Progress Made This Year: Creating Conventional Media Products

In my AS production, I created the opening two minutes of a horror film, called Regretful Sins – about an outcast girl taking revenge on her peer group one by one. My group chose this genre as we felt that audiences would respond effectively to our take on conforming to conventions of real media texts. For example, our use of fast-paced cross cutting to show the antagonist following the victim was effective in portraying the fear and danger commonly associated with the horror genre. The fast-pace was effective in raising tensions, something that is highly used to conform to the horror genre. Similarly, in my A2 production, I created a horror trailer, called Watching, to further develop my use of conventions and show my improved skills over the course. In this production, I developed my understanding of horror conventions to create intense scenes that increase suspense. For example, I used a series of fast-paced jump-cuts to introduce my antagonist. This was effective as it contrasted the gentler introduction of the victim, and portrayed a juxtaposition between the two characters in order to allude to a wider narrative. The contrasting introductions is conventional of the genre as it allows the audience to recognise which characters they are meant to relate to and which they are meant to reject. My use of conventions has improved since my AS production as I have learnt more about how to subtly introduce different effects to the audience. In my AS production, I did not do this as effectively, as I was predominantly trying to imitate conventions to make my film look like real media texts, rather than using the conventions to shape my ideas in production, like I did at A2.

During both years, I used Adobe Premiere Elements to complete my editing. Before beginning the course in Year 12, I hadn’t previously used any type of editing software, and so in my AS production, I used very simple transitions and edits, such as fades to black and general match-cutting throughout, to make the film look mysterious and tense, and add to conventions of the horror genre. I included cuts between characters, which had short fades applied to them, as a way to increase tension and suspense in the film. However, this attempt to increase tension was unsuccessful and did not achieve the desired effect. We wanted to create a sense of realism, but the fades throughout the film alluded more to the passing of time, something we did not want to portray. Looking back at it, the tension should have been introduced through the use of symbolic establishing shots and non-diegetic layers of sound. This is something I made sure to pay attention to at A2 in order to use post-production to create a much more believable text. 

In my AS production I used various long and medium shots of the central character to ensure the location was presented, without being too explicit using static shots. We thought this was effective in portraying a sense of mystery about the location, however it did not allow the audience to fully engage with the film and its setting. In my A2 production, I made sure to begin with three long shots of a road and a swing-set, in order to allude to juxtaposition of innocence and reality in the film. I included fades on these shots as well as rack focus to allude to the mysterious nature of the town, and to foreshadow danger within the film. The cross-cutting between the locations further alludes to a sense of disorientation, increasing suspense from the beginning of the trailer. This representation of the location allowed the audience to effectively relate to the characters in the town and feel a sense of heightened tensions, which was not as evident in my AS production.

Communicating Narrative in Post Production

In my coursework productions, I used theories of narrative to carefully consider how my productions were presented. In particular, I used the theories of Propp, Todorov, Strauss and Barthes to apply consideration to my A2-Level trailer. 

Propp's Character Theory centres around displaying differing character archetypes seen in literature and media. He theorised that there are a range of stock characters used in texts, and this is something I wanted to portray effectively in my trailer. These archetypes are; the princess, the villain, the hero, the false-hero, the princess' father, the dispatcher and the helper. In my trailer I introduced the two main characters as a princess and a villain. These are common archetypes displayed in media texts. I also created an enigma where the third character, the second female introduced during the chase scene, is not clearly defined as either a princess or a hero, something that is shown to be effective in Barthes' theory stating that audiences respond well to enigmas. I first introduced my princess character as the female victim through the use of a close-up shot of her feet walking. This is common in horror films and trailers as it allows the audience to see her vulnerability and allusion to a princess character. The villain is portrayed by the antagonist character, introduced through a series of jump-cuts which zoom closer to the character. The use of jump-cuts allowed me to represent a fear and danger surrounding the character and further apply key codes to communicate narrative. By introducing these two character types close together in the trailer, I was able to create a juxtaposition that would aid in portraying the differing character types. In my trailer, I used the antagonist to create a bridge between juxtaposing narratives of idealism and realism. The medium shot of the swings connote a sense of childhood and fantasy in the small town, however, the introduction of the antagonist connotes a sense of realism surrounding the world. This is effective in creating an enigma about which direction the overall narrative will follow. The third character that I introduced creates an enigma as it is hard to tell which character type she represents - whether she is a hero or a princess. The audience do not learn much about her character nor do they see her often in the trailer, aside from the medium shot of her in the cross-cutting scene. This is effective as it entices the audience to see the film but also only gives them a glimpse into other characters in the film. The cross-cutting between all three characters further hints at the danger of the situation, highlighting the genre, but also creates a fast-paced tension that is conventional of horror trailers.

Todorov's theory of narrative stages also aided me in representing clear boundaries within my trailer. Todorov theorised that narrative stages are followed in film and literature - the equilibrium, the development, the complication, the climax and the resolution. In my trailer, I included the stages of equilibrium, development, complication and an allusion to a climax. This allusion is conventional of horror films as it leaves the audience on a cliff-hanger and entices them to go and see the film. I began the equilibrium stage with a long shot looking out of a window and I added rack focus to this in order to establish the normality of the small town location. This is common as it creates an ominosity that hints at the genre. By using long shots and editing techniques, such as rack focus, I was able to introduce a relatable location to the audience. The equilibrium shown here is of a relatively normal small town. In this narrative stage, I also introduced the victim character, using a close-up of her feet followed by a medium shot of her face-on. This allows the audience to relate to this central character right from the beginning of the trailer. This adds to the escapism nature of my trailer as the audience is able to see themselves as the central character in the film. I introduced the development stage with a change in music and jump-cuts leading towards the antagonist. It is alluded to that this character will do harm through the intense 'boom' sound motifs and the fast-paced jump-cuts. The complication begins with the introduction of the antagonist following the victim, through an over-the-shoulder shot. This creates further tension and allows the audience to sense fear and danger. The chase cross-cutting scene that follows is effective in highlighting the complication stage as nothing drastic happens. However, the cut to a medium shot of the antagonist with a knife is an allusion to the climax. This is effective in enticing the audience and indicating the horror genre. 

Strauss theorised that narrative surrounds binary oppositions. In my trailer, I have shown binary oppositions through the use of the cross-cutting between shots of the antagonist, who represents evil, and the victim, who represents good. This juxtaposition can be seen throughout the trailer and further alludes to the contrasting narratives of good and evil. This is a common binary opposite to present in horror films as it is easy to portray through the use of an antagonist and victim character. The match-cutting used on shots of the victim to create smooth transitions suggest that her character presents a gentler nature, alluding to the goodness of her character. In contrast, the jump-cuts and aggressive sound motifs suggest that the antagonist is a dangerous and not someone the audience should warm to. As well as good and evil, I looked at the juxtaposition between idealism and realism, mentioned earlier through the character archetypes. I expressed this binary opposite primarily through the establishing location shots. The use of rack focus on the two long shots of the road is effective is portraying the realism in the world - as if everything is coming into focus and the audience realises the negativity in the world. I split these two shots up with a medium shot of a swing set, which alludes to the contrast of innocence and childhood in relation to reality. This is effective in creating an opposition in narrative and an enigma, where the audience are unsure as to which direction the rest of the film will take - idealism or realism.

Barthes' theory of enigmas states that audiences respond well to enigmas. In order to add tension and mystery, my trailer effectively uses enigmas throughout. These aid in enticing the audience and adding suspense to indicate the horror genre. I primarily chose to use the second victim character to highlight enigmas in the trailer. For example, in the close-up shot of the phone, the unknown number creates an enigma about who is calling her - the audience are unsure as to whether it's the antagonist character or someone who hasn't been introduced yet, which increases the attraction for the film. Other enigmas surrounding this character include; who is she? what is her relevance to the film?. I decided to end the cross-cutting scene that she features in with a plain black screen and her dialogue over the top. This further increases tension by using the phrase, "who are you? why are you doing this to me?". This highlights the enigmas and attracts the audience to find out in the rest of the film. The antagonist also creates enigmas as the audience are not sue who he is or what he plans to do with the victim character. By introducing the antagonist as mysterious and ominous throughout the trailer, it is easy to create enigmas surrounding his character.

Evaluation Task 4: Use of Camera

How have used media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

To plan my trailer, I completed a couple of storyboards. I continued to add to these whilst filming using different angles and shot types to see what would be most effective in post-production, before completing a final storyboard. 

Before filming, I knew roughly what shots I wanted to include and how I wanted the trailer to look overall, however, whilst filming on location, I was able to improve some of these shots. The weather and the amount of space I had were also factors to consider when looking at filming. For example, I had to re-think the jump cuts to the antagonist slightly by making the shots closer together as we had less room to film than I had anticipated. 

One moment that I am particularly proud of in terms of camera use is the chase scene. I feel that I have used a variety of camera angles and editing techniques to enhance this scene and conform to the horror genre. In this scene, I used a combination of close-up shots, medium shots and long shots to show a range of techniques. The use of three narratives creates variety in my trailer and is further used to entice the audience. I used my storyboard to carefully plan what shots I would use and in which order they would look most effective. 

The storyboard helped me to film the shots in the way that I wanted so that my trailer ended up looking how I imagined it to. As well as the camera angles, using a storyboard helped me to plan out how I was going to incorporate different editing techniques, such as fades, and where I could use different sound motifs, such as twig snaps and 'boom' sounds. 

Evaluation Task 4: Influences

How have used media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

When planning my productions, I carefully researched different horror productions in order to find influences for my own brand. In particular, I made sure to look at other posters and magazine covers as I had not previously looked at these types of texts in much detail. Looking at different conventional materials meant that I could emulate aspects to make my productions seem more realistic and effective. 

For my poster, I used a tutorial to create an overall horror effect. This tutorial allowed me to create a poster similar to others in the genre. I altered the layout of my poster slightly to the tutorial as I felt that the image and text would work better in a different arrangement. I also used different effects, such as the gradient, on the text to make my film seem more mysterious than gory horror. I used a similar, capitalised font, however, I used a brighter red in the colour scheme to highlight the danger and fear in the film. I took inspiration from the ominosity of the other image and wanted to portray this over the entire poster, which is why I chose to include the gradient and blur effects on the text and images across the poster. 

For my magazine cover, I took inspiration from not only popular magazines, but also from magazines specialising in the horror genre. These magazines helped me to figure out the layout I wanted and some of the text I wanted to include. They also helped me to see which types of fonts and colour schemes would be effective. In particular, I found looking at Total Film covers to be the most useful as they have a clear structure and are a well-established magazine. The covers all differ but still follow a similar structure around the central image. This is something I used when creating my own magazine cover - I centralised the image and added text and other titles around the outside. This ensured that the image was the main focus on the cover in order to promote the film effectively. I decided to make the poster background black so it blended well and didn't away from the image or the text. 

For my trailer, I mainly used my own knowledge of horror conventions to create a basic plot for a horror film. I looked at trailers for films such as Scream (1996) and It (2017) to get an idea of how to portray the characters and narrative effectively without giving too much of the plot away. Scream particularly helped me in looking at portraying the main female character, whilst It helped me in looking at how to establish an eerie equilibrium effectively. Looking at other trailers helped to show me different camera angles and editing techniques that would be effective in portraying the vulnerability of the main female character and the threat of the antagonist.  

Evaluation Task 4: Post-production

How have you used media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Below is a comparison table I made in order to show my progress in post-production since G321. I have included the choices and outcomes that I made this year as well as in G321 in order to see what I have done better and what I could still improve on. This was helpful in showing me how my skills have progressed and what aspects of my G324 production were effective in comparison to my earlier G321 work.

One of the things that a confident horror trailer aims to establish is a sense of impending danger and a level of threat that engages the audiences - in many ways today, with the global use of social media enabling audiences to communicate, if a trailer for a horror does not communicate the genre effectively the likelihood is the production will not be profitable.  One of the things I really enjoyed about G324 over G321 was the way in which post-production allowed me to carefully craft the meaning for the audience. My use of things like jump-cuts and the application of sound editing allowed me to emphasise the sense of danger and highlight key codes to the audience. 

In particular, my introduction of the antagonist is an example of how I was able to carefully consider the effect of my trailer in post-production. By using fast paced jump-cuts to zoom into the antagonist, I was able to increase suspense and allude to the danger associated with his character. In post-production, I was able to match-cut these shots together to make the jump-cuts look seamless yet still suspenseful. By using boom sound effects at each jump-cut I was able to increase tension effectively and conform to the horror genre. Later in the trailer, I used cross-cutting from shots of the victim to shots of the antagonist, in order to represent the juxtaposition between the characters and increase the tension. By layering sound over this scene, I was able to add motifs that would create a sense of danger and conform further to the horror genre. For example, over the top of the soundtrack, I added boom sound effects as well as a motif of a phone ringing. This type of sound editing is conventional of the horror genre and helps to allude to the danger that the victim faces within the trailer, further enticing the audience to see what happens in the rest of the film. 

Evaluation Task 3: Feedback

What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

Above is the feedback that I got from other people doing the media studies course. From this feedback, I was able to see what I could have done differently and what I could have improved on in my trailer. This was helpful as it gave me a new perspective of my trailer and what I could have added.

Evaluation Task 3: Audience Questionnaire

What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

In order to evaluate my work effectively, I created a questionnaire to see what people thought about different aspects of my productions. I asked a group of people what they thought after showing them my three productions in order to get some feedback about the work I have completed. My questionnaire had eight questions in it, surrounding the areas of narrative, characters, branding and technical skills used. This range of questions is to ensure I get accurate results about the entirety of my work. Below are the questions I asked.

1. On a scale of 1-10, how realistic are each of my productions in comparison to other horror films?
2. Which character did you most relate to and why?
3. Which character would you like to learn more about?
4. Do you think the continued central image is effective?
5. Would this branding make you want to watch the film?
6. What was your favourite part of the trailer and why?
7. Do you have any advice on how to make my productions better/more realistic?
8. What do you think will happen in the film based on the productions I have made?

Overall, I found that many people viewed my productions as professional and realistic, however, as my production was low-budget, I was using less professional equipment which had an impact on the final productions. The use of conventions specifically placed my productions in a higher regard than if I hadn't taken advantage of them. For example, the sound motifs in the trailer and the use of the panda image on the magazine cover and poster greatly increased the level of suspense in my productions, enhancing the effect on the audience. 

Most of the audience said they most related to the female victim character, played by Claudia Nixon. This is due to the fact that I asked a target audience of teenagers - a similar age to the main character. I also found that the audience did not respond as well to the antagonist or the other female character, possibly due to the fact that the audience do not find out much about these characters. Specifically, the other female character was the character that the audience wanted to see more of. Whilst the audience didn't respond well to the antagonist as a relatable character, using the antagonist as the central image for the three productions was shown to be effective with the audience. This branding I chose was shown to be popular and enticing, which is something I hoped to achieve with the central image of the antagonist and the overall colour scheme and layouts of the productions.

By asking this questionnaire, I was able to see that the fast, chase scene was one of the more effective scenes in the trailer, as it was enticing and exciting for the audience to view. The audience related well to the characters and were able to see what could happen if they were in that scenario themselves. The trailer is quite conventional and so the audience were able to predict more about the rest of the film more easily than if I decided to ignore using conventional traits. 

Although my productions were popular and effective with the audience, there were a few things that could have improved my work. In the opinion of the audience, it can be argued that my trailer needed to be slightly longer and needed to include more about the specific characters and the magazine cover possibly needed to have more text on it to draw the attention of the audience more effectively. 

Evaluation Task 2: Codes and Conventions

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

In my texts, I chose to portray the horror genre. I chose this genre as I wanted use conventions that would easily increase tension and suspense. By researching the horror genre more, I found that some conventions would work better for the brand than others, making it easier to see which conventions I could incorporate into my texts. 

In the trailer, I used many conventions. For example, I included sound motifs and music to increase tension throughout the trailer as well as using editing techniques on the titles. By layering the sound motifs, I was able to create an eerie and uncomfortable atmosphere for the audience whilst hinting at the genre. Other sounds I used include a twig snap, footsteps walking and a phone ringing. These sounds all added tension and added to a more fearful pace in the trailer. Alluding to the genre through sound was important for my trailer as it meant I was able to enhance the camera footage to make the genre more evident and the tension increased. I decided to add effects on the titles in my trailer as a way to allude to the genre. By using a capitalised, traditional font, I made the text stand out against a plain background. I used phrases, such as "who is watching you", to increase the tension in the trailer and allude further to the horror genre. This produced a fearful effect for the audience as it makes them question the film and their own lives, bridging the space between real life and film. The swipe effect on this text was effective as it created a fast pace for the titles and increased the eerie suspense of the trailer. I made the text white with red accents, continued throughout my ancillary texts, as this added to the genre indicators. The white stood out against the black background, whilst the red highlighted the danger and fear within the trailer.

In the magazine cover, I similarly used fonts and the colour scheme, as well as the central image, to indicate the horror genre of the brand. As with the trailer, the accents of red in the text across the cover highlighted different moments to draw the audiences eyes. For example, choosing to highlight the word "dying" in red suggests an eerie and dangerous atmosphere in the film. The black background created a continuity between the three texts and meant that the content stood out more and created a darker feeling for the audience. The layout of the cover is quite conventional of magazine covers in general as I made sure the image drew the audiences' eyes and that the text was noticeable around the edge. I increased the size of the title of the film to be larger than the other text on the cover as this also helps to draw the attention of readers. The central image is effective in drawing the attention of the audience whilst also giving an insight into one of the main characters in the film. This is conventional as it shows the audience who and what the film might be about. By making this image black and white, it doesn't take away from the text but is also a prominent feature on the cover. 

Much like the magazine cover, in the poster I used a prominent central image and a contrasting colour scheme to draw the audiences' eye and indicate the horror genre. By putting the image right in the centre and blurring the edges out, I managed to create an eerie image to advertise the film accurately. The image is of the main antagonist in the film so this gives the audience a hint at what they can expect in the film, something conventional of other horror film posters. I used the same image of the antagonist throughout my three texts in order to secure an effective brand identity. In accordance with my other texts, I used a bold font across the poster however, in contrast to my other texts, the only red colour on the poster is the main film title. This draws the audiences' eye and allows them to first see the image and then the title - the most important parts of the film's branding. I decided to use a gradient on the title to add to the blurring image in order to create a continuity and mystery across the poster. This is effective in alluding to the horror genre. I created my own production credits at the bottom of the poster by using a conventionally squished font and making it a lot smaller than the rest of the text on the poster. I also coloured the font a very light grey. This ensures that this part of the poster doesn't overtake the important title and image.

Evaluation Task 2: Brand Identity

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Brand Identity: How have you established a brand identity? Use snips to show how things like slogans were used in different productions to promote the film and establish brand identity.

For my film, I used my texts to create a brand identity for audiences to recognise and become familiar with. I made these texts similar to ensure they are memorable and link together. By using the same colour scheme and the same images, I was able to effectively produce a cohesive brand identity for my film that audiences will remember. 

I used slogans and titles throughout the texts to promote the film and establish a brand identity.  I chose to have the titles in conventional bold fonts so that the text would stand out. I used a red and white colour scheme against a black background to similarly make the text stand out. By highlighting certain words in red, I was able to contrast the white and make the titles more eye-catching for the audience. I used ominous text and questions to entice the audience and to indicate the horror genre of my film. This is effective in drawing the attention of the audience and sparking enigmas about the film.

As well as titles and slogans, I continually used the panda image throughout my media texts. This created a continuity between the texts to tie them together and form a brand identity. I used similar effects on the image for the magazine cover and poster, and then used the image in the film to add suspense. By making the image black and white, I added tension and mystery to my ancillary texts, further indicating the horror genre of my brand. This image is unusual and memorable, meaning the audience will be able to associate each of the texts with the WATCHING brand. I made the image central in each text to suggest a powerful and domineering nature for the villain whilst also ensuring the audiences' eyes are drawn to the character.

Evaluation Task 2: Narrative

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

In my trailer, I aimed to establish three overall parts of the narrative - the equilibrium, the development and an allusion to the climax. I used different sound layers within each narrative stage, and I split these up using titles and fades to black. The narrative continues through the trailer, with the suspense building between each stage. Through the character of the antagonist, I am able to establish enigmas within the trailer which ultimately entice the audience to go and see the film - for example, the trailer leaves the audience wondering who the person behind the mask is, and what their motives are. 

In my ancillary texts, the poster and magazine cover, I am able to compliment my trailer and the narrative established within it. I used the image of the antagonist, as I felt this character was particularly interesting to the narrative. The panda is the character which creates enigmas and alludes to the climax in the trailer, and so I felt using this character would entice the audience and make my brand memorable. Using the panda alludes to the development and climax stages of the narrative and links to the trailer effectively. This creates a brand for the film and leads to a cohesive identity for the audience to recognise. 

Evaluation Task 1: Institution Analysis

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

For my film, I would possibly consider a smaller or independent production company as it is quite a low-budget horror film. Using a smaller production company will mean that the process is somewhat cheaper and will allow there to be more of a budget to create the film itself.  I would possibly also consider an online distributor like Netflix. A distributor like this would give my film an opportunity to flourish for a much lower risk than if I released it in the cinema and a definite profit.

I created my own production credits to add to my trailer. To create my credits, I used iMovie, and then transferred them into Adobe Premiere Elements 15. In this programme, I moved the credits throughout the trailer to see where they fitted best. In the end, I used the credits to break up the narrative half-way through the trailer and to create an more ominous effect. I used these conventionally in my trailer to indicate the genre. By using my own photos for my production credits, I was able to make sure that they were dark and ominous to suit the genre. This was effective as it continued the dark narrative of the trailer, and didn't stand out too much. I also made the credits fast-paced to ensure that the pace of the trailer continued. 

Evaluation Task 1: Camera and Editing Annotations

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

I focused on using close-up shots and medium shots with a few establishing and long shots. This is because, by using close-up shots and medium shots, I was able to create a more mysterious and ominous effect, indicating the horror genre more effectively. The close-up shots were effective in introducing the characters to the audience, whilst the long and establishing shots were effective in introducing location and creating a variety of shot types. For example, I used a medium shot to introduce the victim and to introduce the antagonist, while I used long shots to introduce the location of the film. 

I think that the range of shots I used were effective in indicating the genre and creating a variety within the trailer. This meant that I could move shots around to see which fit best and ultimately create a dynamic trailer that did not seem repetitive. 

Throughout the trailer I made use of editing techniques, such as fades to black and transitions on the titles to add to the tension and suspense of the trailer. For example, I used a fade in effect on the first establishing shot before focusing it using another effect. I also used a fade in and smear effect on the titles to highlight the horror genre and make them stand out within the trailer. These transitions and effects meant that the trailer looked more professional and conventional as a horror film. 

As well as transitions and effects, I used match-cutting throughout the trailer to create smooth cuts between shots. This meant the trailer flowed more effectively and I was able to create a more professional and effective looking sequence of shots. 

Evaluation Task 1: Director's Commentary

In order to explain some of the key features in my trailer, I recorded a voice-over commentary. I also included why I wanted to use these features, what effect I thought they had on the overall trailer, and how conventional they made my trailer.

Evaluation Task 1: Trailer

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

In my trailer, I used various different conventional methods to make it seem like a realistic trailer. Some examples of these are; the use of transitions and effects on the camera shots, the use of layered sound and the use of different camera angles throughout. I have taken screen-shots of some key moments in my trailer that I think encapsulate the methods I used to create an effective looking trailer.

My ideas about establishing shots for the opening for the trailer were directly influenced by some of the trailers from my research and planning. In the trailer for Dead Man's Shoes by Shane Meadows he presents his audience with an ordinary and unassuming town setting that will be dramatically effected by extraordinary events. This is similar to my trailer, where I used establishing shots to create an equilibrium in the narrative, which would soon be disrupted by the antagonist.

In my trailer, the conventional shot of a swing moving on its own is effective as it suggests an ominous feeling to the audience and indicates the genre right from the beginning of the trailer. This alludes to the innocence of childhood, and possibly the loss of innocence about to occur in the film. It creates an uneasy feeling for the audience, which highlights the horror genre. In addition, I used titles throughout my trailer to allude to a narrative. This enhanced the shots and increased the tension by allowing text to break up stages in the narrative and introduction of characters. The first character introduced is a pivotal moment in the trailer as it is the first time the audience are introduced to a part of the overall story. She is a character that the audience can relate to easily and is the character they will support throughout the film.

Introducing a second antagonist character is also an important moment as it creates fear in the audience. This character is immediately introduced as the character that the audience should not like. The jump cuts in this particular scene also establish fear and tension in the scene. This is effective as it contrasts the introduction of the victim, which alludes to the fact that he is the antagonist. This new character adds to the thickening plot of the trailer. Adding production credits makes my trailer look realistic and professional. I made the credits myself, adding to the effectiveness of my trailer. I decided to place these in the middle of my trailer as a way to break up the narrative and act in a more conventional way. Starting a chase scene meant my trailer had a faster, more enticing pace, and leaves the audience wanting to watch more to see what happens.

In the chase scene, I introduced yet another new character. This creates more depth to the trailer and shows more of the film for the audience to see. There is no information about this character, giving her a more ominous nature within the film and leaving the audience with enigmas. Cross-cutting between the three narratives is effective in portraying a confusion for the audience and creating a juxtaposition between the antagonist and the two victim characters. Having a main title at the end makes my trailer look effective. The colour change and transitions make the title interesting and memorable. I also added a date and social media links at the end of the trailer. This is something that is conventional of trailers as it lets the audience keep track and allows the film company to promote their film easily.