Trailer analysis of 'It'

Trailer analysis of 'It'

           Audience Appeal

·      Love interest established at 0:08. This will not necessarily be attention grabbing for the core horror audience, however for fans of the book or original film, it will be appealing
to see the newer versions of these characters and will also provide them with a
sense of satisfaction- as they know what will happen with regards to the love
interest.

·      First sight of 'It' at 0:49. This will be appealing for fans of the genre as we can see the full extent of his scariness, which also hints at the high level of horror and tension that
will be on screen both later in the trailer and the film itself.

·      Tense background music begins at 0:53. This is appealing as it heightens the tension and creates the foundation for the scary atmosphere, which fans of the horror genre will enjoy.
It gratifies their need to be entertained without taking up any of the screen
at all

             Genre Signifiers

·      The visuals in the trailer all seem to have a slight dullness or sheen to them. This helps the audience establish that the film isn’t going to be a chic flick for example and provides
a subtle undertone for all the horror to take place, the only exception to this
sheen is when we see the clown, in order to make him as prominent and scary as
possible.

·      There is a montage-style sequence which begins at 0:56. It features sudden almost violent cuts in synchronisation with a sound mimicking a heartbeat. This reinforces the horror genre as it not only hints at the tension within the film, but also gives the trailer a scary
and intense feel.

·      Also at 0:56, we see a graphic which says "from Steven King's Terrifying Novel". When we see the name Steven King, we instantly associate it with the horror genre, and high
quality horror at that. Furthermore, the adjective 'terrifying' reinforces the
idea of the horror genre.

             Branding

·      Throughout the trailer, we see the motif of the red balloon. Not only is this a piercing image and a powerful one, but it also is associated with 'Pennyworth the Dancing Clown' and
helps brand the film as not only a horror film, but as the classic gruesome story,
IT.

      Characterisation

      During the trailer, we see many different elements and visuals that give the antagonist, Pennywise, his easily identifiable and unique character. For example, one of the first things we notice about Pennywise is his eyes at 0:49 when he comes out of the darkness in the gutter, along with his eerie smile. This is appealing to the horror-fan audience as from the trailer, they can immediately tell that the monster in the film is terrifying- regardless of whether or not they know anything about the book or previous film.

Continuity Task Evaluation

Continuity Task Evaluation

1) Explain the story of your video 

In our 6 shot sequence we see two boys (Andreas and myself) throwing a ball back and forth in a school playground. A third character is then seen walking towards the boys. She isn't paying attention and then gets hit by the ball, much to her displeasure.

2) How did you attempt to create 'narrative flow' (continuity)?

Before shooting our sequence, me Andreas and Alize discussed our sequence thoroughly- both the technical aspect and the storyline. This enabled us to shoot the sequence with much more focus and sped up the process. This was important as we had very limiting time constraints so achieving continuity was even harder. We tried to achieve continuity by ensuring characters appeared in the same locations that they were last seen in. This was especially important as we only had three members so at times, someone who should be in shot had to be on camera, so the continuity in that aspect was something we really had to think about.

3) Did you achieve full continuity? If not, why not?

We did not achieve full continuity in our sequence for a few reasons. Firstly, when Andreas throws the ball, it moves from left to right, but in the shot after it moves from right to left, which could prove confusing for the audience. Additionally, the way we moved the camera between shots made it appear as if Alize is suddenly walking in the other direction, so in that way, we did not meet the brief.

4) What would you do differently to improve the continuity of your video and tell your story more effectively?

In hindsight we would've attempted a less ambitious sequence, as we knew time constraints were tight before we began. Furthermore, we would've paid more attention to camera positioning as it would've vastly increased the quality of our sequence.

Media Shot Reflections

Media Shot Reflections

 1) Identify in what way this shot signifies your chosen genre?

My shot is identifiable as a soap-style/melodramatic TV drama through the use of slightly exaggerated body language and props that further this exaggerated look and reinforce it.

2) How did you direct the shot to achieve the desired effect?

The way I achieved this soap-style melodrama can be seen through the model's clutching of his hair, which connotes his stressed and nervous state of mind. This is further connoted through the scrunched up balls of paper, which express his previous failures and the scrunching also reveals that the task has evoked stress from the model.

3) How did you intend the audience to interpret your still - what meanings did you intend to convey?

I intended for my audience to draw a sense of panic and to also pick up the tense situation within the still.

4) Identify what is successful about your shot

I believe the positioning of the clock face directly above the model's head is an effective use of iconography. Furthermore, the positioning of the clock in relation to the model's head implies that 'time is in his head'.

5) What would you have done differently in hindsight?

In hindsight, I would get the model to grip the pen tighter as well as his hair. This would emphasise the stress of the moment. I would also attempt to remove the glare from the clock-face in order to obtain a more 'professional' look