Feedback and Preliminary Footage

Audience Feedback:

• We were given mainly positive feedback when we showed our trailer to a small group of students, they said that the story was told well and our footage was very good
• We were told although there was tension, it needs to be cleverly edited to create a huge climax at the end, this could be done by making the shots shorter and shorter as it came to an end
• We were told that our trailer was a good length and enough of the plot was revealed, just the ending needs to be refined to create an impact on the viewer so they will remember it
• An idea we were given was to try and make the trailer seem like less of a short film, and more like a conventional movie trailer, this could be done by removing/editing the opening scene, as that is a storytelling device which is used mainly in actual films as opposed to trailers

Script for filming

Scene 1: the chase. - Culkin is being chased by the demon, heavy breathing, running, panting.
- "What the hell is that?"
- Rustling in the trees, leaves rustling.
- "Hello who's there?"
- Demon appears suddenly, Culkin gasps and falls over trying to escape.
- Culkin's body lies still in the road, ravaged by the demon.

Scene 2; a new home.
-The family arrive at the new home, removal boxes in hands and full of excitement as they look for a new start, all characters are anticipating the looking round their new home. The scene opens with an establishing shot to set the scene followed by close-ups of each of the family members as they speak.
-Dad 1; "welcome to our new home everybody!"
-Summer sits down & has a look around the place.
-Summer; "I have a bad feeling about this place"
-Dad 2: "Summer, can you put this box in garage please?"
-Hands over a removal box to summer who turns and takes it out into the garage.
-As Summer is putting the box away she notices an old tattered book on the floor of the garage and picks it up, curious about what it is. She opens the book and reads from the first page. 
-Summer "Many will start, only few will finish, will you complete or will you diminish?"
-Dad 2: "Summer!"
-Summer suddenly jolts back to reality and flings the book to the side and goes back inside.

Scene 3; School.
-Summer walks into school then through door
-Freya: "Hey have you heard?"
-Summer: "What?"
-Freya look seriously at Summer
-Freya: "Somebody's killed Professor Culkin!"
-Summer looks confused and reacts saying nothing
-Summer opens her bag to reveal knife and runs off
-Freya: "Summer!"

Scene 4; The Haunting.
-Summer is getting ready in the bathroom when suddenly she hears loud banging sounds against the door, she goes out to check and there is no one there, suddenly all the utilities in the bathroom turn on and a scream resonates round the room. 
-Summer; "Dad? is that you?"
-Summer: "Dad??"
-As the haunting unfolds Summer is clearly afraid for her life and has no clue what is happening.

Scene 5; A chat with friends.
-After experiencing the haunting Summer opens up to Freya and Lola about what has been happening.
-Summer: "I think something is haunting me, I don't know why, but I think it's because of the book"
-Lola: "What do you mean?"
-Summer: "I think it may have something to do with me reading the book"
-Freya: "Are you serious? what's been going on?"
-At this point Summer summarizes what has been going on; the haunting, the discovery of the book and the knife being found in her bag at school.
-Lola: "What are you going to do?"
-Summer: "We'll have to fight it somehow whatever it is"
-Freya: "But what are we fighting against?"
-Summer: "I don't know we'll have to research everything we can and hopefully it'll be enough"
-Lola: "We'll help whatever way we can!"
-Freya: "Definitely"

Storyboard for Trailer

Film Exhibition

• The exhibition is the retail branch of the film industry- it involves the public screening of a film- not the production or distribution- the exhibitor sells the experience of the film- ‘theatrical’ refers to the experience of viewing a film at the cinema
• Other forms of film exhibition is known as non-theatrical- this is a shift to home viewing and more recently portable devices
• The early days- films were silent and it was usual to have a live musical accompaniment- going to the cinema became a new social craze
• Full synchronised sound arrived in 1927-1929-by the 1930s half the population of Britain went to the cinema at least once a week. Alongside the main film, audiences would also watch ‘B’ pictures and newsreels- there was also ‘live’ entertainment performed on stage- it lasted a total of 4 hours
• 1940s- Main source of mainstream news- in cinemas you’d have news reports
• By 1939 there were 5500 cienmas in Britain- the highest cinema attendance ever was in 1946
• Looking at the cinema admission rates in the UK, the number has slowly declined since the late 1940s- reasons for this: television sets had risen from 5 million to 11 million sets between 1955 to 1961, in 1945 there were only 15,000. Post war poverty- prices went up, cinemas not repaired, inner-city cinemas had less of an audience. US film distributors boycotted Britain because of an import duty, British films were of low quality. 1980s- Video hire became available
• The rise of multiplex cinemas- first opened in 1985, out of town sites with easy access by car, huge choice of 8, 9 or even 12 different screens- improvements in technologies like Dolby, surround sound, digital film, 3D- people were prepared to pay more
• Family ticket 2D- £29, Family ticket 3D- £37.20- ticket prices have steadily increased over the last 10 years. Cinema turnover has increased to £1300m in 2010 

10 Key Steps in our narative

1) The family move into a new house and begin unpacking, they are making themselves at home.

2) Summer discovers the book in the basement of the new house when she is storing away empty removal boxes.

3) Summer opens the book and reads a line- she is unknowingly summoned a demon which will torment her- the audience sees a faint figure of the demon but Summer does not.

4) The Demon kills Professor Culkin, he is gruesomely murdered- the body is covered in knife marks and strange writing ("admit it").

5) Summer finds out about the death at school the next day. In her bag she finds a bloody knife, she is confused. She opens her text book only to find "ADMIT IT" written boldly across the page as well as satanic symbols

6) Summer's friends see Summer's behaviour as suspicious, her friends begin to question her but her replies are blunt- later that night she has visions of professor Culkin, she also finds the knife throughout the house.

7) At home she wakes to find the book in bedroom, in a moment of panic, Summer tries to destroy the book, however the book reappears moments later. "JUST ADMIT IT" carved into her skin

8) Summer tells her twin sister and her friend of the book, they discuss and decide to find out more about the book, they begin to read it together, the book informs them that Summer has unleashed a demon and in order to ensure the safety of herself, her friends and her family, she must read the book cover to cover and throw it onto a fire.

9) As they read through the book, they face many difficulties, the demon hides the book in places, teleporting the trio apart. They must overcome challenges and solve riddles to complete the book, the only alternative is death.

10) The demon wants Summer to 'admit' to the murder of her teacher, begrudgingly, she accepts, knowing that the other option results in death for everyone. She gets taken to prison, where, on the first night the demon returns to finally possess her, resulting in a spectacular breakout. Freya and Lola are still scared of the demon, and as they sit together, Summer enters the room, the pair's ecstasy turns to horror as the realise summer has been possessed and the demon brutally kills them. The film ends with the Summer walking towards a door and putting the book through a family's mailbox

What Scenes will be used?

Within our trailer we will be using key scenes: 1,2,3,4,8 & 10

Audience Feedback

After presenting our film pitch, we asked three questions to our audience:
1.) What did you think of our narrative?
2.)  IS there anything we could improve upon?
3.) What did you think of the ending?

From this audience feedback we have decided to make the plot more dynamic and add in 'red herrings' to create more depth to the plot. Also make sure Summer's parents are brought into the plot more than we originally decided upon.

Film Pitch Presentation

Lacerate Pitch

The Babadook Trailer

The Babadook Semiotic Analysis

• Media Language/Mise en Scene
  
  
  • Eerie music combined with something normal to make it intriguing and suspicious 
  • Dark filter to create disturbing atmosphere- typical of horror movies
  • "Where did you get this"- shows the mother didn't know of the book- makes the audience doubtful and nervous
  • Looking under bed- typical of horror film
  • Innocent child victim- creates sympathy for the audience- being scared of monsters is common for children
  • On the other hand he is creating weapons to fight the monster- which is a counter type 
  • Lots of shots involve lots of zooming to focus the audience's attention and to add continuity
  • Constant flashing back to the book creates tension and continuity- juxtaposes the original connotations of a bedtime story
  • Darkness- fear of the unknown- the 'babadook' is never seen, but the door movements make the audience know he is there
  • Policeman- symbol of protection and safety
  • The film has managed to connote a simple 'three sharp knocks' with the villain- this means it is very effective to use these knocks to indicate that something bad is happening
  • Cockroaches coming out of crack in wall- strange- adds to atmosphere
  • Sympathy is created with the mother as she is perceived as crazy by others
  • Grieving- the theme of death is prominent throughout the trailer due to the death of the father
  • Old lady- "he sees things as they are"- the elderly are stereo-typically wise, in horror films they are often used as a narrative tool to push the plot forward- here she is promoting the idea that the babadook is real 
  • Dark clouds coming over the house after the 'three sharp knocks'- used to reinforce the idea that something bad is going to happen
  • Hovering over bed- adds to supernatural vibe, 
  • Robotic voice saying "bring me the boy" repeatedly- builds tension and confirms to the audience the babadook is there
  • Mother holds knife- this was hinted at originally in the book- opposite of caring mother stereotype
  Narrative
  • A widow who's husband died on the same day as the birth of her troubled son's birth works looking after the elderly and struggles to maintain a strong relationship with her child
  • The boy dreams of a monster he believes is coming to kill both him and his mother- he builds weapons to fight it
  • He discovers a strange book on the shelf and is read it by his mother, the book is very sinister and ends with the phrase "you can't get rid of the babadook"
  • Odd things begin to happen like doors closing and the mother, Amelia, finds glass in her food
  • The son, Sam,struggles to sleep and is convinced the 'babadook' is there, leading to the mother trying to persuade the doctor to prescribe her sleeping medication 
  • Suddenly the Babadook begins to terrorize the family, before eventually possessing the mother, causing her to snap the neck of the family dog
  • Amelia stands up the monster- he eventually collapses to the ground in defeat, then flies out the bedroom and locks itself in the basement

  

  Institution
  • Entertainment One, Screen Australia and Causeway Films
  • In association with south Australian Film Corporation and Smoking Gun Productions
  • Written and directed by Jennifer Kent
  • Distributed by Cinetic Movies, eOne Films International and IFC Films

  Genre 
  • There are many elements of the film which would push it in the direction of a horror film- the main aspect being the fact there is a supernatural villain. Furthermore there is gore throughout the film, also there are knives and other weapons.
  • There are also elements which would suggest the film is a mystery or perhaps an action film. For example the mother must figure out who this 'babadook' character is- on her path there is lots of violence and fighting (such as the murder of the family dog)

  Representation
  • Woman- mostly seen as fragile, weak and the victim. Towards the end shown as violent and crazed when the mother is possessed
  • Males- shown as wealthy, smart and professional- doctor, school psychiatrist and co-worker
  • Children- shown as misunderstood, also as the victim- the child is clearly also weak and vulnerable- however he builds weapons to fight the babadook which is a countertype- this 'brave' mindset isn't dominant though, we see him on the floor, crying, repeating "dont let him in!"
  Ideologies/Media Values
  
  • The mother is shown as a protector which is to a low degree a counter-type as predominately men are the protectors. On the other hand, the Babadook is a huge threat, and she is shown more of a failed protector than a heroic protector for the most part.
  • The child is represented very negatively- he has 'significant behavioral problems', has nightmares and is shown to be a hiderence to the mother's happiness- he is also shown to be physically scared throughout the trailer- implying that he is weak mentally as well as physically. 
  • The elderly are shown as knowledgeable- in the trailer the old lady is used a narrative tool to make the child's worries seem true- by doing this, then having the babadook's existence proven, it shows the elderly are intelligent

  Audience
  • Primarily for young adults or teenagers- too violent and scary for children
  • Females tend to prefer horror films more than males, however the action elements appeal more to men
  • appeals to a typical horror audience
  • Suitable for any group in society other than children- simple and easy to understand concept- class is irrelevant but it wouldn't be deemed as something 'intelligent' to watch- just for fun

The Cabin In The Woods Trailer

The Cabin In The Woods Semiotic Analysis

Media Language/ Mise en Scene

• The music at the start is nonchalant- represents the equilibrium
• Youth- associated with fun, but also stupidity- it's a stereotype that they are likely to find themselves in a tricky situation
• The music cuts and the 'LIONSGATE' logo appears with dark colours- clear indication that things are set to turn sour
• One of the character's is viewed from the viewpoint from inside the building- this gives the audience a chance to see how dirty the windows are
• Old Man comes out, spits red- could be blood- adds to creepy vibe of the scene- this is in combination with a sudden drop in the music
• Cut to black- indication that something bad is set to happen
• "you think you know the story"- text appears, juxtaposes the character claiming the cabin is "awesome"
• Discovery of one-way mirror- shows something is clearly not right about the house
• Bird getting hit by some kind of invisible wall- sci fi element added
• The old man refers to the cabin as 'the killing floor' on the phone- the audience is shown a room where there is many screens showing CCTV footage of the house- the audience knows something the characters don't- typical of a horror film
• "Something weird is going on"- the characters begin to acknowledge what is happening
• First scream- producer's name shown with blood to create theme of death and suffering
• Locking of doors, scars, something trying to break in- typical elements of horror
• More suffering being inflicted on the characters, the tempo is increasing as the sounds are primarily violence-oriented
• Someone dragging along bear trap- more violence
• Very fast tempo of many events- this is done to create hype for the film and for the audience to get excited/interested

Institution

• Directed by Drew Goddard
• Produced by Joss Whedon
• Stars Kristen Connollly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz and Jesse Williams
• Produced by Mutant Enemy Productions
• Distributed by Lionsgate

Genre

• The film is known as a comedy horror, there is elements which are very much tongue and cheek but they still follow the traditional theme of horror
• The film could also been percieved as a sci-fi film in certain ways, the ways in which the characters are tormented are futuristic and the various monsters also aren't realistic

Representation

• The main characters are all young, naive and obsessive. They take drugs, drink alcohol and are obsessed with sex. This is very much a stereotype which is being fulfilled. They are also the victims and they are shown as helpless- creating the idea that they are unintelligent and uncoordinated
• The old man is the only representation of the elderly- he is knowledgeable however he is dishonest which would be a counter-type to the traditional stereotype of the elderly being loyal, peaceful and friendly

Audience

• The film has been hybridized to appeal to multiple audiences- it will appeal to many people as most people like either horror, sci-fi or comedy films, if not all three. There is traditional elements of horror, some of which are exaggerated in a humorous way, also the technology is futuristic, meaning it fits into many genres. 
• The age range would primarily be for young adults and teens, as drugs/sex/partying is associated with them more than any other group, this means they could imagine them being in this situation- creating an appeal

Ideologies/Media values

• Younger people are naive and stupid- more interested in sex than anything else
• Man driving- shows dominance
• Man saying they should "stick together"- he is the leader- stereotype of men
• Female shown as sexual object- stereotype of horror film

Narrative

• Equilibrium- the teenagers/young adults going on a fun holiday
• Disruption- the old man says "ill take you there, but getting back is your concern"
• The group find the house and bad things begin to happen
• As it is just a trailer the ending isn't going to be revealed as the purpose is to get people to buy the film

Did the distributors highlight the key features I mentioned? Codes and Conventions

X-Men First Class

I said that the film would appeal to an audience through building upon the already established fan-base of superheroes and comics. This is clearly true in the trailer as they reference a character, saying 'before he was Professor X'. This is evidence that the producers expect you, the viewer to know of the characters already, proving they are attempting to appeal to an already created audience. Another aspect I considered was the public's sudden fascination with superheros in what I referred to as a 'superhero boom'. In the trailer we see many indications that there will be more superheroes to appeal to this audience; for example the woman with wings, and the other woman with blue skin. As the trailer we see more people with superpowers. Finally, visual effects are used in the film to appeal to an audience who wants to see action. An example of this is the scene showing 'Beast' dodging missiles in a fighter jet. The distributors have highlighted key elements to attract an audience which will best appeal to the film, this is primarily for young teenagers, mainly male. This audience typically enjoys action and adventure, the superheroes will intrigue them and make the film interesting to them.

Key Codes and Conventions

• 20th Century Fox Logo- Institution
• Music- building tension and intrigue
• Narrative Tool- text "before he was professor X".. "He was Charles"... "Before he was Magneto".. "He was Erik"
• JFK talking- second narrative tool- links to Cuban Missile Crisis
• Flashing between characters
• "You ready for this?" first action of the characters speaking
• X-Men logo- 'Xavier's school for gifted youngsters' 'first class'
• 'The story begins June 3" typical of a trailer- showing the audience how long they have to wait
• Reference to the website- potential for more information

The Maze Runner

I said that the film would already have a number of fans from the best-selling book series. To appeal to this audience, they would just have to show the film was a good adaptation, which in my opinion, they did this to a high standard. I said the film was unique in the fact that the film revolves around the characters being trapped in maze, with no understanding of why they were there. The dynamic created by this strange situation is very interesting and would hence create a great amount of appeal.  Another aspect I mentioned was the fact that the audience are also given little information about the maze, we can empathise with the character Thomas as the story is told from his perspective. This gives the audience a connection with Thomas, which would make them more likely to watch the film. The dystopian genre is relatively popular, with films like Divergent and The Hunger Games becoming extremely popular over the last few years. It appeals to a huge audience as this to see this kind of high-budget action is a spectacle regardless of age, the trailer shows a great amount of action for this reason.

Key Codes and Conventions

• Darkness to create intrigue and build tension
• "Can you tell me your name"- narrative tool to show the character is new to the rest of the character
• "I can't remember anything"- more narrative tools
• Sound effects to create more drama
• "This is the glade"- giving information
• 20th Century Fox logo- institution
• Further information- characters asking questions, blunt answers- building tension
• Fast editing to build up to introduction of villain- flashing to create tempo
• Grievers- flash of how menacing they are
• 'based on the best-selling novel'- targeting an already established audience
• Introduction of new character- knows name of main character- builds plot and audience knowledge
• End shows protagonist risking life
• 'enter the maze.. unlock the mystery'- reference to the audience
• Maze runner title
• Release date- 19 September
• Reference to the social media websites avaliable

 The Blair Witch Project

Surprisingly, I found that the trailer for the film failed to showcase the originality of The Blair Witch Project. I said that the 'found footage' element of the film was unique because the audience would be able to empathise and engage with the characters in a new and exciting way as you can see their situation from their view. The trailer has no mention that the film was done in this style, which, in my opinion was a major opportunity missed. The film however is still interesting as it shows the story as it was true, which makes the audience more intrigued as they believe the scenario is actually real and not fictional.

Key Codes and Conventions:

• Artisan Entertainment- institution
• Whimpering of character- no video, just audio
• "I want to apologise to Mike's mum"- makes the audience wonder why he is apologising and who is Mike?
• "I am so, so sorry"- sounds sincere- why is he so apologetic? Makes the audience become interested
• "It is my fault, it was my project"- what was his project about?
• Text shown- used as a narrative tool- showing that 3 students have gone missing
• News report- typical way of showing how events unfolded in a horror movie
• Odd images being shown to create interest
• Police officers showing they have run out of options- refer to it as a puzzle
• Handprints- potential violence, may be blood, typical of horror genre
• 'This summer'- showing when the film is to be released
• "Im so scared"- first showing of the protagonist
• The title is shown as well as a symbol which is affiliated with witches
• Whimpering continues
• Running and screaming to end- typical of horror genre
• Website shown- gives audience the chance to find out about the film and the story
• Odd noises to end with- creates lasting feeling on the viewer

Film Pitching Research

How to make a good film pitch;

1) Make it interesting, don't be afraid to try something unusual that will surprise the producers and make you stand out. Miranda July acted out the story for her film using finger puppets, it was bizarre but got her the deal.

2) Grab the producers attention and immediately let people know exactly what sort of world the film exists in from the characters to the main thrust of the plot. Producers often complain of pitches being too long (more than an hour) make it sharp and punchy.

3) Master the 60 second pitch, major production companies are often too busy to see everyone in detail, if you can't get a proper meeting then its useful to master the minute pitch and make sure you hit the producers with key info that will make them want to buy your script.

4) Show emotion; provide the buyer with a positive emotional experience and convince them that when your movie is made your story will create a strong emotional experience for the people buying the tickets, books and DVDs.

5) Review your story, determine the key, most powerful elements. This will help convey its emotional power and commercial potential. The story should include;
- A protagonist/hero.
- The hero's desire to fulfil his goals.
- Conflict, the seemingly insurmountable obstacles the hero faces.
- Antecedents, previously successful films that will convince the buyer there is a market for your story.

6) Prepare a script of exactly what you're going to say, include key elements.

7) Rehearse, practice your pitch, rewrite it and practice some more. You must know your script so well that it becomes natural and conversational, this helps you prepare for any questions.

8) Research your target market, compile a list of specific buyers, agents, editors and producers you will pursue.

9) Establishing a rapport with your buyers will create a connection and make them more likely to do business.

9) End on a definitive note, the buyers will have to read your script at the end so it is best to end authoritatively ie; "so, do you have any questions about the story or would you like me to send you a copy?"

10) Respond to the buyers comments, questions and requests and make sure you answer quickly and don't waffle on.

Examples of successful film pitches; The Kick starter Scheme.

Blue like Jazz;
- 2003 Donald Miller came up a memoir that focused on forgiveness, honesty and growing up.
-2009 it was developed into a movie.
- Crew was hired and a film made. Initial budget was around $345,992.
-2010 Donald Miller announced that the film was indefinitely postponed due to lack of funding.
-Fans of the book came together under the kick starter Scheme and donated the money needed to fund the film with production set to be restarted in 6 months.

Storyboard draft

Here is our initial idea for the film trailer:

Horror Conventions

Media Representation- Notes

·         Representation- constructed and mediated presentation of people, things, ideas, places ect. – the process by which the media present the ‘real world’

·         Stereotypes- widely circulated ideas or assumptions about particular groups- simplified- focus on certain characteristics of the group- it’s usually  a negative judgement but not always

·         Countertype- when the stereotype isn’t followed, for example ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ is a countertype to the typical blonde victim as she is a hero in the TV show

·         Genre- French word that means type or kind, it is a good was to classify media text- genres have particular values associated to them

·         Values- suggest the moral and cultural ideas behind the way people live

·         Ideology - set of beliefs and attitudes about how society is organised, and arise from the economic and political divisions in society

·         Media language is the way in which the story is interpreted

·         Media institutions-  an established media organisation which produces and distributes media products

·         Media Audiences- any group of people who receive a media text- all audiences are different and in media it is important to find out what the target audience is

·         Narrative- media term for story telling- the way the different elements are organised to make a meaningful story

Media Film Trailers- Notes

Why do film trailers exist?

• Advertisement
• To attract audiences

Who makes trailers?

• Director and producer collaborate with marketing and advertising teams
• Trailer directors use techniques from the film to give a taster

What goes in a trailer?

• Series of selected shots from the film
• Shots are usually drawn from the most interesting, funny or exciting moments, they are also usually the key moments
• They won't necessarily be in the same order in which they appear in the film
• Usually a beginning (lays out the story), middle (drives the story and usually ends in a dramatic climax) and an end (montage of key moments to grip the audience)

What should be included?

• At Least 10 Shots from the Film
• Production Company
• Director and Stars
• Endorsements
• Film Title
• Voiceovers
• Music
• Speed of Editing
• Establishing Shots
• USP
• Release Date

Codes

• System of signs, which create meaning
• Codes can either be technical or symbolic
• Technical- all the ways in which equipment is used to tell the story in a media text e.g. camera
• Symbolic- What is beneath the surface of what we see e.g. character's actions
• Some codes fit both- e.g. technical and symbolic

Conventions

• Conventions are the generally accepted way of doing things
• All genres of film have typical conventions
• I will be doing a horror film so I'll be looking at the various horror film conventions

Pitching a film

The Price

Christopher Salmon wanted to create a CG animated film version of The Price by Neil Gaiman. After reading the short story, Salmon wrote to Gaiman, and he replied saying it was an ‘interesting idea’. Salmon wanted to prove that he was a credible storyteller and filmmaker; to do this he made an animatic. This involved using a story board mixed with sound and music to give a rough view on what the final film would look like, Salmon wanted to show what pace he was going to tell the story at and demonstrated camera movements using the animatic. Gaiman’s response was very positive, he said it was remarkable. Salmon set upon finishing the film, however he was unable to meet the financial restrictions. He decided to follow fan’s advice and keep the film as a selection of still images which were animated together; this would also save him lots of money. However, he would still need the help of the public. Over 2000 people donated money to Salmon’s kick-starter project, pledging a total of $161,774! The backers could look at the film’s progression through the production blog on the film’s website.

Films Research Information

X-MEN First Class

The 2011 American superhero film was the fifth instalment in the X-Men film series, it was directed by Matthew Vaughn and produced by Bryan Singer. The story revolves around the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and focuses primarily on the dynamic of the relationship between Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto and how their groups originated and grew. The film stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and others. The film was an adaption of the comic series X-men: First Class, it was made to appeal to the audience of superhero enthusiasts, which includes the young audience and the older generation who enjoyed the original comics. Marvel have had a great period of success in recent years, there has been a ‘superhero-boom’ with many films being released such as The Avengers, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man and Thor. The production of First Class began in August 2010, there were many companies involved to produce the extensive range of visual effects, the technology required was extremely modern, in some cases ‘digital doubles’ were needed to complete certain scenes. This high budget for technology made it a huge attraction for audiences.  The film was made to continue the success of the X-MEN franchise; it uses the same group of characters to maintain the fan base of the previous films. The    unique selling point of the film is the spectacle of superheroes interacting together and the excitement generated by the tension. Furthermore it builds on the foundations set by other films in the series, meaning fans can see their favourite characters in new scenarios.

The Maze Runner

The 2014 American dystopian science fiction film was the first instalment of The Maze Runner film series, based on James Dashner’s novel. The story follows sixteen-year-old Thomas who wakes up in a large area surrounded by a giant maze, there are several other boys there and Thomas must try to find a way out of the maze and figure out why he was put there. The film was directed by Wes Ball and produced by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen and Lee Stollman. The story has already been enjoyed by many through book form, meaning the film already has many fans. The film is action packed and the plot is one-of-a-kind, it combines a dystopian theme with tension and action, it is presented in a realistic fashion to create an amazing sense of immersion. The Unique Selling point of The Maze Runner is the interesting dynamic created as a group of teenagers are trapped in a maze, the film shows how their society runs and the different roles each member possesses. The mysterious maze is also intriguing as the audience is given very limited information about it, as the film continues, more and more information is slowly given to the viewer.

The Blair Witch Project

The 1999 American found footage horror film shows the story of three student filmmakers who disappeared in the Black Hills near Burkittsville. The film shows the discovered video and sound from their equipment which was found a year after their disappearance. It was written, directed and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez and it was produced by Haxan Films. The film begins with text saying the three student filmmakers disappeared and their footage was found. The film then shows the student’s efforts to prove the existence of a witch; despite multiple warnings from locals, they enter the woods only for a series of events to happen leading to the climax, where the characters are seemingly attacked and the footage ends. The film was revolutionary as it allowed the audience to engage in the story in a new way, the footage is shot from a first person perspective. 

Film Promotional Campaign Case Studies

 

1.)    ‘X-MEN: First Class’ digital magazine- The 2011 Marvel superhero film used an innovative and interesting approach to generate interest. They decided to release an iPad app named “X-MEN Extra”, the app was an digital and fully interactive magazine, the magazine is full of audio clips, videos and animations. The app is highly immersive and uses figures such as JFK and Fidel Castro to engage the reader and focus on the 60s theme. The app was a free gift from Fox, it functions like a print magazine except you literally have to flick through the pages, and there are even subtle hints at the plot for the hard-core fans. The campaign was a piece of brilliance, it enabled fans to put themselves back in time and make them excited for the release of the film, it was even free making it fully accessible to all users. Also released were a series of trailers showcasing the new characters, such as Mystique to build interest. The DVD and Blu-ray release was on September 9, 2011, it sold around 575,000 disks in the first week! Here is the theatrical film poster:

 

 

2.)    ‘The Maze Runner’- The 2014 epic featured a group of young adults who were unknowingly involved in a government experiment. The viral campaign for the film focused on this surveillance aspect, people could go on wckdisgood.com and see the characters themselves as they do their daily activities, the design of the website made it seem as if the video was a live stream creating a real sense of immersion and interactivity. Recently the website has been updated to create attention for the second film ‘The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials’. Character cards were released in July 2013, there were eleven in total, and this was to build up the release of the trailer on April 16, 2014. Furthermore, the original book was re-released with a brand new cover to link it to the film's poster. Nissan released several new car models to help promote the new film; this included the Infiniti Q50, Nissan GT-R and the Juke Nismo RS. The bonus pack for The Maze Runner’s DVD and Blu-ray combo pack included two hours of bonus features, extras and an exclusive comic book. Here is the theatrical film poster:

3.) ‘The Blair Witch Project’- The 1999 indie horror film grossed over $248m worldwide. The film was one of the first to use the internet as a main source of marketing; an official website was released, it featured fake police reports and interviews, an interesting device which was used was the fact that it was never mentioned whether or not the film was fictional or a real documentary, sparking debates across the interest, creating hype. Fliers were handed out at the Sundance Film Festival, asking viewers if they had any information regarding ‘missing’ students (in reality they were just the film characters). On the website, immersion was created through the use of childhood photos of the actors, giving the film an extra dose of realism. A soundtrack was released: ‘Josh’s Blair Witch Mix’, the collection of tracks is supposedly hand-picked by student Joshua Leonard, one of the characters from the film. The tape was allegedly found in his car after his disappearance. Comic books, video games and books also followed the film’s release. The Blair Witch Project was released on DVD on October 26, 1999, it included exclusive special features such as newly discovered footage. In 2010, Lionsgate released a Blu-ray version, showing the film still has relevance today.  Here is the theatrical film poster:

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