Social Media

After researching into methods of distribution I decided that social media is one of the most effective methods of promoting and distributing anything. Therefore I believe it will be an effective way to hook in the target audience of "The Kid", and keep the audience posted with updates and information about the film/trailer.

I have made both a twitter and Facebook page for "The Kid" thriller film and this is so that it is interactive with both types of media as these are two of the main used social media sites worldwide. It is also a platform which is extremely easy to use and does not cost anything to use. 

Twitter

This is evidence of the twitter page which is in progress, you can see some information about it in the bio and that there has been a post which is an image of one of the actresses. This is helpful as people can see the updates instantly.

This is the link to the twitter account of the film: https://twitter.com/TheKidFilm

Other media

I have used a website to create a 'breaking news' picture of the 'victim' actress Ella. This will be shown in the trailer and has been promoted on twitter and Facebook accounts as a preview for the audience, also getting the 'victim' label identified is meeting Propps theory.

Facebook

This is evidence of the Facebook page that has been created in order to promote the trailer, you can see that there has been updates of some posts so far these will continue to be updated so that the target audience can stay connected.

This is the link to the Facebook page which people can 'like' and join in order to see updates and stay connected with the film: https://www.facebook.com/thekidthriller/

Diary Update

I am behind schedule asI am now on week 14. However I have managed to write two letters to the shopping centre and church that I want to film at and am waiting on a reply to make sure that this is okay. I have also put together a risk assessment which was important as I am using a 10 year old as my protagonist. This means her safety is paramount so this was a task that was very important. Furthermore, I have put together a shooting schedule along with a storyboard. This is the main step towards actually filming my trailer as it will help me as a guide with the shots, and action that I want to include in the filming. I have also added more detail below the storyboard as I could not include the depth of detail I wanted to on the original storyboard. After I created my storyboard I saw some links to narrative theories and this is important to acknowledge, so I made a powerpoint with the narratives I have included to make the links more obvious.

I will aim to start filming and create social media sites within the next two weeks.

Narratives and my storyboard from GEeegi

PLANNING: Storyboard

This is my storyboard for my trailer, it seems very erratic because it is not a short story. This is because I will use a lot of quick cut editing and jumping around from scene to scene therefore the storyboard at this moment does not flow properly, this is on purpose. I have done this as hopefully it will build an overall picture of the actual film and show a lot of scenes involved within the film itself. The arrow seen in 10 to 11 and 21 to 22 are because they are in the wrong places and should be the other way around. I choose to draw my storyboard rather than storyboard that as I felt it was more appropriate as storyboard that did not have some of the mise-en-scene that i needed so the storyboard would have been very inaccurate.

Scene 1: This first clip is purely introducing the production company I am going to use, which is one I have created “Black Asylum Productions.” I have chosen to do this as after researching trailers this is what happens at the start of everyone, therefore, this will make it look professional and will follow the trend of all modern day trailers. This will only last 2 seconds so that it can be identified, but is not there long enough to bore the audience.

Scene 2: This is going to be a very short shot; I am going to use an establishing shot using my protagonist and the abandoned location I am using. This will hopefully set the suspense of the trailer straight away, this will immediately have an overlay of non-diegetic music so that it is creepy and links to the genre. The edit to the next slide will be a flash cutting; this is very quick into the next shot with the non-diegetic music continuing.

Scene 3: This will be a quick shot again, lasting 3 seconds long. The protagonist will be on a swing and the shot I am going to use is a long shot which then zooms into a medium shot so that the audience can see the expression of the charcteter. The non-diegetic music will continue and make suspense build up more and this will flash cut into scene 4.

Scene 4:  This will last 2 seconds and is a close up of a new character, which is the victim, crying. The non-diegetic music will change to a slower pace for these few seconds. I will use a fade edit into scene 5 to keep the slow music on.

Scene 5: this is a medium shot of the protagonist revealing a knife in her hand. I will take this shot with natural low-key lighting so around 4 o’clock.  This will have a change in the non-diegetic music from the previous scene and will become more tense and creepy music, possibly using the gravity soundtrack. This will last around 3 seconds and then have an abrupt jump cut to the next scene.

Scene 6: This will have diegetic noise of the protagonist sharpening a knife but will also continue to have a tense non-diegetic music overlay. This shot will be an over the shoulder mid shot to show at the same level as the protagonist what she is doing. After these 6 seconds, I will use a flash cut into scene 7 to then up the tempo of the trailer again.

Scene 7: This will be a flash into a close up of the protagonist who’s facial expression is very creepy and looks evil. At this point the non-diegetic music will be becoming very tense to make this shot creepier than it already is. This shot clip of 2 seconds will follow into a fade cut to the next scene.

Scene 8: This will make the trailer feel like it has come to a breather, as it has been so fast paced. This will last around 4 seconds and has flashing typography saying “so captivating”, however this may change to different typography. This will then cross cut into scene 9.

Scene 9: The non-diegetic music track may change here, to a tenser tempo. This shot is a medium shot of the protagonist following someone. This shot will last 3 seconds and the closer the protagonist gets to the victim you can hear the diegetic noise of the footsteps. This will then a jump cut to the next scene.

(The arrow between 10 and 11 is to show they should be the other way around) Scene 10: This scene links to 11 so I will use a match cut to edit these scenes together. This scene lasts around 6 seconds as it has the only diegetic speech in the trailer. It will be an argument between the protagonist and her mum and will be a long shot zooming into a mid shot and will also have a quiet overlay of non-diegetic suspense music. Here I will use match cut edit for the next scene.

Scene 11: This follows on from scene 10, and shows the mother chasing after the protagonist this will be 3 seconds and a mid shot of the mum and a long shot of the protagonist walking away. This will then jump cut to scene 12 to keep the fast pace going.

Scene 12: This is a long shot of the protagonist standing in the middle of a road in low-key lighting. This will be 5 seconds long as the protagonist will turn around and look at the camera showing her possessed facial features. I will use a fade out edit to the next scene.

Scene 13: this is a shot of typography with non-diegetic sound, I will use the ‘slipnot- psychosocial’ sound track here and the typography will say “psychologically stimulating”, however this may change. This will then fade in the next shot.

Scene 14: this will be a 4/5 second clip of the protagonist showing her ‘powers’ in the abandoned barn. She will throw something, and this will be a mid shot showing both the protagonist and the creepy setting. This will have diegetic noise of the wind and the sound of the object ebing thrown. As well as this, it will also have overlay of the non-diegetic music to show the continuity throughout the trailer, keeping the suspense high.

Scene 15: The jump cut into this scene will add to the creepiness of the close up of the protagonists face and red eyes. The non-diegetic music is still continuing in this, but you can also hear the diegetic noise of the protagonist breathing. This shot will last 4 seconds so that the facial expression can have a lasting effect and will use a subliminal cut to the next slide so that the cut cannot even be seen.

Scene 16: This will last 3 seconds and is a bird’s eye view mid shot of the protagonist practicing stabbing a toy. This will have the continued non-diegetic music which will be increasingly tense and have  a quick cut edit into the next scene.

Scene 17: This will be a fast paced scene as I intend to ‘fast forward’ the clip to make it look like the victim is running a lot faster than she is. It will last around 3 seconds, and use a panning, close up shot of the victim running through a field, this will be natural lighting but on a dull day so that the atmosphere is still creepy but the victim can be identified properly. This will have very quick intense non-diegetic music overlaying it. Followed by a fade cut to the next scene.

Scene 18: this will be around 3 seconds and will be showing a news article on the TV of a missing girl, who is also the one that the protagonist has been following. This leaves enigma with the audience and shows a disruption in the equilibrium and there will be a diegetic noise of a scream followed by non-diegetic intense music. This will fade into the next scene.

Scene 19: This will last 4 seconds and is a basic mid shot of the protagonist and her mum hugging panning into a close up of the protagonists evil face in the natural indoor lighting so will be very clear. This will fade out to the next scene.

Scene 20: this will be another quote to break up the trailer into segments. It will have a typography scene saying “little beast” with non-diegetic music overlaying.

(Scene 21 and 22 are in the wrong order hence the arrow) scene 21: This will last 3 seconds and will show the victim tied up with tape on her mouth, this leads to diegetic noise of the victim struggling. This will be in the barn with low-key lighting to keep the suspense running. This will jump cut to the next scene.

Scene 22: this will last 3 seconds and it will have low key lighting due to filming at 3 o’clock. This will add to the tense atmosphere the trailer already has and will also have non-diegetic music continuation through this scene. This will be a medium shot of the protagonist and her surrounds and she will have the knife and blood on her hands.

Scene 23: This will fade in and show two silhouettes that can not be made out properly, this is due to the dark lighting. This leaves enigma with the audience as to who is laying down and who is standing up over powering the other person and what has happened. Further, this will be a long shot with non- diegetic music reaching its peak with tension. This will then jump cut into the final scene.

Scene 24: This is the final scene that shows the title “The Kid” which will be flashing typography. This will last 3 seconds so that the trailer remains fresh in the audiences mind but also so they remember the name of the film. It will have slow music to end the trailer.

This is not the set in stone plan for my trailer, however it is a plan i intend to stick to but some changes may possibly be made when I finally put the product together. 

PLANNING: Shooting schedule

This is a shooting schedule I have created as it is a skeleton as to what I need to work by with both the filming directions as well as the editing and creating of the trailer. However it is important to note that this is NOT the order as to which the scenes will be put into my trailer and that this is undecided at the moment. This will be decided at a later date of editing but these are the scenes that will be definitely included. The reason for this not being the set out order is due to the research I have done into other trailers and that a trailer is NOT  a short story but a lot of quick cute editing into creating a fast moving product to leave enigma and suspense in the audience minds, it is used as a teaser into a number of the scenes and cram into a minute or so an hours worth of a film.

PLANNING: Risk assessment

PLANNING: Letter of request to film

I have sent this email in other to gain permission to film in my local shopping centre. I have had to ask for permission in order to make the security aware of what I am doing and on what date. It is important for me to have done this as my main protagonist is a 10 year old, Amber Gibbs, due to her age she is more vulnerable and therefore it is essential that all aspects of my filming are monitored and safe. If this is approved I can add characters to my footage as well as use passers by as extras in the background. Furthermore, the reason I have chosen to use the Eden, shopping centre is due to it being a public place which therefore portrays the sense of realism and also because it is a fast moving place which has a lot of people and will add to the intense atmosphere. It is a large area and I can therefore take a number of shots in different places around the setting and this means I have the opportunity to experiment with a number of shots. 

There is more than one location that I intend to film at therefore I have had to send another letter to Penn Holy Trinity Church of England as this is a location that I would also like to film at. I have asked for permission to film at this Church as it is the perfect isolated location which is eerie in the evening, due to it being a church I needed to ask for permission as it is a holy place and need permission to film here to ensure I am not trespassing. It is important for me to make sure that it is ok to use this location at a time that it is not in use as my protagonist, is young and may become scared if people are about. The reason I have chosen this location is due to it being a large church which is quiet and therefore meets conventions of an isolated location in a thriller film. Due to the time of the day I have requested to film at, the lighting will be low-key and if the church is not in use I have the opportunity to use the area and change the area I am shooting in and take numerous shots to ensure I get the correct footage I need and so that I do not need to return again.

Diary Update

I am now on week 11 of my coursework timeline. 

After careful consideration and planning for the main aspects of my trailer (location, props, lighting, sounds and narrative) I have come to a final plan of what the narrative and content of my trailer include. 

• I have decided the locations I want to use are a shopping centre, woodlands, an old abandoned barn and my home. These will give me the contrast I need for my trailer and can all adapt to be eerie in some manor to fit in with the thriller genre. Locations I use may be changed or added when it comes to editing the footage as other places may fit in better with the trailer.
• I have also decided to base the narrative on a young girl who is a stalker seeking revenge for the death of her father.
• Props I will include will be normal clothing so that the sense of realism is included as well as a childish pink rucksack and a knife as a weapon to coordinate with the thriller.
• Lighting will mainly be low-key lighting however in a few shots I will use natural lighting or artificial lighting for some shots to create an eerie atmosphere.
• I will use a range of non-diegetic and diegetic sounds as of which I have not yet decided upon.

The next step is to create my storyboard, shooting schedule along with the letters of request and risk assessments of the places I plan to film. This will take me up to week 13 which means I am slightly behind as I should be filming now.

RESEARCH AND PLANNING: Narrative theory

Narrative from GEeegi

This presentation is based on the narrative for my trailer, however this plan may change. I have included narrative theories I am going to try and adapt into my trailer, such as todorovs theory, props theory and strauss' theory. Also, I have included how each of these theories will be adapted to my trailer and this will help me when I am putting the final evaluation together.

RESEARCH AND PLANNING: Brainstorm of ideas

I have created a brainstorm in order to put all my ideas into one place, this way I can then make my final choice and eliminate aspects I decide not to use. I have included ideas of sounds I may use, both diegetic and non-diegetic, potential camera shots and angles I may use, main narratives which I could follow and finally, props which can be used. I have based all these ideas on the thriller genre as this is the genre I am going to produce, so this is where I decide what aspects of the brainstorm to use. 

I intend to use minimal sounds but enough to make the trailer effective, so this will be diegetic noises from the protagonist such as screams and a small amount of dialogue. I will also include, a lot of non-diegetic sounds such as music overlay and sound effects for dramatic effect.

When it comes to camera shots, I cannot say which I will or won't use until I commence my filming. However I will definitely use close ups and medium shots. This is the same with camera angles, I cannot be sure until i commence my filming as different angles at different settings will be effective. 

The narrative was fairly easy to decide as I had my protagonist arranged, therefore I decided I will use the narrative of a psychological thriller with a dangerous person, this is because I am going to use a young girl and I think that this narrative is 'creepy' and will help me to fulfil the thriller genre best. 

Props were also easy to decide upon as I do not need to use to many to make a thriller effective. I have decided the protagonist will wear normal clothing in order to create the sense of realism making the thriller immediately more scary. Other props I will include will be that the protagonist is wearing a pink rucksack to represent her childhood and youth, however there will be a knife in this bag to represent the thriller factor and contrast the 'innocent little girl' concept.

PLANNING for trailer

Planning from GEeegi

Diary Update

I am now on week 8 and have managed to research and produce my findings on distribution and marketing of trailers. This was majorly important as without finding this out I would not know what to do with my trailer in order to 'get it out there' into the public eye for potential target audiences. Therefore I will use the research I have found in order to make sure that my trailer becomes a success.

As well as this, I have created my own company "Black Asylum Productions" and created a logo for this too. I will include this at the beginning of my trailer so that the company is obvious and also so that it follows the trend of all trailers.

After this I have also managed to research into my target audience and come to a conclusion of my main target demographic. Which I have found to be 15+ teenagers and young adults up to the age of 25 and although the male gender preferred more gore and violence I found that my target audience was both genders as they both enjoy the psychological thriller genre.

I am back on track with my timeline and will start to plan for my actual trailer now that I have the relevant research and information to help me in creating the best piece I can. This will include research and planning into locations, props, narrative, lighting and sounds. I estimate that this will take me up to week 11. 

RESEARCH: Target audience

Establishing whom your target market/ audience is is a process, which is essential in making my trailer. It is important that I find out who this audience may be and what they expect and want to see from my trailer. This will then essentially help with the production of the trailer in making sure it meets the needs of the audience. The genre I am looking to find out the audience for is the thriller genre, and I could use a number of methods for this such as questionnaire and a focus group however I decided to do some internet research and ask 3 other people to collate some information.

This research helped me establish that I have a specified target audience. This is that due to the nature of the thriller genre the main age groups I will target are young adults aging 15- 25, so this will also mainly direct at middle class persons. Hopefully, it will appeal mainly to students as they can then tell their friends and then it gets around that the film/ trailer is good. Further, the trailer is aimed at both genders, as it is not directly suited to either better. So due to this I need to make sure that my trailer suits the needs of a wider age group and contain interests of this age range such as violence, enigma and gore.

The nature of the genre, thriller, is typically for a younger age group as I found out, this is due to the storylines based around the genre. I will try and use a similar storyline to a typical thriller genre as this meets the expectation as well as help with the suspense, and thrill of the film. It is a lot less likely, as I found from my research, that older people would not be interested in this genre as it is far-fetched and unrealistic for them.

Another reason why the young adults may want to watch this is to meet Maslow’s needs of belonging as all they can go as a group of friends and also being able to watch this without being scared may boost their ‘self esteem’. Further to this, both genders enjoy watching thriller films but typically boys prefer the type of content involved in a thriller film such as violence and gore meaning that the main target audience is young males. However due to some females also enjoying the genre I will target both genders to widen the target demographic this will be done by incorporating elements for each gender for example gore for male and enigma for females.

I will also include a lot of sound effects and music overlaying the motion as this is key to building suspense and is key for the audience to enjoy the film, I will research different types of potential music for this main aspect of my trailer. Also the fast paced editing included in a thriller genre is key in keeping the narrative full of enigma and captivates the audience. This is a massively important part of my trailer that I need to make sure it is not a short story but engaging enough for the audience to get an outline of the whole narrative from multiple shots of different scenes. I intend to use the aspect of ‘realism’ that the target audiences like in deciding on my location and protagonist. This is because it will become more impacting on the audience if they can relate to the trailer in all ways and that it is not to far fetched.