Diary update; Social media

I think creating social media pages for my trailer was a very good idea as it has created a real buzz and i have already started to build a fan base.  My social media has been useful for me in a variety of ways, i have been able to keep people updated, create suspense, release teaser trailers and so on. By doing so i have been able to see fans reaction and therefore act up on it. 

I have received a lot of feedback on my social media, this is really helpful as i am still in the construction stage, therefore i can still make alterations and respond to their suggestions. I think it is really important to take on board all feedback as they are my consumers and if they are not happy and i do not listen to their ideas, they will be satisfied with my product. It is also vital to not just base my trailer/posters on my personal preference as what i like, may not be suitable for my audience. By being in contact with my consumers has turned out to be very successful as i am able to provide them with what they need and they have reciprocated.  

I will keep updating my social media for you to see as being consistent is another key aspect as it is crucial to keep my fans exited, so when my trailer is actually released they will be more inclined to watch it due to the anticipation.

Format research; Thriller magazine

Format research for thriller magazine covers from jemimawright97

Prior to this research, my knowledge on thriller magazine covers was quite insubstantial, however after studying many and analyzing in depth three, i feel a lot more confident now. The three magazine covers i looked at ion further detail, were all very different, i did this because prior to this i was completely unsure as to how i want my magazine to turn out, therefore by looking at these, i was able to depict elements from each of which i like and dislike so therefore when i create my own magazine it will be diverse. One thing i identified was that the main image, usually contains one actor of which is the most significant in the film, this is because there is a lot more going on visually in terms of mastheads, cover lines and skylines. Consequently, to ensure that the image stands out, it has to be extremely outspoken and dramatic, i am going to take this knowledge and ensure that my photo shoot is diverse and striking, this will balance out the audiences attention on the writing and picture which is vital. I have also depicted that the masthead usually coincides with the theme of the main feature, for example the fire surrounding the typography to foreshadow hell for 'Hell boy'. I think this feature is really beneficial as it not only compliments the color scheme, however looks more advanced and interesting. Another theme i identified between them all is that the colour scheme is quite similar, incorporating three main colors of which are black, white and red. Although this looks good, i may reject this convention in order to stand out and be original. I think the covers where the typography is of similar fonts is more professional looking therefore i definitely think i will stick to this as my main objectives are to not only look scary, though professional to. In concusion, this research

Diary update; Editing

I have now got to the editing stage which is very exiting as i am able to alter  my footage in ways in which i never thought id be able to. I am using a combination of imovie and adobe premier as they both are really  good software and i want to ensure my trailer is of the highest quality that i can possible make it.

I have learned on both software's how to include different music and also blend music into each other, originally i wanted to simply just use one song as it is perfect for my trailer, however i realized that this may not work in my favor as it will be limiting. Therefore i have decided to use a song with lyrics, creepy sound effects such as heavy breathing and heart beating and also eerie sounds. This was definitely a good decision as it makes my trailer more enticing and seem professional. I am still playing around with the sound for my middle section as this is where the pace picks ups so it is crucial my music reflects this. I have realized how important sound is to a trailer as by keeping the same visuals though changing the sound, a trailer can go from being extremely scary to laughable. Consequently i am really taking my time and researching lots of different sounds so it is perfect. 

Another thing which i have found really helpfull in my editing process is the way in which i can change the saturation and brightness of clips, this has enabled me to completely change the outcome of clips which i thought were usefull as they werent creepy enough. I have been able to make the lighting harsher which i have seen in many different thriller trailers as it creates a tense feel. By playing around with colours i can create the illusion that a shot filmed in the day time was filmed in darker lighting which makes it more eerie. By simply changing the colours of shots i can make assosiation between particular ones but also make my trailer suit the thriller genre more. 

I have also experimented with changing the speed of different clips, i can use the custom setting which enables me to chose precisely the speed in which i want my clip to be, this enables a lot of flexibility. By slowing a scene down, i am able to create more tension as the audience is forced to absorb all the details therefore it adds a lot of emphais to the clip.  I have discovered that speeding a shot up creates a sense of urgency therefore i will use this when my music become more tense and i when i want the action to pick up. I have also used transitions between clips, originally i thought id have to use them between every clip however this has actually taken professionalism away, therefore i used only subtle ones between particular clips as i want to maintain the quality.  

Finally i have found film company logos to go at the beginning of my trailer as this makes it appear to be like ones you would actually see on the big screen. I have trimmed them down so they do not take up to much time. I am also in the process of creating my own logo which i hope to follow, this will allow me to express my own ideas whilst expanding my skills.  

I am really enjoying the editing process as it allows me to experiment and add my own flare onto my trailer. Seeing it all come together is really exiting. 

First draft of my trailer- work in progress

Diary update; Filming

I have now finished all of my  research and planning and therefore have put this into practice and started filming. This process has been a lot more difficult as i originally believed, i thought that i would simply go to the location on my shooting rational and follow the steps i had written and then move onto the next location. However it wasn't as easy as this, as some ideas in which i had planned to film, are not actually visually satisfying so therefore i had to make altercations. Another issue in which i faced was the fact that a lot of my filming was based around night time, however as i have not got professional lighting it was hard for me to do so whilst still maintaining the quality of the shots. Therefore i faced this by using a variety of different forms of light, for instance hand torches, lamp posts and car lighting, which actually were very effective.

Despite these obstacles i have faced, i am really happy with my filming so far. i feel as if i have managed to keep on schedule and film exactly when i had planned, this time keeping is really important as it will ensure that i meet all of my deadlines. I feel as if my story line is definitely coming together and the actress i have used is extremely helpful in creating a sense of realism. I have already started writing down editing techniques i wish to use on particular shots, this will become very useful when i get to the editing stage as ill already have an idea. I think the locations i have chosen suit my genre very well, although i have selected some new ones which i hadn't anticipated in order to set the scene. From the filming i have already done i have been able to pin point new ideas which i will film next time, i will keep you updated on my filming log. 

Whilst still using my script i have not entirely stuck to it, this is because everyday i think of new and more innovative ideas in which will be more suitable in my trailer than my original ideas. I have added new locations and deleted particular scenes which i think will take away from the tention  i want to build. Original i planned to show my protagonist originally as a victim and showing her in her everyday life in order to almost make the audience emphasis with her. However i have made an altercation to the plot and have decided to portray her as a blood thirsty psychopath, this is so she defies the usual stereotype of a female as being submissive and marginalized. I want her to look powerful and cold, therefore i will simply show her through an evil light instead and deprive the audience of knowledge as to how she has become like this in order to create suspense and make them want to watch the movie 

Key editing tools

These are a variety of audio effects which allowed me to manipulate the pitch and atmosphere of the different sounds which i incorporated in my trailer. I found these very useful as they allowed me to express my own vision on the original audio.

There were numerous transitions which i was able to include between clips, this enabled me to make clips flow better and also create tension. I think the more natural ones are better for my trailer as it makes it look more professional.

I used the blending tool to allow my audio clips to blend better, this is key in making your trailer flow and to try and eliminate any blatant change in sound, volume or pitch. 

I used these filter and effects in order to blend clips to create the illusions that they were filmed at night, in an eerie setting and also on the same day. These have really helped me create a chilling effect and by being able to manipulate their harshness it has really benefited my production.

I have used two title pages in my trailer, i originally planned to include them to tell the story, however i believed my clips were able to do so and i found it made my trailer look unprofessional. Although i have still used them to create suspense and to tell the audience when the film is being released.

 

I have been able to clip my audio files together so i can get a gathering effect, this has really helped me build up the sound, making it creepier and more efficient. I have trimmed the audio clips to make them coincide effectively

 

 The speed tools were extremely beneficial for my trailer, they enabled me to slow down clips to create suspense and emphasis and speed up clips to portray tension. I was able to manually manipulate the speed so i could make it exactly how i wanted to. This was definitely my favorite tool as it made me realise how the speed can really change the meaning of a clip. 

Day 5; Filming

Today i filmed a few shots which i intend to use a flash cuts, these shots were quite disturbing. I showed my protagonist washing her blood drenched hands in a scruffy looking sink through a closeup. This was very effective as it shows her covering her tracks but also hinting at her malicious behaviour. I also filmed her doing her lipstick, using the reflection from a knife as a mirror. Originally i planned to use a standard mirror, however i believe this was more visually pleasing as it really helps the audience see how psychotic and blood thirsty she really is. This idea was also reinforced by the closeups of i filmed of her kissing the knife, showing a lack of empathy in which is a characteristic of the criminally insane. I am really happy with these shots as they help reinforce the genre and make my trailer look a lot more creepy.