Deconstruction: Positioning of Production Companies in Trailers

In this task, I decided to investigate the position of production company sequences in horror and Slasher horror trailers. This was because our group had placed our production companies in the middle of the trailer on the storyboard and thus, it was imperative that I research whether this was feasible or not.

 

Saw:

 

In this example, the production company sequence is played after some footage of the trailer has already been shown.

 



The Saw Trailer initially begins in a dark room with a man using his camera flash to look for an intruder. The music builds as the suspense builds, however, there is no sign of the production company sequences at this point.

 

As the music continues to build suspense, a masked figure then abruptly appears, making the audience jump, allowing the trailer to transition into the production company sequence.

 

The first of the production companies is then shown, Lions Gate Films in this first example.

 

The second production company to immediately be played is Twisted Pictures, a company which commonly deals in the horror genre.

 

The trailer then transitions into more clips from the film and continues until the titles are displayed at the end.

 Saw Trailer

 

Scream 4:

 
The production company sequence is played in the beginning of this trailer, as explored below.
 

The trailer begins with the introduction of the production company, Dimension films. Parallel to this, the sound of a telephone ringing plays (diegetic sound), allowing the sequence to immediately transition into the film footage and remainder of the trailer.

 

The footage from the film then continues after the production company sequence has faded out.

 

The trailer then continues to play right through until the title is displayed at the end of the trailer.

Scream 4 Trailer

 

Hostel III:

 
This is another example in which the production company sequences are the first clips played in the trailer.
 

The trailer begins on the Sony Pictures Production company.

 

The Stage 6 Production Company title then immediately follows. Non-Diegetic sound is used in coincidence with the sequences; soft piano rifts feature which then fade into more fast and upbeat tones as the trailer itself begins.

 

This screenshot then shows the first scene of the trailer shown after the production sequences, which feature establishing shots of Las Vegas, the main location of the filming.

Hostel III Trailer 

 

The Hallow:

This final examples shows another trailer whereby the production companies are shown partway through the trailer.

The trailer begins of footage from the film whereby we see a dark and misty forest, a common convention of horror films.

 

The trailer later continues into the production company title, IFC Midnight. As the screenshot shows, the sequence is played after 5 seconds of the trailer has already been shown.

 

Once the production sequence has finished, the trailer then continues with the film footage.

The Hallow Trailer



Evaluation:

In conclusion, although the majority of trailers, particularly horror, show the production companies at the beginning, there are still some trailers which display the sequences in other points of the trailer. For this reason, it is plausible for our group to show the production companies partway through the trailer.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D (2013) Trailer Titles

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D (2013)

0.00-0.04

The green band movie promotion appears in the first 4 seconds of the trailer telling the audience that this trailer is suitable for over 17’s and anyone below this age should be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.

0.07-0.08

The production company then appears. Lionsgate is a well-known production company with blockbusters such as the Hunger Games and Divergent franchises. Lionsgate has generated an average of $2 billion in the last 3 years at the global box office. The production company is placed at the beginning as people will have to watch this before the actual trailer begins. However, if it was placed at the end people may not watch it. Being a well-known production means that if people have enjoyed their previous films they know that they are likely to enjoy this one. Therefore, attracting more people to go and watch the full film.

0.51- 0.52

The first title that appears says ‘in 1974’ which was when the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre film was made. The typography is sans serif and is in white which conforms to the common conventions of slasher horror. In addition to this there is blood splattered on the letters which clearly shows that the genre is slasher horror.

0.56-0.57

A legend is defined as ‘an extremely famous or notorious person, especially in a particular field’ (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/legend) 

1.00-1.01

This could connote that the killer or the film itself was a legend. Therefore, due to the success the film is back again with the same killer.

1.33-1.34

This shows when the movie is released so that people know when to go and watch the film in the cinema.

1.37-1.38

This trailer links back to the previous films a lot suggesting that the previous films were very successful. Also suggesting that if people want to watch this film they should also go and watch the previous ones. 

1.42-1.43

This also links back to previous films so people who have enjoyed the previous ones should go to watch this one. Throughout the trailer so far the typography is all the same.

2.20-2.22

The typography changes at the end for the film title. It looks as if though the letters have been spray painted. There are also smears of blood around the title which clearly shows the slasher horror genre.

Evaluation

• The titles include links to the previous films
• Short titles to fit in with the fast pace of the trailer
• Includes the month of the film release date
• The name of the film appears at the end of the trailer
• Same font and text colour used throughout the trailer except for the name of the film at the end.
• Titles appear on a plain black background
• They are spread throughout the trailer so that the titles are not all in one place

The Purge Trailer Titles

0.01-0.02

The green band movie promotion appears first stating that this trailer is suitable for viewers over the age of 17 or for viewers below the age of 17 when accompanied with an adult.

 0.08-0.10

0.14-0.15

The next title that appears is a statistic showing the incredibly low unemployment rate with places such as the UK and France having an unemployment rate of over 5%. This then leaves the audience wondering why it is so low and therefore creating enigmas.

0.25-0.26

0.29-0.30

The next two titles answer the question that the audience are thinking. Having such a low unemployment rate may make it seem like everything is perfect but the reason for this is actually much worse than people would expect. 'All crime is legal' this subverts the representations that all countries have laws against crime 24/7. Therefore, intriguing the audience to see something completely different to what they are used to.

0.31-0.32

The production company appears near the beginning of the trailer, which is common for most film trailers. The production company is 'Universal' which is well known and they have produced many films before such as Jurassic World (2015) and Furious 7 (2015). This means that people who have enjoyed their previous films may like to go and see this one.

1.34- 1.37

'From the producers of Paranormal Activity and Sinister' also emphasises the fact that they have made two other major films especially within the horror genre. Therefore, enticing people who have also liked watching these films.

1.56-1.58

The next title tells us that the film is coming out 'this year' so people can look out for it also suggesting that it is going into cinemas soon.

2.20-2.23

The Title appears on the backdrop of an American flag. However, the flag is discoloured and has been given an earthy look to suggest that not everything is quite right. The use of the American flag also shows that this film is set in America.

2.24-2.26

This title is of the date the film is coming into the cinemas. It also says 'survive the night' suggesting that the majority of the crime happens during the night and the aim is to survive. This also shows the genre is horror as people are being killed.

2.26-2.28

The final title uses social media to try and advertise the trailer. The two uses of social media are Facebook and Twitter which are the most common. A hash tag has been provided to try and get the film trending. At the bottom of the screen it also shows the production companies.

Evaluation

• The titles are short
• They give a few clues about what the film might be about
• They use 'from the producers of' 
• A release date is given
• Social media links are used at the end of the trailer to try and promote the film

Deconstruction: Student Made A2 Trailer

Exposure

Looking into the Eye - 0.05

The trailer begins on a girl looking into the keyhole of an old door, where there is an extreme close up shot of the said eye; this suggests the supernatural genre, as commonly, supernatural films evolve around abandoned buildings, which this clip indicates. The use of the eye is also a common aspect of many supernatural films as they are used to represent seeing the soul.

Production Company - 0.10

The production company logo, Twisted Pictures, is then played; this particular production company is an Independent American company which mainly deals with the horror genre, immediately suggestion that the pending trailer is one of horror or horror sub-genre.

Background - 0.14

The trailer then provides the audience with a glimpse as to narrative of the film; in the screenshot above, we see a young girl looking through old news articles, potentially in the location previously introduced to. This clip also suggests that the trailer is of the supernatural sub-genre, as old newspapers and records are common conventions as they are a means of understanding the tragedy which caused the evil spirit or possession. The fact that the audience cannot see the content of the news articles creates enigma as they are curious as to what tragedy would have caused the entity in the film.

The Eye - 0.17

This clip is greatly effective in one, indicating the genre of the movie/trailer and two, creating tension and unsettlement for the audience. The eye is clearly unnatural looking, with the indication of a possessed body. The eye itself is not looking into the camera, which makes the audience curious as to what they are looking at, once again creating enigma for the film.

Glitch Effect - 0.19

This screenshot shows effective use of editing, whereby there is a glitch effect with what appears to be the possessed girl or dark entity moving towards the camera, or what could be assumed as the protagonist. This effect also conceals most of the face of the girl, which may scare the audience more as they cannot see her walking towards the camera, making it more jumpy and creating enigma for her identity. Additionally, the glitch effect itself could represent the disorientation of the protagonist, common in supernatural horror films. 

First Glimpse - 0.20

The image above shows the first glimpse the audience receives of the possessed girl; however, the lighting is still dark to conceal some of the identity to a certain extent. The make-up used is really effective, particularly the contact lenses used as the girl looks possessed, adhering to the genre of the trailer. The close up shot used exaggerates the make-up also and the fact that she is looking into the camera, unsettling the audience as they may feel targeted, creating a sense of realism. 

Protagonist - 0.24

This clip in the trailer provides background information as to a potential reason behind the protagonist visiting the abandoned location. We can clearly see, as the audience, from this image that the protagonist is a photographer, potentially explaining why she was in the location.

Glitch Effect - 0.29

The following two screenshots show the glitch effect being put to use once again. The disorientation created corresponds to the genre of the movie and also instils fear in the audience as they feel lost and fear the unexpected or the unknown. The high angle shot of the victim represents her as weak and vulnerable, potentially being tormented by the entity. 

This image shows the black veil used to create the glitch effect in this clip.

The Eyes - 0.32

Here shows another clip whereby the camera is focused on an extreme close-up shot of the possessed character's eyes; however, this time they are looking into the camera. This creates fear and tension for the audience because, as previously mentioned, the audience may feel targeted and as though the girl is looking at them, which creates realism which many people fear. 

Attacking the Camera - 0.33

The next two screenshots show how the girl is then caught walking towards the camera, almost like stalking her prey. As evident, we see the character become unveiled from the dark to show her face once close to the camera and looking into the lens, which is extremely effect as the audience are caught off guard and become on edge from the scrutiny of the character. Again, the make-up here is rather effective in portraying the possessed aspect of the girl.

Here, we see the close-up, as mentioned above, of the possessed girl looking into the camera. The clothes can be seen briefly in this clip also, which show blood stains and dirt, suggesting the unnaturalness of the scene and the character herself. The eyes of the character are once again looking into the lens of the camera, making the audience feel targeted and involved throughout, an extremely effective feature of this trailer. 

Hidden in the Dark - 0.37

Here, we see a glimpse of the possessed girl once again, this time really hidden in the darkness of the room. This is effective as we only see the face, creating tension as to what the character will do. However, the scene then fades to black and displays the titles.

The Titles - 0.38

The film title is displayed at the end of the trailer, as common with many trailers, in order for the name to remain fresh in the audience's mind, and potentially make them want to watch the movie. The name of the movie itself is an effective play on words in terms of being similar to the term 'Exposure', a term used in photography which the main protagonist is established to be. It could also suggest the exposure of the possessed girl who had previously been hidden from the world.

The text is written in red on a black background, colours commonly associated with the horror genre. Additionally, there are what appeared to be scratch marks across the 'S', 'U' and 'R', which could represent the harsh scratches of the possessed entity. The typography itself subverts common representations of supernatural films as typically, they use Serif fonts, however, this example uses Sans-Serif; this could be to adhere to the modern approach of the movie, whereby the main protagonist uses a modern, high-tech camera.

The release date is then shown to inform the audience when the film is released into the cinemas so that they are able to see it should they desire. The typography used is the same as explored previously.

Ending Close-up - 0.40

To end the trailer, there is an additional close-up of the possessed girl, clearly showing the effective make-up and creepy contact lenses, which look into the camera. This then leaves a lasting impression on the audience, as they may be disturbed or unsettled by the appearance of the girl. 

Music:

• The fast beating of the drums creates tension and builds the suspense throughout the film, particularly as the cuts between each clip become faster and faster.
• The initial high pitched stringed instruments creates an eerie and tense atmosphere from the start.

Evaluation:

The trailer is incredibly successful in promoting the movie and adhering to the genre clearly desired. One of the more successful aspects of this trailer is the creative use of different camera angles and shots to portray the characters in certain ways. Overall, a highly professional and scary trailer, proving a success.