"Audience Theory"

The Cultivation / Culmination Theory

This theory disagrees with the 'hypodermic needle' model, it states that it is not  possible for one media text to influence an audience. However, watching years and years of thing life violence, will make you less sensitive to the subject. This process is called desensitization.

I believe that this theory relates to my genre in the way that desensitization effects the audience. When you look back at the history of horror, the most commonly used settings, plots and characters have changed dramatically. 
When horror movies were first produced, the main type of 'bad guy' was something like a vampire or a werewolf featured in a castle. This was the 'gothic horror' generation. This then progressed to characters such as cannibals, movies such as texas chainsaw massacre and the hills have eyes were popular. It also has to be noted that the character choice has also changed, in the past i think that Laura Mulveys theory was of greater accuracy, attractive women being slaughtered was an extremely popular trope, especially in the 1970's slasher movies. 
I feel as though the audience of these movies have been 'desensitized' to horror that cannot relate to the real world. This is why horror has taken such a realistic turn. People will no longer find castles or vampires scary as they have become bored and lack fear. Nowadays, Films are most often set in real homes, and feature 'real' families, because this is what can actually relate to the audiences life. Attractive women being slaughtered by werewolves are a thing of the past.

(If a person was to see dracula now, they would view it as more of a comedy!)

Uses & Gratifications

According to the 'Uses and Gratifications' theory, everyone has a different use for the media and we all make decisions over what we want to watch. When we are approached by a media text we will always expect some kind of gratification from it, it's not just a mindless, random choice. Every individual has the ability to pick what they 'need' and what will satisfy them. The model is based on Maslows Hierarchy of needs. Through research, there has been 4 'needs' in particular that an individual will require.

1. Information: This is where an individual wants to find out about the society of the world. In other words, the person seeks to satisfy their curiosity. A good example of this could be The News or something like  wildlife documentary.
2. Personal Identity: Some may follow media in order to establish models for their behavior. For example a person may identify with someone that they have seen on a soap. In particular, the characters help us to decide what we feel about ourselves and if we agree with certain actions. 
3. Integration & Social Interaction: This is where a person will follow the media in order to find out more about the circumstances of other people. Watching certain shows may help a person empathize or sympathize with the lives of other people. People who watch these shows may feel attached to characters.
4. Entertainment:  Perhaps the main of the four points, most often we watch media for enjoyment, relaxation or just to fill in our spare time. 

• After considering the 'uses and gratifications' theory, i have been able to consider how it would apply to the audience of my project. Overall, I feel as though the 'entertainment' concept would apply the best. This is due to the fact that when a person watches a trailer, they are seeking to find some form entertainment. They are seeking to find something interesting to do with their time, like watching a movie. I feel that as a trailer is rarely over a couple of minutes long, the audience would not have time to fulfill the other needs i mentioned. As my target audience are between 18 and 28, i feel as though they will be seeking an adrenaline rush when watching a trailer. Psychological research has shown that this is the age that a person will feel that they have to 'prove' themselves to their peers, and will be also influenced by the people around them. I feel that this is why horror is so popular for this age range, in addition to be entertaining, watching a trailer gives them the opportunity to be up to date with latest releases. To go on to suggest that their peer group watches the movie could suggest that they are 'fearless' (especially in males).
• In addition to this, from 'The Blaire Witch Project' in 1999 to the recent 'Paranormal Activity' films in 2011/12 the horror genre has taken a 'realistic' turn. I feel as thought that the audiences that watch horror now, need psychological horror as some form of gratification. Most horror films are filmed within the home, or even on a handheld camera, the 'fear of the unknown' is now realistic due to the realism of the settings,shots and characters. 

Digital Technology Going To Use

In order to create my trailer, it is important that i reflect upon the technologies I am going to use and that I have already started to use. This will help me to plan the project, and help me realise if there is anything I should change. It is important that I make a comparison between the pro's and con's of the technologies. 

Blogger

 The most obvious piece of technology that I am going to be using is the internet blogging site 'Blogger'. Using this piece of software has allowed me to show my research and reflect upon my idea as the course has progressed. As i used this technology in my As course as well, it has enabled me to understand the site, and carry out new tasks as I have learned more. 

PRO's

•   The software is easy to use as i have already had a years experience with it in my AS course.
• It has enabled me to make a comparison of my work as time has gone on.
• It is easier for me to edit a post and add more information to it than using something like pen and paper. 
• I am able to use it at home.

CON's

• If the internet is down then I will be unable to access and continue with my work.
• It is sometime frustrating as it is hard to move images around posts.

 Apple Mac

As my school is lucky enough to have Apple Macs, this is the main type of computer that I have been working on. I have used it to carry out various tasks, from using the internet to creating mood boards. Again, I have also worked from this type of computer in my AS course. 

PRO's

•  The computers have extremely good software such as 'Final Cut Pro', this will be extremely useful when editing my movie.
• These computers are really fast compared to the ones i have at home. 

CON's

• A massive problem is that if i start a piece of work on these computers, on order to finish it i will have to go back to the same computer. This sometime proves difficult if someone else is also using it. 
• Another is that I am unable to send work home because the software on this computer isn't compatible to the computer i have at home. 

Panasonic HDC Video Camera

When it comes to filming my trailer I will be using one of the video cameras that the school provide as i do not have one at home. This will be a new challenge as I focused on still picture in my AS course. 

PRO's

• It will allow me to create the videos for my trailer & watch them back. 

CON's 

• Unfortunately the camera's provided have been with the school for some time, and as technology advances so quickly, the cameras have become dated. This means I will have to ensure the editing is of a high standard.
• Low resolution. 

    You Tube 

A considerable amount of my research has been carried out through youtube. It has enabled me to watch so many film trailers that have compared. In addition to this it allowed me to watch the movie 'Candy Man' in parts. 

PRO's

• This year, being able to access youtube has helped so much, while i was doing my AS course the school server had blocked it. 
• It gives me access to thousands of videos about horror films. 
• Blogger allows me to embed youtube videos so that others can watch what i have. 

CON's

• On occasion I have watched videos and been unsure as to whether they actually are 'official' or not, there is no form of verification. 

Final Cut Pro 

I have not used this piece of software yet, so i am a bit unsure as to what i should expect. It will allow me to edit my videos, and create the desired effects of a trailer. 

PRO's

• It will allow me to edit my trailer to an extremely high standard, this piece of software is even used by professionals. 

CON's

• I will have to carry out all editing on the same mac, as my work will only be saved to one. 
• I will be unable to send work home. 
• As this piece of technology is so advanced it may prove hard for me to use. 

Other pieces of software i have used on occasion include things like:

• Google
• Pages
• Various websites that list the 'best' horror films. 
• A digital camera

The Ideaologies Of My Chosen Genre..

In my opinion, I think that Psychological horrors are the most memorable and shocking out of all the genres. 
I believe that they stand the test of time more than any other type of horror, and that you are able to see elements of psychological horror influencing most scary movies. Psychological horrors are often based on such surreal subjects eg. cannibalism, serial killers, ghosts.. Yet they are still able to have some form of grip on reality and get underneath the viewers skin. Making the audience believe that "This could happen to me".
A good example of this could be the 1992 film 'Candyman', it carries all the conventions of a typical psychological horror. Based on a similar storyline to mine, it follows a young woman investigating the urban legend of the candy man. When watching the film i noted that although it was horror, there wasn't that many gory or 'horrifying' shots. It focused more on building up the anticipation that something was going to jump or or that something bad was going to happen to the characters. In addition there are lots of features that make the story of the urban legend believable, this is clearly important as this is what reinforces the idea of the audience feeling as though 'this could happen to me'. In addition, there is a clear link between what is shown on screen and Laura Mulvey's theory. It featured the stereotypical trope taken from 70's slasher movies, involving a teenage virgin being 'punished'.  I think that a psychological horror film doesn't end after you've left the cinema.. it stays with the viewer as a new fear, because of the storyline seeming so realistic. You could compare watching a psychological horror to being on a roller-coaster, they both relate in the way that the anticipation of the 'drop' increases until it seems almost unbearable. When it does 'drop' you find it is short lived and that your anticipating the build up again.


Directors of these films, rely on giving the viewer a false sense of security at the beginning of the film. This trope is also common of psychological horror trailers too. I have found that Classical music most often played by string instruments such as violins, highlight the peace of mind the characters have and the happiness they feel. However I have also found that as the plot shown in the trailer unravels, the clip time shortens and what's on screen is accompanied by something to heighten the suspense and suggest that the viewer should be fearful. A typical feature of sound that relates to this is often a heartbeat or even drums. In addition to this i have found that a good way to effect the viewer. I think that a really good effect is when the drums or heartbeat is playing, and the pace increases, is to completely stop the sound and briefly just show blackness on screen. This is soon followed by a 'horrifying' image and a loud almost screeching sound.

A Good Website to Refer To..

http://www.timeout.com/london/feature/2482/100-best-horror-films-the-full-list

This is a link to the "100 best horror films", a suprising amount of them are psychological horrors rather then things such as slasher or sci-fi horror related movies. 

Mood Board Reflecting My Idea..

Influential Directors Worth Remembering..

WES CRAVEN 
Wes craven has written, produced and directed many horror films of the 'pyschological' genre. Films you may have heard of include Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street and The hills have eyes. Craven usually focuses on developing plots that 'explore' reality and the effects it can have if slightly warped.. An example of this is Nightmare on Elm street.. he brought forward the idea of peoples dreams happening in real life. His work relates to mine in the way that it takes urban legends and makes them a reality. His films always relates to the audience in the way that it gets them to think that 'this could happen to me'. After watching his film 'the hills have eyes' i found that the plot almost planted a seed in my head and has made me believe that its possible for the story line to happen to me. This reinforces the idea that his films really are psychological horrors. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWNav9lhCPA (link to the first hills have eyes trailer)

"What began as a vacation ended as a nightmare"  
This quote automatically relates the the viewer, every family goes on holiday and its always a possibility that their could be a car accident causing you to be stranded. The evolves so that the viewer sees their worst nightmares, whether that be their baby being taken or their family being murdered. At the time it was a brand new kind of horror, it tested the limits of the viewer and what they'd be able to will themselves to watch. Craven aimed to shock audiences, so that it acted as a talking point and encouraged people to view the film. It also seems that using a voice over in a trailer is a commonly chosen feature for Craven, i think it adds a personal touch, in the way that it makes the viewer feel as though they are being told a story and what they are imagining is being shown on screen, almost becoming reality infront of their eyes.

My Target Audience

What do i expect the gender of my audience to be?
Although the storyline of my trailer mainly involves females, i want the film to appeal to both sexes, therefore a mass audience. The trailer shall relate to females through the characters an storyline. As females are often seen as compassionate and sympathetic, they shall feel empathy towards the main character in my film and want to find out what happens to her. Females will be able to relate to the characters and understand how they must feel being in that situation.
I have decided to comply with Laura Mulveys theory that women are often seen as defenseless and apply laura mulveys theory of male gaze to an extent. This will encourage males to view the trailer as they will be watching a group of young girls, that in their eyes need 'protecting'. In other words, as a trailers aim to is attract a wide range of audience as possible, i will stick to conventions and follow the various actions carried out that link to Mulveys theory so that i will be able to attract a large male audience in addition to female. In order to do this i will focus on stereotypical trates of horror movies.. For example; A girl has ran away from a monster after having no sleep the night previously, she hides behind a car and there is a closeupp of her... Yet she still looks attractive. In reality, if that would have happened the girl would have looked awful, she would have bags under her eyes, be sweating and so on..
Another point to make out is that it is extremely likely that both sexes will be able to follow the storyline as the trailer is based around an extremely famous urban legend.. It is probable that the audience will have heard a story about 'bloody mary' or have even tested the legend themselves.
I have decided that the most likely target audience members for my film will be students and the working class. They will therefore be classed as D&E on the ABC scale.

Profile of a typical audience member:

















I have chosen to use stacey as part of a profile of what i expect my audience to look and be like. I feel as though she will represent the female side of the audience perfectly, although i do want the trailer to appeal to many girls of different ages and interests, i think that her back ground and interests will do well as a general expectency.
Stacey is an 18 year old girl (although i want the age range to be from 18-28), born and brought up in kettering, a fairly busy town. Her lifestyle is typical for that of a teenage girl.. She is often busy juggling her school work and a hectic social  life, therefore she takes every opportunity to take a step back and relax.
She, like the girls in the trailer has her own social group of friends, that she enjoys spending time with. Stacey, as expected is largely effected by whats most 'popular' in media at the moment, whether thats through music, magazines or film. Around once or twice a month she will chose to go cinema with friends/family, in addition to this she will watch films at home once a week. When asked: "Do you watch horror movies, and if so, why do you watch them?".. She stated that she did, and that it was mainly an influence of her friends talking about a film and influencing her to go with them and watch it. ( It made me think more than the point of a trailer was to act as a talking point, so that more and more people hear about the film).
Taking her socio-economic group into account, i think that she would fit into the between the C2 and B area, this is because as a teenager and not having a house or bills ect to pay for she has a higher disposable income than other types of people. She spends this income on time relaxing with friends, and often in the cinema. The trailer needs to be able to persuade stacey to watch the film or at least talk to others about it. Her background will be from a well brought up family, who work for a living and parents have a particular skill.
Finally, as said previously, i dont want to claim that only one type of person will watch the trailer, however i think that it's Stacey's age group that is most easy influenced by what is new in media or what is popular with their peers.
In reference to Young and Rubicam's study of the four consumers. I believe that the audience of my particular trailer will be of the 'Mainstreamers' group. This group makes up 40% of the audience population. They like security and belonging to a group. This means that the audience will feel compelled to watch this film, as they would do so as a social activity (as part of a group), although the film plot could be seen as a threat to their views on their security, they will be okay at the time due to being around their peers.  

"Deconstruction of a key text from my Sub Genre"

The Orphan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgxVIB2WuHU

I have decided to deconstruct a Psychological Film trailer, although i have noted the conventions of horror trailers in a previous blog, i want to analyse this trailer in more detail. Analyzing this trailer to a greater extent with allow me to gather some kind of idea of what kind of shots, sounds and colours to show in my own trailer. It will also allow me to develop an opinion on certain memes, and allow me to decide whether I want to contrast them or not. In particular i want to focus on shots, iconography, sound and editing.

MISE EN SCENE

The first thing i notice is that the lighting is extremely bright, this is used as a form of pathetic fallacy, as its reflecting the characters moods. The lighting also resembles a child's innocence, bright lights showing everything suggest that she has nothing to hide. However when the clips shown on the trailer take a turn for the worst, the lighting dims, reflects the negativity of what is being shown on screen. This also acts as a contrast to the families previous happiness and the child's previous innocence. Also, the lighting used is always in a natural way, this is the same as the make up and costume. This relates to the story, a normal american family, living in a normal house and going to a normal school, there is nothing artificial about the setting or characters and this is shown through the mise en scene. 

SOUND

The sound at the beginning of the trailer mirrors the lighting, its light, airy and upbeat.In particular the sound of a piano being played reflects this, the high notes relate to positivity and in my opinion reminds me of Esthers supposed innocence. I would say that 'The orphan' follows a film trailers typical conventions because it has taken dialogue from the film and used it in a way the reflects the story line of the movie in a short space of time. Again the dialogue at the start and end of the trailer contrasts each other, with it being positive at the beginning and negative towards the end. The tension in the characters voices and what is spoken increases as the trailer goes on. Eventually it result in the sound of screams just being able to be heard, i would imagine that this would attract anyones attention towards the Tv and almost demand that they watch the rest of the trailer. 

CAMERA SHOTS Establishing ShotAn establishing shot is common of all moving pictures, whether it be a music video, tv program or movie trailer. So it comes as no suprise to see that the trailer of 'Orphan' follows this trate. The Establishing shot is shown at the begining of the trailer, to establish the scene, which in this case is an orphan village. It also helps to connect shots together, for example the next shot is of a nun at the orphan village and kids running round, without this shot you may have been confused as to where its set. Also it allows the viewer to see the families car pulling up to the house, this automatically portrays the contrast in life styles as its clearly an expensive car (like a land rover), it shows that the families life style will be completely different to that of Esthers (the orphans).

Close Up

Close ups appear frequently throughout the trailer, i feel that its because it allows viewers to clearly see characters emotions and because it heightens the tensity in certain scenes.. eg, mother screaming.It also means that producers can influence the way the viewer sees a character, for example an extreme closeup to Esthers face as she drops her smile and has a more sinister look can indicate to the audience that she isnt as innocent as she seems. It also makes them feel closer to the characters in the way that they may fear for the other childrens safety after seeing her face drop. The close up is especially effective and memorable when esther is screaming into the camera. In addition extreme closeups to childrens playground toys such as swings, give a sinister approach to something innocent, when i first watched it i kept expecting something to jump out as the pace had significantly slowed down compared to what it was previously.

High Angle shot
This shot is used when esther is shown throwing a young girl off the top of a climbing frame, you see her pale face at the top looking down at what she has just done. This has connotation of Esthers abililty to dominate others and her power. It suggests that she is above anyone else and is able to do anything she wants.

Birds Eye ShotThis shows the new 'mother' of Esther on the phone being told "There's something you need to know about Esther". She is shown with an exhausted expression and the camera looks down on her. This is done so that her emotions are reflected... She feels helpless and trapped. The birds eye shot connotated the she feels almost like bate, waiting to be caught by a bird, she is completely defenseless.

Urban Legends

An urban legend is a story that has been told, but has not necessarily been believed by the teller. This can range from stories about crime to stories about horror. In the past plots of movies have been taken from urban legends, an example of this could be the exorcist. 'Bloody Mary' is also derived from an urban legend, where if you repeat the name seven times she will be 'summoned' from the dead and haunt you. I like the idea of being able to base the trailer on an urban legend as  could state that there is some truth behind it, or that it is based on a true story. I feel that this would provoke more of an reaction from the viewer and perhaps keep them talking about the film after the movie has ended. 

Idea For My Trailer

I have decided that I'm going to link the trailer to something all teenage girls have experienced. I have decided that it will be a good idea to focus the story around the game 'bloody mary'. Where if you say the name 'bloody mary' in front of the mirror 7 times, she will appear and haunt you. I could do it so that a group of teenage girls play the game as a joke, acting as if they aren't scared and are really brave. The girl a mentioned in my narrative could take part, but however when she does it, it comes true and no one believes her.  

Narrative For My Film Trailer

Narrative

I have chosen to do a film trailer as part of my coursework. I have decided to do it on the horror genre of film, in particular Psychological horror. This type of horror focuses more on what's not shown on screen rather than what is shown on screen. For example a group walk into a creepy, dingy looking room and suddenly the lights go out and someone screams. This type of scene wont show anything particularly scary on screen but with still produce an element of fear from the viewer. In other words, it relates to the viewers 'Fear Of the Unknown'.

I want the story of the trailer to focus on a teenage girl. This is because i feel as though it will link to the theorist Laura Mulveys ideas that are commonly shown in horror. I want the girl to be portrayed as being defenseless, unable to stand up for herself. I then decided that i wanted the story-line to be similar to this;

"The main character is a privileged teenage girl, who has been brought up with almost anything she wants. When her and her friends take part in a similar activity to a ouiji board, she gets freaked out and decides not to continue. A few days after she begins to realise that something isn't right, she feels as though someone, or something is watching her. The story will unfold so that the girl is haunted, and no one will believe her." 

 I want the trailer to make the viewers feel as though they are the girl who's being haunted. Snippets of a scary image will flick across the screen. This is a common feature of psychological horror trailers and will heighten the sense of panic featured in the trailer. I also want the trailer to begin at a slow pace, introducing the character and scene, i want it to start with an upbeat feel. To do this i will perhaps have the tune of a guitar in the background playing an upbeat sound (as string instruments are common for psychological trailers). In addition i want it to focus on the girls life before, how everything seems perfect, so that the change after the game her and her friends play is dramatic. As the clip of the girls playing the game is on screen i think it would be good to have the guitar tune change to something similar to a heartbeat. This will indicate to the viewer that they are anticipating something sinister to happen. I want the second half of the trailer to be dark and a complete contrast to the first half. Again this is to define the change in the girls life. Also, i want this half to be fast paced so that it appears and dramatic. I want the end of the trailer to make the viewer jump, as after watching other trailers i feel that ones that feature something similar to this have a lasting impact on the viewer. 

What do Psychological Horror Trailers have in common?

Psycho (1960)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz719b9QUqY&feature=fvwrel

• Begins with violins playing an extremely high pitched note, this sound has since became symbolic of the film and horror in general. The sound is almost too high pitched to bare.
• Aims to scare the viewer as soon as possible. First images are of a woman laying in a bath presumably dead, the shower curtain being ripped off and then a quick shot of an outline of a man holding a knife. Although these images aren't that scary in themselves its the sequence they are constructed in, also being accompanied by the music that heightens the fear felt by the viewer. 
• Sets the scene by showing the motel. 
• Introduces the characters. Main character (woman) is shown looking cold & worried whilst gazing up into a window. 
• Violins continue, however at a significantly slower pace. This makes the viewer feel that they are anticipating something to shock/scare them after what the trailer had first shown.
• The characters adopt a more serious tone, and trailer focus' on heightening the anticipation rather than setting the scene.
• Pace increases.
• Quotes from film build up to create a basic story line, but audience are still intrigued.
• Final intimidating image shown at end of trailer to intimidate the viewer.

Shutter island (2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iaYLCiq5RM

• Also starts by giving a basic outline of the story, the scene in which its set, shows the characters ect.
• A guitar note is played after every couple of seconds, this to me reflects the ticking of a clock and relates to the viewers anticipation that it will soon become fast paced.
• A brief clip of the producers name is shown.
• Pace increases after a creepy image flicks across the screen
• clips shorten & pace of music rapidly increases.
• The words "do you know what fear does to the mind?" are quoted whilst various images of empty corridors are shown, this relates to how psychological horrors play on the viewers mind, and its more their own mind that makes them fearful rather than what's shown on screen.
• Scary images are repeatedly shown on screen. Whilst they are shown the pitch of the string instruments heighten to almost a scream.

Laura Mulveys Theory in horror.

Although i have decided to do a psychological horror, i have briefly looked at slasher movies. I have found that you can relate laura mulveys theory to this genre in particular, covers often feature women shown in a provocative way or shown in a weak submissive way. Whereas the men are shown in a strong, powerful perspective.

A video montage showing slasher movies from 1970-2001
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4bSOUN3Tz8

Laura Mulvey Male Gaze Theory

Laura Mulvey was and extremely influencial british feminist, she is well known for her 'male gaze' theory. She states that on screen, women are only show as objects to be desired rather than their own person. Women are always presented in a way that they provide visual pleasure to men. for example, in a music video a female artist may walk away and the camera will focus on her bum. In other words, whatever is shown on screen is shown from a males perspective. The concept of the 'gaze' relates to three things:

1.How men view women

2.How women view themselves

3.How women look at other women

On screen typical features of this 'gaze' you can often pick out, is that the camera will always focus on a womens body rather than her face or actions.