The History of the Medium

Nosferatu (1922)

Nosferatu was a horror film released in 1922 by German director F.W. Murnau.  It was a silent film, and is considered to be one of the earliest and most influential horror films. An adaptation of Bram Stoker's "Dracula", the company who made the film (Film Arts Guild) were sued, and ordered to destroy all copies due to copyright infringement. However, one copy survived and the film went on to become very famous, regarded as an influential film of early cinema.

One of the reasons that this film was so iconic was the way that it used conventions. It was one of the first films that used the now recognizable conventions which make the film easily identifiable as horror. These conventions include the use of low key lighting, shadows of figures and the use of make-up to create a supernatural being.  

[A clip from Nosferatu where a shadowy figure is seen slowly climbing the stairs]

The image of Nosferatu was used in NAZI Germany during the second world war. The NAZI's used the image to portray Jews in propaganda messages. This was used as the image was seen to scare people as it looked threatening and un-human, giving a negative image. This shows how well the Nosferatu character was portrayed in the film, as the audience had a clear understanding that the character was a threat to the protagonist, even before the character was fully shown on screen.  

Some Initial Plot Ideas

Idea 1 - Group of people go to investigate an asylum where strange things have been happening. They find that the patients had revolted against the abusive staff. Ghosts of the dead patients haunt anyone who tries to stay there overnight. Havoc ensues.

Idea 2 - 2 brothers in car crash. One survives other ends up in coma. One in coma is roaming around as a spirit, he realises he is in a coma but cannot communicate with anyone. He is stalked by a reaper who is trying to persuade him to give up and die but he manages to communicate with a brother through a ouija board. Will the brother save him or end up getting trapped himself?

Idea 3 - Man who used to be a serial killer named the "human hunter" was executed. Now the forest where the prison was where he died is haunted by him and he will try to kill anyone who dare enter the forest!!

The Voiceover

One of the main conventions of a film trailer is the voice over. This can be performed either by a narrator or by one of the film characters. The voice over has many functions such as :

• Helping the audience to make sense of the narrative by giving background information such as the setting of the film or character introduction.  
• They introduce the stars of the film as they appear on screen.
• Gives information about other important personnel such as the director, and gives examples of well known previous works.
• Sets the tone of the film by using an up-beat voice for a comedy film or a deep voice for an action film etc. 
• Summaries the story in around 5-8 lines re-enforcing the action on the screen without spoiling the film. This helps to build tension and make the film more appealing.

The voice over is arguably one of the most important parts of the trailer, creating tension as the music and story of the trailer progresses. The voice over in horror films is usually voiced by one of the protagonists of the film, with clips of dialogue taken from the film and ordered to give a back story or introduce characters during the trailer. Another convention in horror film trailers is to have the voice over reading a poem or something to do with the plot, in order to create tension, but a direct voice over where the narrator talks about the actors of the film is not normally used in a horror film trailer.
This is a good technique, and I am planning to have a narrator reading a poem on my trailer as I feel that this would be a great way to create tension, as well as connote my plot to the audience.   

Horror Film Survey

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Cinema Previews

Another way for film trailers to be distributed is to be shown before another film in the cinema previews. This is a great way to get the trailer seen by the target audience. The film trailer will be shown before films or the same genre or certification, in order for it to be shown to the audience who is most likely to go and see the film. This saves money by showing it directly to the audience that it will appeal to, rather than showing it on TV where it is shown to a general audience. I would show my trailer before films that are of a horror/action/supernatural genre, and are a certificate 15. This is because my film will be quite scary and gory, leading to a 15 certificate, but not so much that it will need to be an 18.

Internet Distribution

The internet is a great platform which companies can use to distribute film trailers. Websites such as "Internet Movie Database" (IMDb), "YouTube" and official film websites have made it easier for companies to get their footage seen around the world, without having to pay for TV advert time. This also allows for different trailers to be released on the same platform or website. This means that a green band trailer (suitable for all ages) can be released alongside red band trailers (Suitable for over 18's). This increases the audience reach for the company, increasing the success of the film overall. This also means that the companies can get their trailers seen by audiences in countries where TV advertising is not possible. Online forums can also be used to get the audience to talk about the film, increasing anticipation for it. The options for the audience to comment on videos and keep up to date with the release via social network all enable the audience to engage with the film before it's release. Viral marketing campaigns are often used by companies to gain awareness for the film and generate interest from a mass audience.  

    

Film Trailer Distribution

Basic Plot Outline

Genre - Supernatural horror
Binary oppositions - Good V's Evil

• Equilibrium is introduced - The protagonist is shown  in the normal world.
• Disruption - Protagonist sees news report about the body of a girl being found in the woods near their house.
• Protagonist goes to crime scene whilst out walking. They stop to look and see a shadowy figure in the background of the taped off area.
• Protagonist starts to be followed, starts to get paranoid, he is being followed by shadowy figure.
• One night looks out of window and sees a girl, pale and covered in blood stood in the middle of the deserted street.
• Ends up with protagonist and dead spirit meeting, they try to kill it but she takes revenge by killing protagonist.