Layout

Teaser trailer producers are generally given very little in terms of clips. This is very evident in the teaser trailer for The Dark Knight, where a picture of the Batman symbol alone is used to create tension and drama. I would like to experiment with this minimal approach when creating my own product, as I feel my work should resemble a real-life teaser trailer, and therefore I am going to use only two scenes from my movie.

The first scene will show the doll and Shelly in the dining room, engrossed in some sort of face off with each other. This will make up the majority of my teaser trailer, and will be interlaced with music and intertitles for tension and realism. I feel the scene will create a disturbingly calm vibe, and therefore I need music that complements this oddly tranquil ambiance - Demented Dreams, a serene but frightening piano piece from freeplaymusic.com, fits the bill perfectly.

Another interesting thing about this track is the annoying recurring riff, which is brilliant for the sort of atmosphere I want to build, as it will most probably make the audience feel very awkward.

The second scene, which includes the doll hanging from a shower rail, will form the finale of my teaser trailer. This was not originally in my plans, but as my trailer is very calm and serene for the most part, I feel it needs some sort of shocking conclusion to give one final blow to the audience, hopefully showing them that there is much more to this film than simply sitting in the kitchen (it is a little taste of the action to come, which would hopefully result in many intrigued viewers/box office sales in the real world). The track I plan to use is About to Detonate, a loud and menacing drum track from freeplaymusic.com which will complement the sinister event taking place, and hopefully jolt the audience from the eerie tranquillity I will have lulled them into with the first half of my trailer.

In addition to this, I will be adding a small amount of dialogue to the scene, to supplement the shock I am trying to give, and also provide a bit of background information on the incident that is happening (it will flesh out the scene). The dialogue will be a cold and crazy laugh from Shelly, enhanced with an echo effect which will hopefully make the audience feel as if they are trapped in Shelly’s insane snigger.

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I want my intertitles to be a combination of both the stereotypical and the artistic, as I feel this would draw in a large and varied audience in the real world. Here they are:

“From Crazy Madam Productions”

“Comes a stylish psychological thriller”

“Set to rock the world of film”

“Twenty Twelve”

“Porcelain” (Demented Dreams will decrease in both instruments and volume at this part of the trailer, creating an environment in which the audience can be solely focused on the name of my film, causing them to remember it well. A droning sound will also be made here, which I feel represents the slow rise of the doll perfectly).

“She’ll break you”

In stereotypical trailers, it is very common for intertitles to outwardly and unapologetically say things that rocket the tension sky high, and therefore “set to rock the world” conforms very well. This method can be seen in the Breaking Dawn teaser trailer (“the event that will change everything”).

However, the lack of names and mention of “psychological thriller” also make my intertitles artistic, as they show that I am putting focus on storyline and characters rather than actors/people.

I am thinking about showing my intertitles very slowly and having them increase in size as they go on, in order to build anticipation and give a sense of something lurking/creeping up.

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For my editing, I want to use “jaunty editing”, a form of cutting which compiles very long clips and very short clips to create a product which feels very off-kilter and uncomfortable to watch, as I feel it will complement my uneasy psychological genre well. I would also like to apply a lack of continuity as I feel it will reflect Shelly’s broken mind.

Name

I’ve come up with a name for my teaser trailer film: Porcelain. It relates to the porcelain doll at the heart of the action and as it’s a short name it creates suspense, unease and mystery. The word also has a soft, feminine ring to it, linking to the female characters that dominate my storyline, and finally, as porcelain is easily breakable, Shelly's fragile mental state is presented to the audience.

Main Characters

Name: Shelly Robinson

Age: 18

Personality: Imaginative, fragile, suspicious, crazy, paranoid

Shelly initially finds the doll very funny, and comments on it being creepy in a humorous way, but once her repressed insanity kicks in, Shelly genuinely starts to believe that the doll is out to get her, and even thinks that it has possessed her sister.

Name: Cadie Robinson

Age: 12

Personality: Innocent, playful, naive, childish

Personality when “possessed”: Manipulative, deceitful, violent, eerie

Cadie is a naive girl who quickly becomes a victim of the doll. When under the control of the doll, Cadie shows a darker side and becomes particularly transfixed with trying to cause pain and suffering to her older sister. However, this possession is never real; it is simply a product of Shelly’s insanity.

Identity

Music: There is very little in terms of music, apart from a few seconds of an intimidating orchestral piece towards the middle, in order to emphasise a woman’s fear. This lack of music creates a very uncomfortable atmosphere, as it stops things from flowing smoothly, therefore hinting that something is amiss and things in this film are probably going to be far from crisp and perfect.  

Pace: This trailer is incredibly fast paced, and there are many different clips involved. This gets across a lot of information to the audience in a short amount of time, and again provides an awkward and uneasy ambiance, as it is very hard to keep track of what is happening (there is no time to process the storyline, and you have to watch it a few times before anything actually sinks in). For the majority of the teaser trailer, it feels as if an amateur has just come and placed a load of random clips together at the fastest possible speed. The speedy pace does compliment the narrative very well however, as it’s not like things are going to progress in a pleasing and organised manner for the characters.

Dialogue: Pretty much all of the dialogue in this trailer is negative or frantic in some way, examples include: “we had an accident”, “I don’t think we can get out” and “are you out of your mind?”. This emphasises the brutal and unforgiving storyline to the audience, as not once are they given any positive or hopeful dialogue in order to detract from all the negativity.

Voiceover: Usually, voiceovers seem unnecessary or cheesy, but in this instance (due to the terrible order and speed of the clips), I feel the voiceover is really valuable. It simply but clearly explains the story, making the trailer easier to digest, and is broken up into small chunks throughout, which slowly builds tension. This chunking technique works especially well near the end of the trailer, where the voiceover says “at all” (the chunking method emphasises these words and brings them to life), implying that there is so much more to the storyline than what you see in the trailer, which is likely to entice a wide audience as they will want to know what happens next. Secondly, the voiceover has a raspy voice and uses a mischievous, unpleasant tone in order to match the negative events that occur in the film. Due to this, it also seems like the voiceover is mocking the characters involved, which is a very good feature of the trailer, as it causes the characters to appear even lonelier (they have no one at all to help them or be on their side). Finally, as the voiceover dominates this trailer, it is also suggested that the audience need to be spoon-fed the plot, putting it in the realm of stereotypical, Hollywood teasers, where the storyline is always explained thoroughly (usually through the voiceover, but sometimes through other means too). This teaser trailer does not try to be artistic at all.

Intertitles: At the end of the trailer, the title of the film, Identity, flashes on the screen. The letters of this word light up alternately, representing the different people involved in the narrative, which is a nice touch. It also looks like a broken neon sign (the different flashes seem like light bulbs turning on and off), emphasising the location of the film to the audience: a motel (places that stereotypically have damaged neon signs). This intertitle serves as one final emphasis of the film to the audience, hopefully making them remember what they have just seen.

Black Swan

Music: a menacing orchestral piece in a minor key. The orchestral instruments represent the elements of Swan Lake in the storyline, and the dark tones in the track are there to show that Nina will face serious problems. The build-up of stringed instruments towards the end of the track complements the increasing pace of the clips, and also gives the impression that there is a growing loss of control in the film.

Pace: The pace of the clips increases as the trailer goes on, building tension for the audience and also emphasising Nina’s loosening grip on reality.  

Dialogue: There is rather a lot of dialogue in this trailer, as almost every clip involves someone talking. This creates an uncomfortable atmosphere, as it feels as if everyone is ganging up on Nina (the main character), highlighting the uneasy storyline and presenting Nina as a weak character who is likely to be influenced by others.

Voiceover: There isn’t a voiceover present in this trailer, which gives it an artistic ambiance. This suggests that Black Swan is jumping on the “artsy bandwagon” in order to appear more credible and worthy in the film world. It also means that there is more focus on the dialogue (as the dialogue does not have to be stopped for the voiceover), implying that the speech in this film is very important.

Shot types/camera angles:

Shaky/unstable movements: these indicate the uncomfortable and tense nature of the film.

Close ups/mid shots: these shots mean that, for the majority of the trailer, we are focused on faces, emphasising that the mind will play a large part in this storyline (psychological thriller). These shots also convey emotion clearly, and so by seeing Nina’s torn expressions so frequently, the viewers are left feeling very awkward.

Intertitles: Film festivals, Natalie Portman and Darren Aronofsky are all mentioned in this trailer, and I feel this has been done to draw in a large audience. Academy award winner Natalie Portman will appeal to the mass audience, but then the film festivals and Darren Aronofsky (director of some very artistic and hard-hitting films, such as The Wrestler) will appeal to the smaller, more artistic audience who hope to achieve real meaning from a film. The intertitles also contain squirming black feathers as a background, giving a sense of something creeping up.

Info on Psychological Thrillers

Films typically focus on story over character, but psychological thrillers reverse this convention by getting into the deepest and darkest human thoughts. This means that most of the suspense and drama comes from within one key character, who is very troubled.

Even though psychological thrillers usually focus on thoughts instead of actions, the uneasy mind of the main character can often manifest in movements or activities that represent what they are feeling - at the end of Black Swan, Nina's perfect dancing shows that she has reached the very pinnacle of her madness.

During the finale of a psychological thriller, the main character does not rely on bodily strength or brute force to win against the enemy, but rather mental power.

Common elements of the psychological thriller include mind games, stalking, confinement, horror-of-personality, obsession and paranoia.

Psychological Thriller Idea

Ever since the release of Black Swan, I have been very interested in psychological thrillers, as I really like the idea of getting into the head of one character and documenting their slow demise. Due to Nina's unfair downfall, I am also intrigued by the idea of a person who has no control over their descent into darkness.

So, here is a rough idea for a psychological thriller:

Shelly, a troubled young woman, has always been crazy, but she has never noticed (or she has been repressing it). However, when her younger sister, Cadie, buys an antique doll from a car boot sale, Shelly is overpowered by her insane urges and becomes convinced that the doll is controlling her sibling. After a series of strange and unexplainable events (mostly triggered by Shelly’s fragile mind), Shelly grows frantic and develops a passionate craving for the destruction of the toy, even if it means losing her family, friends and life along the way.

This idea is very different to Black Swan, but it carries the same concept of a person losing their mind due to means they cannot regulate.

What is a teaser trailer?

A teaser trailer is a shortened version of a theatrical trailer intended to draw in audiences for an upcoming movie. Teaser trailers are released well in advance of a movie, sometimes as much as a year before the expected release date, and cease circulation once the film is playing. They are generally created long before the movie itself is complete, so they include very few, if any, scenes and last around half a minute to a minute.

Some teaser trailers will literally tease viewers with puzzles and mysterious references. This works best for famous films and films in a series, as people become familiar with specific symbols.  

Web addresses are shown, usually right at the end, so that audience members can research the film online to find out more information.

Trailer Codes and Conventions

Things a trailer does:

Establishes the plot

Introduces the main characters

Establishes the setting

Establishes the genre

Things a trailer includes:

Attention seeking footage - to draw the audience in

Quick/snappy camera movements and shots

Loud voice over to get across key information

Transitions

Close ups and mid shots

Patterned editing

Non-diegetic music

I have decided to create a teaser trailer for my final piece. I don't want to make a short film, as I feel the production process will be very similar to last year's procedure (film opening). In contrast to this, a teaser trailer gives me the opportunity to try something new, and I like the idea of combining clips and music to create tension and excitement for the audience. As teaser trailers are briefer than short films, this decision also means that I can spend the majority of my time planning, as I don’t have to reserve a great deal of time for filming.

Twilight

Music: a quiet, romantic orchestral piece in a minor key, mixed with sharp, menacing string sounds. The romantic side of the music reflects Edward and Bella's passionate love, but the threatening part of the track hints to the audience that things in this romance are not going to run smoothly. This cocktail of good and bad in the music creates a lot of excitement for the audience, as they have no idea what will happen next. It also shows that there will be something for everyone in this movie (people who desire romance get romance and people who desire something darker get that too).

Pace: Very much like the music, the clips in this trailer are constantly changing pace (one minute Edward and Bella are having a slow conversation, emphasising their soon-to-be close connection, and the next a barrage of fast clips are attacking the viewer, showing Edward’s violent side). This mixture of sluggish and speedy clips (and consequently, good and bad actions) creates the same effect as the music – it displays both sides of the movie to the viewer, expanding the prospective audience as there is something for everyone.

Dialogue: Most of the dialogue in this trailer is dramatic and menacing, such as “this is wrong” and “I’m not scared of you”, presenting this film as dark and broody to the audience. However, in comparison to action, there is not a great deal of dialogue in this teaser trailer, implying that speech does not drive the film. This disregard for language and speech in the trailer deeply helps to portray Twilight as a stereotypical Hollywood movie, where special effects and crazy stunts speak louder than words.

Voiceover: There isn’t a voiceover in this trailer, suggesting that this high-budget movie wishes to be considered as a serious, artsy piece (Twilight is jumping on the “artsy bandwagon”). It could also be that the trailer needs more focus on the amazing visuals (stunts and special effects), and therefore the voiceover element has been cut so as not to detract from this.

Shot types/camera angles: The majority of the shots in this trailer are close ups and mid shots, showing that this film is all about emotion, and that the main problems in the film will be based around feelings. These shots also give the audience a good view of the main actors, possibly enticing them even more due to their favourite actor being present. Lastly, close ups and mid shots create a very claustrophobic and uncomfortable feeling, emphasising the darkness in this film, and the fact that Bella doesn’t know what she is getting into, which generates suspense for the audience.  

Intertitles: The intertitles focus on storyline over actors, showing that the film is not relying on stars to pull in the audience. However, the teaser trailer does mention “the worldwide bestseller”, which sets up high expectations within the viewer, drawing them in. This intertitle also implies that not a lot of effort has been put into this teaser trailer, as the film already has a worldwide fan base that it can rely on for box office sales (meaning that the trailer is probably not as good as it could be). Finally, the intertitles address the audience directly (“When you can live forever, what do you live for?”), creating a “bond” between audience and trailer, which may make the film more appealing to certain people, as they feel the producers behind the trailer are genuinely interested in them.

The Sandman

This short film tells the story of the legendary Sandman, but with a twist. Instead of portraying this mythical character as a positive being that brings good dreams to children, the film chooses to show him in a new light: as someone who terrorises children and steals their eyes.

The myth of The Sandman was the main inspiration behind this movie. By changing The Sandman in such a way, it delivers a big shock to the audience, and also makes the writer of this short film seem very clever. It is ingenious that someone would take this innocent character and turn him into something so sinister, all the while keeping the gist of his story – it shows there is not a lot of difference between good and evil, and that good can easily be changed to bad, which creates an uncomfortable atmosphere, possibly making the audience lose their trust in things they find virtuous. Finally, by basing this short film on a story so traditional and popular, it is likely to draw in a large audience, as people are already familiar with the story (and like it).

The main message behind The Sandman is that children should not be left alone and should be supervised at all times. It’s a simple message, but a strong one, as the audience are likely to give it some real thought (due to the shock they get), and it may even change the way they do things. I feel it is good for a short film to include a shocking or troubling message, as it causes the audience to remember the film, and also creates a talking point (which may help to increase views).

There is no dialogue in this short movie, which creates an uneasy atmosphere, as the audience and characters involved have no one to turn to for support or answers. This makes the boy appear very lonely, as he doesn’t really seem to have a connection with anyone (not even his mother). The most important thing the lack of dialogue does, however, is to put maximum focus on actions, meaning that the audience are scared to their full potential by The Sandman’s creepy movements, as there is nothing to detract from them.

This short film is ten minutes in length, which is rather long for a movie of this sort. It’s so long because moments such as the stair scenes are dragged out for ages, building tension to the absolute highest for the audience. These long, stair scenes may also be boring for some viewers, meaning that when something surprising/loud/interesting does happen, they are all the more astounded.

This is an animated piece, which makes it seem very childish - as if it should appeal to children. However, this seems to be some sort of joke, as the brutal film is not aimed at children whatsoever, which will again, appal some members of the audience. It is also common knowledge that some people find animation (particularly moulded/dough animation) unsettling, making the film all the more difficult to view for some people (which emphasises and adds to the uncomfortable storyline for them).

The editing in this film is very slow, even though it seems like it should be fast in parts. This adds to the uneasiness created by the movie, as it gives a sense of something being off kilter and not quite right. However, it could be argued that the editing is slow in order to build tension up until the quicker (but not fast) editing at the end of the film, when The Sandman feeds his children.

For the most part, there is no music applied, apart from a simple breeze sound effect. This emphasises that it is the dead of night, which really increases the fear factor for the audience, and keeps them on the edge of their seats (night time is often associated with bad events/monsters/etc). However, when music is used, an unnerving and lazy piano track plays, which almost seems like a spin on the usual, happy piano music associated with children and nursery rhymes. This makes the film all the more twisted. At the climax of the movie, the music really comes to life, as a loud, thrashing piece is heard containing stringed instruments, bells and some swooping sound effects. The loud volume shocks the audience (as for the most part, this film is silent), reflects The Sandman’s evil actions and emphasises that this is the finale of the movie. Stringed instruments are nearly always used in soundtracks to create tension and unease (think Psycho), and here is no exception. Finally, the swooping sound effects are almost a motif for The Sandman, as he can fly and is often seen jumping around at great heights. These sounds are very clear in the music at the end, showing that The Sandman now has total control and dominance. 

A2 Media Project

On this blog you will find research and planning relating to my A2 media project. I have a choice of whether to make a teaser trailer or a short film.