main characters

These will be the main charcaters featuring in the film

the victim (protagonist)












the masked killer (antagonist)

and the victims parent via phone call (flat character)

props needed

props that need to be gathered for production

knife- this will be the killers weapon
bag- this is a part of the charcters costume
phone- an integral part of the storyline but it will also be used in the clip
mask- to hide the killers identity
gloves- a part of the killers costume

synopsis

A young student is walking home from college one night but discovers he has left his phone behind, turning back he will soon discover what happens after hours.

Throughout the film I will take a large number of shots so that I can achieve smooth editing and get a fast editing sequence going , this will raise the suspense and tension in the audience making them feel like they are in danger themselves which is typical of a standard thriller film. I am sticking to the conventions as much as I can such as dramatic dark shadowing lighting so that it creates a creepy atmosphere,  the sounds I am going to use will be very natural bangs and clatters which will be spontaneous so that the audience does not expect them coming. The costumes will just be average clothes so that it feels realistic. Apart from the killer who will have black clothes and a white mask this is similar to masks worn by other villains.as this is a trailer I will leave it with a cliff-hanger to make the audience want to see the film, while it is important that I don’t give too much of the plot away.

 

initial idea of film

My idea for the trailer is based around a chase between a killer and a victim.It will be called after hours, to build up suspense i will use lots of shots and fast cuts to lead up to a final shot of the victim in panic. There will be 3 cuts to words containing the director, the tagline and the name and date.

Audience identification

The typical audience for a thriller film are aged around 15 years and over this is because the films can contain explicit content with themes relating to death, violence and psychological damage. Many psychological thrillers are targeted at 18+ because they can be very disturbing and real for younger viewers however this is not applicable to all audiences.

Examples of modern film trailers

trailer for the released film sinister

                                                              Director: Scott Derrickson
                                                                
                                                                 Genre: horror/thriller

Writers:

Scott Derrickson (screenplay), C. Robert Cargill

Stars:

Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance and James Ransone

 

Synopsis: A true-crime writer finds a cache of 8mm "snuff" films that suggest the murder he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer whose career dates back to the 1960s.

This cinematography of this trailer is using a lot of quick cuts and fade transitions which create a real feel of suspense and terror i find this to be quite common in the horror/thriller sub genre because of the dangerous effect it creates. the trailer is  using dramatic low lighting to enhance the feeling of tension and drama which is essential in a thriller film as the audience wants to be thrilled. as the trailer progresses the editing gets faster and faster building on the suspense getting the audiences adrenaline going making them eager to find out what happens to the chracters therefore wanting to watch the film.

trailer of the upcoming release of the hobbit

Director: Peter Jackson

 

Genre: scifi/fantasy 

Writers:

Fran Walsh (screenplay), Philippa Boyens (screenplay)

Stars:

Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage

 

Synopsis: A curious Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, journeys to the Lonely Mountain with a vigorous group of Dwarves to reclaim a treasure stolen from them by the dragon Smaug.

 

 this trailer as like the trailer for sinister also uses fast editing techniques and fade transitions which shows me that horror and scifi are similiar genres but have different themes with different norms and values. this film also uses a lot of moving camera shots which gives the feeling of atmosphere and location, tis films frame rate is double the normal frame rate which means the eyes are having to deal with more information at once this means the audience will get a more faster and thrilling feeling when watching the trailer.

 

trailer for james bond skyfall 2012

Director: Sam Mendes

Genre: action

  Writers:

 Neal Purvis, Robert Wade

 

Stars:

 Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem and Naomie Harris

 

Synopsis: Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

 

 

codes and conventions of a film trailer