also gage that the slogan for this film may possibly be “It’s not the house that’s haunted”. 

The young boy in the poster wearing pyjamas connotes childhood innocence as pyjamas are generally thought to be worn by young children, who know no wrong. The combination of low key lighting on his face, a vacant stare and a code in his right eye also suggests that he holds a dark secret or that something evil has inhibited him. We, the audience are further given this impression by the statement “It’s not the house that’s haunted”. This leaves the audience wanting to understand how an innocent young boy could become so troubled.  The boy being positioned in the centre of the poster also suggests that he will be the centre of attention; however, what is not made clear to the audience is whether he will be the protagonist or antagonist.  The weather looks dark and cloudy, as if a storm were brewing; this could represent horrific events set to unfold.  

On this poster, the main anchorage is “From the makers of Paranormal Activity and SAW”. These are two horror films that are hugely popular and have a large fan base, which almost makes the phrase above a marketing message telling horror fans that they can expect another movie set for box office success. The shape and positioning of the text is a cross on the young boy’s chest, this hints to the audience that it will take divine intervention to save him, as the cross is a religious symbol in Christianity. 

Marketing our film

               

Inspiresd by the hugely successful 'Dark Knight' marketing campaign, we have decided to  take advantage of Web 2.0 by creating social networking accounts such as Twitter, Facebook and Myspace pages for the film and by posting the actual teaser trailer on Youtube, this way news of our film will reach wider audiences. As more members of our target audience will be able to access our trailer, this translates to meaning a greater amount of people will know about our horror film and as a result, our film will develop a buzz about it.


Cyprian