Costume

Costume and props may seem like a minor piece of the process of filming a trailer but when they are used carefully they can add a great effect to the tone of the trailer. 

The Dress: Finding something that would be appropriate for 'Bloody Mary' to wear was difficult, I knew exactly what i wanted but couldn't find it anywhere. In the end I found a  wedding dress that reminded me of tudor times, when Bloody Mary would have been alive. I feel that this adds a realistic tone to the trailer and makes the role easily recognisable, as this style of dress is symbolic of Bloody Mary. 

The Victim & Friends Clothes: This was an easy choice, due to the victim and friends playing roles similar to their own lifestyles, they could just wear normal, casual clothes. However i did make a conscious choice to ask them to wear darker colours, as bright clothing may ruin the feel of certain clips and shots. 

Recce

These are some photos i have taken of locations which are going to be involved in my trailer. Taking these has made me consider and properly think about the effects and connotations of these locations. Most of the trailer will be set in my house, this means that the setting will be easily accessible and it will be easy for me to be able to analyse the composition of each location. 

This is a shot of my house, where most of the filming will take place. It will also be involved in being the 'establishing shot' at the start of the trailer. I decided to film at home due to the fact that most horror trailers are relateable to the viewer, in particular modern ones, which are often filmed in locations that the viewer will spend time at.



These are images of various mirrors inside my house, these will be particularly important due to the storyline being based around an urban legend revolving around the mirror. I will need to think alot about how I am going to film the clip of the girls saying Bloody Mary in the mirror, if i dont get it right I think that it will make the clip seem ammateur and unbelievable. I will also have to think about lighting as the quality of the videos will be reduced if i filmed into a mirror.
This is an image of the staircase inside my house. It may seem like a strange place to film but I think I have had a good idea of a scene inspired by The Exorsist. I think that using this as a location would only work best if i showed a short clip, if the clip was too long the viewer may find the location boring. I also have to consider the lighting in this setting due to the fact that it is quite a dark part of my house, and there is no natural light there.
 Long dark hallways are a stereotypical setting for a psychological horror. I think the hallway in my house will be a great setting due to the fact that there are so many doors, it will be a good location to make the viewer jump by Bloody Mary jumping out. Again, lighting may be an issue with this location.
This is where i would like to film the scene where the victim wakes up to find Bloody Mary at the end of her bed. Composition may be an issue as i will have to think about where to position the camera in order to include both the villain & victim in the same shot. Also, a pink duvet cover isnt exactly iconic of a horror trailer, so i will have to either change it to a darker colour or edit the clip.
I aim to use this setting in various ways, for example conversations between characters. I also want to use it in a clip where I film from outside looking in. I think that it will take alot of practise but the end result will look good.

Casting

Casting
I had to take a lot of time to consider who to ask to be in my trailer. I needed the actors to fit in with the roles I'd pictured and take the work i was doing seriously. 

Bloody Mary - Audrey Corben 
I decided to use Audrey as Bloody Mary because she had long, dark hair much like the images I have seen of 'Bloody Mary' online. With her hair and makeup done she looks much like the stereotypical image of a 'crazy' woman. She reminds me of the actress Helen Bonham-Carter. 

The Victim - Georgie Crotty
Georgie is exactly what i imagined the victim to be like. She is pale with blonde hair and big eyes, these are typical conventions that you would expect to see in a horror movie victim. I think that because she looks so innocent, it will provoke more of a reaction from the audience.

I have deliberately picked the victim and the villain so that their images juxtapose each other. Georgie's (the victims) image has connotations of youth and innocence, whereas the image i've created for Audrey (the villain) has connotations of evil and negativity. 

Victims Friends - Claudia Carr & Faryl Smith 

Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment
It is essential that I produce a risk assessment for the task at hand. This is so that i am prepared for any unexpected incidents, and so that i can weigh up my options if something has a too high risk. I need to ensure that a consider all of my ideas and the risks that come with them. Luckily i plan to film the actors inside, with a few shots from the outside looking in. 
RISK

1. Filming on hard to reach or uneven ground - assess the area for unseen hazards and take your time to reach the area. Make sure people have full concentration throughout.
2. Filming near roads - Be constantly aware of traffic, don't get too close to the roads or do anything that could be dangerous.
3. Weather when filming outside - Make sure everyone wears suitable clothing as you can be outside for a long period of time.
4. Rain- Ground can be wet and unpredictable to work on, equipment may get damaged 
5. USB lead for camera- Can be unreliable as leads for the cameras from school are often broken, double check its in good condition.
6. Permission- Some areas you will need permission before filming.
7. Unpredicted problems- always have a back up plan of what to do if something happens to prevent you taking photos e.g) Unpredicted bad weather, think of a suitable place to take photos in doors.
8. Filming within school- Ensure you film at a time when there are few people around e.g. Not at lunch or break.
9. Tripping up when running up stairs - Ensure that actors are extremely cautious and understand that they don't have to take a risk. 

Focus Group

Creating a focus group has enabled me to establish what the audience really wants and expects to come from a psychological horror film trailer. I asked a group of ten people, made up of six females and four males (finding males is difficult when you go to a girls school). I asked them questions based on horror, varying from "what scares you most about psychological horrors?" to "Do you like a voiceover on a trailer?". It is important that I reflect upon the results so that i can ensure that my trailer relates to my audience as much as it can.The Questions
1) What type of horror movie scares you most?
2) What is your favourite horror movie?
3) What scares you most about psychological horrors?
4) Do you prefer gore to suspense?
5) What type of characters do you expect to see in a psychological horror?
6) What do you expect a horror trailer to show?
7) What persuades you to see a film at the cinema after watching the trailer?
8) In general, what do you find frightening?
9) Do you prefer it when suspense builds in a trailer rather than it all being 'thrown' at you from the beginning?
10) Do you like a voiceover in a trailer?

The Results 

Analysis Of Results

The participants of the focus group usually reacted similarly to the questions, this could be due to the fact that they may have been influenced by others and not want to go against the majority. I found the answers extremely helpful, as it gave me an idea of what the audience expect to see from a psychological horror. I now know what to do about the features I was unsure of including, and have gained inspiration from them adding additional     ideas. 

Overall, I found that psychological horrors were deemed the most 'scary', this is due to the fact that the audience feels as though they can relate to the characters, as they are often young and lead similar, 'normal' lives. Additionally, although plots are often based on stories that are relatable to urban legends and myths, the audience will often feel as though "this could happen to me", a few participants added that this was due to the fact that we are brought up to fear the unknown, that bad things often happen when you least expect it. A number of people added that they find the best psychological horrors have a plot that will stay with them, and "mess with their head". It is important that i make my trailer as memorable as possible, so that the images and sounds on screen stay with the audience. Making my trailer as memorable as possible also links to the participants that stated that they find the memorability of the trailer the thing that influences them most to continue to watch the film at the cinema. 

I also asked questions about trailers in general, participants stated that its important for a trailer to have fast editing, memorable characters, and good sound effects. I asked them about their opinion on voice overs, and 100% said no, this was an interesting find as I thought that voice overs were iconic of trailers. They added that they much prefer when clips of the characters speaking works as a much better method of portraying the plot. 

An interesting point someone made was that they find the best horror trailers "lure you into a false sense of security", again I found this to be true. As mentioned in my 'analysis of psychological horror trailers' post, a trailer will usually start in an upbeat manner, introducing characters and setting is a must. 

Finally, when asked "what else influences you about a trailer to watch a movie at the cinema?". 30% said that it was the fact that a movie had famous actors in, this will be impossible to include in my own trailer so it is important that i focus on other things they said, such as including: cliff hangers, good plot and that it's memorable.