Technologies

We have used a numerous amount of technologies through out the making of our promotion package, firstly we used the Internet to look into conventional horror and psychological thrillers, we specifically looked into how the trailer was constructed and the state of equilibrium.

We used a digital camera for the animatic which allowed us to see what the shots would look life before recording and experiment on what type of shot would look best e.g long shot, point of view shot, we also used the camera to take pictures for our posters and front covers.

We then used a camcorder and tri-pod to record the footage of the story, the tri-pod allowed us to keep the camera steady and to reach angles that we wouldnt of done ourselves

When recorded our footage we put it on Adobe Preimere elements which allowed the group to edit the shots to what length we wanted them to be at and to use special effects and transitions to make the trailer more realistic.

Another Adobe programme that we used was Adobe in Design, which allowed us to edit the pictures that we toke to transform them into posters and magazines.

We also used Blogger which allowed us to update our project as we went along

Theories

We have followed theories such as Todorov's theory which is

1. A state of equilibrium at the outset of the narrative
2. A disruption of the equilibrium by some action
3. A recognition that there has been a disruption
4. An attempt to repair the disruption
5. A reinstatement of equilibrium

We have followed this from the start of the storyline where the boy drowns in the lake and the sister is upset that she cannot help, but when they are in school this is disturbed again as her 'friends' wan to go back down to the lake and she still is mourning over her brothers death, this is then shown when a hooded figure down at the lake is identified and wants to get revenge. However we did not follow the last point as we want to leave the audience with a code of enigma, not knowing who the killer is.

Another theory that we followed was Charles Perry of industrialisation brought with its venerable members of society effected by the changes around them. W have used this in our trailer through the character of the sister of the boy who drowned not being able to move on and not excepting the fact its ok to go back down the lake.

We have also used Levi Strauss's theory of the definition of opposition structure. For example the sister loved her brother so now she is experiencing hate towards her friends for not helping him and also that she has been experiencing suffocation whilst her friends have been enjoying the freedom and not worrying about the boys death.

Themes

The key themes of our trailer is

• Death
• Isolation
• Revenge
• Weakness
• Past, Present, Future

From our film title it is sensed 'Asphyxiate' is ways of which victims are killed, which the meaning refers to drowning, suffering and strangling. This is identified from the beginning of the long shot of the drowning of the boy and is viewed as weakness as he cant swim to saftey.     
We have also based the story on the girl wanting revenge on the friends for not helping her brother, which is still a pyschological element that she stil wants to get revenge 5 years later, so she believes in order to make herself move on she must do this. Although we didnt want the audience knowing to much we wanted them to be left with a dofe of engima on who survives and who is the one getting revenge.
 I believe another big key issue is isolation in our trailer because it is conventional in horror trailers such as the trailers we have focused on 'Sorority row' this gives the audience a sense that the characters are in an uncomftable postion because they are vunerable to others when they are alone. We can see this from a close up in the trailer of Ryan being strangled shouting 'HELP' and nobody comes to help because he has been on his own, and also another phrase 'is anybody out there'

Characters

Will- was the boy who drowned in the lake and was identified as a helpless victim and had been seen as a possible protagonist through out the film trailer haunting the lake.

Elyse (Sarah)- Is one of the main characters ans is known as the Villain however she can be seen as helpless as the pyscological side of her brothers death left her wanting seek revenge of her 'friends' emotionally, physically and intellectually for them being so heartless. We have focused on Sarah the main character so the audience can emphasise with her and maybe sympathise with her. We used this through the black and white effect as a 'flash black'.

Paige, (mum)- Another character that had a main leads the mum of the boy who drowned in the lake, we wanted the audience to also sympathise with the mother as well because she has lost her son, as the trailer goes in we see that she wont let her daughter go down to the lake on her own but it gives a code of enigma, why would she go down here? but is shows a close relationship between the family.

The Victims (Millie, Hannah, Ryan, Nia, Jess and others) - The victims try to be sympathetic and kind towards Sarah and ask her to join the party, we wanted the audience to have a love hate relationship between all of the characters as they all have split personalities. There are difference in the stregth of the characters some can be seen as weak 'go have a look' this emphasises they dont want to do it theirselves.

Target Audience

We identified the target audience by using the actors who were roughly between the  age 15-20 who were both genders. However because we have used a complexed film title for our trailer we have widened the range of our audience to 15-24. I believe that this age range also like camping and working problems out intellectually.

   I believe our trailer appeals to the target audience by using characters roughly the same age as the actors so they can relate and emphasise with them. I also believe because there are mostly girls in the trailer they can relate more to the characters that they usually would in a stereotypical horror film.

  The target audience will recognise the genre of the film due to the soundtrack, non diegetic sounds such as 'boom' lighting, establishing shots such as the protagonist overviewing the party and vunerable shots of the victims.

The audience thought the setting  was appropriate as the location was a forest lake conventionally represents isolation, fear and darkness, as well as the water can represent calmness and it being an effect of characters death

   

                                                   

Evaluation of the film trailer

The film trailer we have produced is successful in ways that we have followed conventions of the genre, horror. We have also followed theorists such as 'Todorov's' which is when a state of equilibrium was always at the start of the trailer, and then problems are stated disturbed. We have also left a code of enigma of a 'red herring' effect which is one of the effects that we found when we were researching into horror trailers. We did this because we wanted to leave  the audience unknown of who the killer was and what was going to happen next which is what we wanted so they would go and see the film.

   I believe that we have used specific codes and conventions through our trailer such as dark lighting, long shots of isolation, panning of the mise en scene to show vunerbility and isolation.

 

How the trailer would be consumed

The target audience would find the trailer using a veriety of digital technology for example, TV, radio, internet and cinema making the audience known as 'Technofiles', I believe this is the case because the target audience is the range of 15-24 they can control what they do and what they want to see they could do this through the internet, you tube and see the trailer under the genre of trailer that they have been watching previously.

 

A way of the trailer being consumed would be through watching other films at the cinema or on DVD where you would pay to watch the film but get free advertisment.