Movie Magazine

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Lighting

Lighting is important in the production of any visual media it determines how the audience interprets anything they see whether in a poster, magazine or video e.g. television, film. Our main focus is how the audience sees our film teaser trailer, as the way in which these images are interpreted determines the effectiveness of our teaser trailer and the emotional response we want from our audience. There are three main types of lights and our eyes react differently to each type.

A film is very rarely filmed with a single light source, there is usually a minimum of 4 light sources used. This is to prevent any harsh lighting or unwanted shadows and to make clear the time of day to the audience and so forth. There are many questions that need to be thought of when thinking about the quality of lighting wanted such as, How bright is the light? What is the angle of the light? What colour is the light? How sharp is the shadow? How many lights are being used? And How do they contrast in all the ways listed?

This is the basic lighting system, most commonly used. It consists of a main light, "Key Light", which lights your subject, a "Back Light" to help define the subject from the surroundings and a "Fill" for the shadow.
Although this kind of style is most commonly used in photography, we will be using this method as an idea of how we would use the lighting during filming.










Cinematography is closely related to the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for film making his role vital in the lighting aspect of filming. The role of a cinematographer is the technical aspects of the images (lighting, lens choices, composition, exposure, filtration, film selection), but works closely with the director to ensure creative aesthetics are following his director's vision of the story being told. Another aspect that has to be looked that is very important is the filters used. Such as diffusion or colour effect filters which are widely used to enhance mood or create dramatic effect.

For our task of creating a horror teaser trailer we will be using  the Diva Lite 400, knowledge and access to the equipment in the pre-production stage will allow us to be prepared for use and the different ways in which we can use it during filming.

This Research on the lighting wil be learnt by the group members to ensure that everyone has knowledge on lighting and will understand how it works in the filming of our teaser trailer. And will ensure that everyone knows how to handle the lighting equipment safely cutting down sut up time and  ensuring  that all filming time is utilised  effectively.

Logo Designs

These are Logo drafts that was done to bring forward during one of our group meetings to be decided on as a group. The logo design had to be different from others, imaginative and unique. The logo we chose as a group had to best reflect our production team, Clear View.

Shooting Script

Shot 1. Logo.
Fades In And Out

Sound: Whoosh Sound Fx

Cut to:
Shot 2. Outside - Night, Low-Key Lighting.
Begins With A Medium Shot Of The Protagonist's Torso From Behind But At An Angle That Allows For The Side Of The Character Still Visible. Camera Begins To Pan To Follow The Character As She Is Running. Character Pauses For A Moment Before Entering A Building.

Sound: Foley Sound Fx For The Protagonist' Hand Slamming The Door Ambient Sound Fx, Low Background Music Of A Fast And High Pace.

Cut to:

Shot 3. Outside - Night, Low-Key Lighting.

Medium Shot - As The Antagonist Walks Towards A Door - Camera Set Up To View The Character From Their Legs Only. As Not To Reveal Their Face.

Sound: Foley Sound Fx As The Door Opens And Slams Shut Behind The Character.

Background Music At Continued Fast Pace.

Cut to:
Shot 4. Interior - Studio, Night, Low-Key Lighting.
Close Up Of, The Protagonist Is Sitting Down On The A Chair As It Spins, Looking Helpless And Vunerable - Panting.

Sound: Ambient Sounf Fx, Background Music Fast Paced, Non Digetic Sound Of Panting.

Cut to:

Shot 5. Interior - Studio, Night, Low-Key

Long Shot Of The Antagonist Walking Towards The Protagonist Tied To A Chair Camera Sees This From The Front.

Sound: Fast Paced Background Music

Cut To:

Shot 6. Interior - Studio Night, Low-Key

Medium Long Shot Of Antogonist About To Axe tHe Protaginist.



Sound: Fast Paced BAckground Music, Fading Out.

Cut To:

Shot 7. Interioir - Studio, Night, Low-Key

Close Up Of Antagonist Lifting An Axe From His Lower Half.

Sound: Silent

Cut To:

Shot 8. Interioir - Studio, Night, Low-Key

Crabbing Medium Shot Of Protagonist Beaten, Then Antogonist Standing Close By With The Axe In Hand.

Sound: Fast Paced Background Music Fading Back In And Out

Cut To:

Shot 9. Coming Soon Caption

Horror Trailer Analysis

This textual analysis will be focused on the teaser trailer for the film "Mirrors" Released in 2008, directed by Alexandre Aja and the producer was Alexandra Milchan, with actors Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton and Amy Smart. The Duration Of The Trailer is 52 seconds.

The trailer begins with a digetic sound of a young child's voice used to have the audience wonder how the involvement of a child will be used within the movie. Soon after the audience hear the voice we then see an establishing shot of a home in the autumn season, then a quick cut to an over the shoulder of shot of a woman opening the door revealing a child sitting on the floor talking to his reflection making apparent the child is important to the movie building up tension from the beginning of the trailer.

As the last scene ends the non-digetic music begins, which is of a fast tempo, administering a creepy feeling of anticipation to the people watching the trailer. Then follows a short shot of a man seemed to be alarmed by a sound which is made to seem like the scream heard from the previous scene, allowing the audience to come up with the assumption that the actors are all scared of something, obviously to do with the title of the movie Mirrors. The next shot shows us a blank screen with the words "Within These Walls" leaving the audience to but think about the meaning behind those words.

This continues with more short cuts showing a woman (Paula Patton) walking up some stairs looking wet, and her surroundings are dark following the conventions of horror and more blank screens with words saying "Lies An Evil" and "Beyond Our World". These short quotes have the audience constantly looking for what they mean in the duration of the trailer.

The slightly fast pace of the trailer adds to its spine chilling element which is significant in any horror trailer, and has to be developed as the trailer is ongoing. This teaser starts with a calm easy going pace, which goes along with how the trailer starts welcoming the audience with its warm feel, shown by the family house in the first shot. The trailer then builds up in pace for its crucial ending. This is shown by the non digetic sound of what seems to be a heart beat which is in sync with the quick cuts in the trailer which are all under 6 seconds to ensure that not much is revealed to the audience.

Finally the movie title appears at and then one more scene is shown as the mother of the child watches her son get dragged into the water and then a dramatic loud roar is heard as it cuts to the movies release date. This is used to create a  relationship with the audience as they can relate to the fact the woman has lost her child leaving the audinece to wonder what happened to the child.

In conlusion after analysing the many elements of the Mirrors teaser trailer, i have come to realise a number of key elements that are needed for the trailer to have its desired effect of teasing the audience in order to create a buzz about the film itself in order to excite and encourage them to watch the film, at the same time not allowing much to be revealed to have the audience not knowing much about what will happen in the film. This is one of the reasons why editing a teaser trailer is so difficult.

Horror Magazine Front Cover Analysis

The horror magazine front cover I am analysing is taken from the magazine "Empire" a british film magazine also the top selling film magazine in britain, outselling its competitors such as "Total Film" or "Film" as on their magazine cover. Empire is a monthly subscription magazine which is mostly consumed by its subscribers.

In terms of the magazine's main image a close up of the model taken from the movie "Hannible" is used, in a sepia effect to show its like an old fashioned photo from this we get that the film itself has a history in the horror film industry, also we see photo enhancements done to make the models eye red which is a very emotionally intense color, is usually associated with rage, anger, will power and wrath. The colour connotation of red is also a universal sign of danger and warning. The eye in the photo is also made to be looking directly at the the reader, with also a facial expression of a slight smile making the reader feel unerved. Also the models face is only half shown as the other half is covered by shadow giving the apperance that he is lurking behind something watching someone.

The colour red is used for the masthead to keep in with the magazine's current color scheme along with the taglines and bullet points on the cover to keep the cover simple and together as to not confuse the readers eye. The main tagline on the cover reads "What's Cooking?" as if to say the model on the cover is asking the reader that very question but is placed on the left hand side of the cover as to not interfere with the image. those who are familiar with the films past will understand the question and find it intresting for it to be used in the magazine therefore raising intrest in the aricle inside the magazine. the qoute is written in a Serrif font to allow it to stand out from the rest of the taglines on the cover as they are written in a Sans Serrif font which tels me it is meant to reflect the voice of the character which is serious and itellectual as the character is also around the age of 50.

the bullet points put at he bottom left side of the cover is placed there in order to entice the buyer more in to purchasing the magazine as the pun on top of them reads "Gore blimey" in order to show the huomer that will be included and the bullets points read "the most shocking scenes ever", "Are you a Pscho?" these are placed there to have the buyer intrigues as to what will be included in the article, the rhetorical question used is to have the reader wanting to know the answer to the question creating a "buzz" on the contents of the magazine. Also the use of the informal language such as the "heads up Empire's Bloody vaentine speacial" this informa the reader that this particular magazine issue is focused on horror movies.

Horror Poster Analysis

Poster play is important in the advertising of a film, it raises awareness for the film and can be displayed on many different types of media for example Internet and newspapers.
The Horror poster i will be analysing is taken from the film called "The Last Exorcism". the film is about a troubled evangelical minister agrees to let his last exorcism be filmed by a documentary crew. The Film was released on the 3rd September 2010. The film was directed by Danial Stamm, and includes actors Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell and Iris Bahr.

This poster denotes a long shot of a small female child who is bent over backwards in a white gown covered in blood, this is not a normal position for anybody to be standing in which suggests the abnormality of the girl who acts as the antagonist of the actual movie. The poster uses two main colours, white and red and the use of natural shadowing from the lighting. The red is seen on the gown of the little girl to show blood, the only other use of red on the poster is for the colour of the font for the title of the film. The main colour is the white in the poster which is used ad the background even the gown for the girl is white, the face of the girl is seen to be white as if she is of pail skin this has probably been edited into the photo.

The font of the main title is bolder than any other piece of text on the poster to allow it to stand it to the viewer of the poster to make the title of the film obvious also the font of all the pieces of text on the poster is Sans Serif which connotes a more serious feel to the movie. Moreover there are no actors names or film release dates shown on the poster, allowing us to presume that to find out about the film we have to search for that information ourselves, which is a way of selling the title of the film more.

Having the film poster appear scary to the audience is good as it should make the audience think that the poster itself applied a slight terror that the film also should have a greater effect of doing that, then a hype will build up due to word of mouth from people who expect themselves to go see the film with all their friends and such.

In conclusion I believe that the poster is very effective as a teaser poster to the audience with a simplistic idea, with the image of a girl dressed in white but covered in blood and bent over allowing the audience to come to the conclusion that the girl is possessed with the help of the film title, also a creative but simple tag line that reads "Believe in Him" which tells the audience about the use of religion in the film.