To go with the new name, we also changed the font of the whole title. The word 'end' is written in 'Surfing Capital'. The colouring is similar to blood and the font itself looks like it has been painted or written by someone which fits well with the idea that it is also the message the killer leaves its victims.  

We also decided to use newspaper clippings for the numbers '2110' - this is also the same as the note that the characters receive in the film. 

In preparation for making our magazine front cover and poster, we looked at exemplars that were provided by the exam board.

Magazine
What I Like -

• I like the main image as it is simple but effective. 
• I like how you can easily tell that the film that is featured is a horror with the use of blood
• The whole cover is laid out quite well and doesn't look too crowded
• It generally sticks with the house style that a typical Empire magazine would have
• All of the text relates to the film and shows that this issue is a special for the film

So, do the posters for Crimson Peak break or use typical codes and conventions for film posters? To help decide, I researched by looking at 3 other posters - a main poster for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, a character poster for The Huntsman Winter's War and a teaser poster for Jurassic World. I labelled the key features and components on each poster to help with the comparison to the Crimson Peak posters.




Crimson Peak - Codes and Conventions 
Teaser Poster - After looking at other teaser posters, the one for Crimson Peak does fit into the typical codes and conventions that are used. The poster includes a tagline, the title of the film and a release date. However, the teaser poster does break convention by featuring a character and an age classification - teaser posters generally don't have an age rating when they are released as the film is usually still in post-production and is quite a while away from being released. Teaser posters generally include an icon and don't really give much away - however, the poster for Crimson Peak includes an image of one of the characters and a location - even though the poster doesn't make all of the details very clear due to its artistic design, this poster does give more away than your average teaser poster. This poster also breaks convention by hinting at the talent involved - even though a direct name is not given, audiences who follow the director can imply who it is as one of their famous films is mentioned.

Main Poster - After looking at other main posters, the one for Crimson Peak does use codes and conventions that are typically used. The poster includes a credit block, a main image which includes the main character(s), an icon/symbol (the butterfly), a tagline and the title of the film. Even though the poster does use a lot of typical conventions - there are also some conventions that the poster breaks. The poster does not include an age classification or a release date. This is unusual for a main poster as they are usually released closer to the release date of the film than a teaser so it is more likely for a release date to be given. Crimson Peak's main poster also includes the names of the talent involved which weren't actually included in the Mockingjay - Part 2 poster that I looked at but are still a typical feature of a main poster. I think this main poster generally breaks the conventions as even though it includes a lot of typical features, it does exclude some important features which give a lot of information to audiences - main posters are usually a lot more informative than teaser posters and this one is only slightly more informative.

Character Poster - After looking at other character posters, the one for Crimson Peak uses codes and conventions that are typically used in character posters. Crimson Peak's poster features an image of one of the characters, the name of the talent in the image, the title of the film and a release date. However, with the release date, the one for Crimson Peak is a very broad 'coming soon' whereas character posters are usually still quite broad but generally have the name of the month or season that the film is going to be released. The only feature that Crimson Peak's poster doesn't include is the name of the character that the talent named is playing. Overall, this character poster for Crimson Peak uses and fits in with typical codes and conventions.

Similarities and Differences 
The biggest difference between a teaser and main poster is that a main poster is a lot for informative to an audience - in the Crimson Peak posters, the teaser poster includes a tagline, main image and the films name whereas the main poster includes a main image of the main 3 characters, a tagline, the films name, a credit block and icons - a brand is created. It is important that main posters are much more informative than a teaser as they are generally the final proper poster that is released so is the final way for the studio to persuade audiences to go and see the film in the form of a poster.

Character posters generally follow the same branding as the main poster. This similarity can be seen in the posters for Crimson Peak. This helps create a sense of familiarity for the audience as as time goes on, whenever they see the font, logo or symbols, they can associate them with the film. The teaser poster for Crimson Peak doesn't really fit in with the branding of the film other than the consistent tagline. It is important that a film creates an effective brand as it can be really helpful and vital to the success of the film.

Main posters and character posters are generally quite similar. However, character posters spotlight a certain character and the actor or actress who plays them. This is usually most effective when a film includes big name talent. The character poster for Crimson Peak does not include a credit block whereas the main poster does - this is because character posters are all about the character and selling the 'star' to the audience rather than all of the other information. It is important that the audience are aware of who is in the film as they can associate the actor/actress with others films they have been in that they may have enjoyed. For example, Jessica Chastain has starred in numerous successful films - one of which being a horror - Mama - $146.4 million worldwide (horror), Interstellar - $675 million worldwide (sci-fi), The Martian - $478.3 million worldwide (sci-fi) and Zero Dark Thirty - $132.8 million worldwide (drama and Chastain was Oscar nominated for this film).

Our question is answered at 13:57 in the video. 

We sent a tweet to movie reporter and Youtuber Grace Randolph (Beyond the Trailer, Movie Math) about our idea and trailer.

We asked 'For our final year in school, we are making a film trailer for Media Studies coursework. The plot is a thriller and has a similar 'mystery killer' plot to Scream and Scream Queens. What do you think is most important in a trailer?'

@GraceRandolph Question! pic.twitter.com/ccyMgKg4bm

— daniel (@MrDSelenator) October 24, 2015

We received lots of advice that we will take on board. Grace regularly reviews movie trailers on her Youtube channel so we thought she was the person to go to when wondering what makes a good trailer. Grace also asked her viewers to put in the comments section any more ideas they have for us and to tweet her the trailer when it is finished which we plan to do.

• We remembered to remove any obstructions from the driveway. We only had one car on the driveway and took away any thing that could disrupt the continuity of the scene. An example of this is a family dog which had to be put in an area away from the cameras frame so it could not be seen in shot. 
• We were very safe and no equipment was damaged. We were also very cautious when on the street. 
• We were able to think of the go - even though there were many hurdles, we managed to overcome them and alter our idea so it could work with what we had. 

What Didn't Go Well:

• The tripod we got from school was the wrong size for our camera so we had to make a make-do tripod. This wasn't convenient as it was hard to carry around. However, we have learnt for next time to bring the right size tripod so we will not encounter issues like this again.
• It was difficult to film at sunset because you only get once chance. This means that next time we will have to plan throughly beforehand to make the most of our once chance and try and get the shot we want. 
• Lighting continuity was also an issue as at this time of day, it is consistently getting darker so some shots were darker than others.
• We didn't plan the shoot very well - we forgot that the door we wanted to use had a glass window which means you could see through it. Next time, we will still use this door but will alter our idea slightly to make the glass window fit in well. The glass door did sometimes become an issue as we could see ourselves in the reflection. To resolve this issue, we approached the door tactically to make sure that we couldn't see ourselves in the reflection. 
• We also forgot that we needed one of our characters on set with us. To deal with this, we changed the person who will play the character from one of our friends to April. 
• We also forgot about the killer having to wear black clothing. We didn't have any costumes ready as at first we thought we were just shooting an establishing shot but we then realised we needed characters and costumes. Next time, we will ensure we have all costumes needed. 
• We also had issues with the stop motion style filming. The camera would occasionally move from the position which was another continuity issue. To resolve this issue, we marked where the camera positioned to ensure it was as close as possible for every shot. 

We visited Corby Film Week and took part in one of the workshops. This was led by Robert Foster who has worked on Hollyoaks, The Bill and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. We learnt about the importance of lighting (creating a white balance before beginning to film), the importance of camera angles/height (interviews work best at eye level, high angle can show inferior subject and low angle can show superior subject) and how to work best on a small budget. We also learnt about storyboarding and the rule of thirds. With lighting, you can add filters on to the light to create a different effect - you could use a blue filter which helps create a nighttime effect. We also learnt about how to zoom effectively and how to maintain focus. We also learnt about how important it is to have light continuity - this will ensure that the trailer flows well and all shots come together nicely. We also learnt about colour temperatures for outside and inside.

Our favourite font is option 1 - the mix of 'Chris-Man' and 'I Still Know' will likely be the option we go for for our trailer.

Day One - Shots 3&4

• Weather - If it is raining on the day of filming, the camera may get damaged. To solve this, we will make sure we have an umbrella just in case. We may also have continuity issues if the rain begins half way through our shooting time. Another issue is if the temperature is low then we will need to make sure we are wearing warm clothing so that we did no become ill because of the temperature. Our main way to get around all of this is by checking the weather the morning of the shoot so we can make a confident decision for whether to go ahead or not. 
• Slipping - As it is coming towards the end of the year, the weather will become considerably colder. This may lead to areas becoming icy or slippy. To make sure that no injuries are caused, we will wear appropriate footwear and walk slowly and sensibly. 
• Road Danger - As we want quite a wide shot of the house, we may have to be on the road for a period of time. However, we are familiar with this road and know that it is rarely busy and only used by residents of the street. As we are filming in the evening, it will be at its quietest time so we shouldn't be in any danger. To get around this issue, we will be aware at all times of any cars or vehicles approaching. We will also wear a high visibility jacket when on the road so people can see us. 
• Ladder - For one of our shots, we will be using a small step ladder and a hosepipe. To make this as safe as possible, we will place the ladder on level flooring and have someone next to the ladder holding it. This means that there will be a small chance of any injuries caused by the ladder. We will also make sure we wear appropriate footwear. 

Censorship is the name for the process or idea of keeping things like obscene word or graphic images from an audience. Regulation is the action or process of regulation or being regulated. In post-war years it was fears of social unrest that was the reason for many films being censored or banned. As the nation relaxed in the 1960s nudity became the prime concern. The early 1970s saw film-makers pushing the limits of acceptability. In the 1980s the British Board of Film Censors to the board of Film Classification. Levels of violence then became the concern.

When Rambo III was submitted to the board in the late 1980s. Between Rambo II and III the Hungerford Massacre- where Michael Ryan killer 16 people with an assortment of guns- had made firearms and violence front-page news in Britain.
The attitude of the BBFC showed the way it had always had to respond to shifts in public opinion. The issue was that Rambo II seemed to be almost non-stop gunfire- "It's not so much what is shown, but how much and how relentlessly." The examiners fell into an intense debate over whether to grant the film the same 15 certificate as its predecessors (with cuts), or the more adult 18 reflecting the heightened sensitivities surrounding gun use. The film was released with an 18 certificate after cuts had been made.

Films can have different cuts of the film released depending on the country. In extreme cases films can be banned in certain counties. This is something we would have to take into consideration for our film. If our film has any elements that may offend people in other countries it could be censored or banned.

A recent example is the 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey. The film was released in the UK with an 18 rating. However, in Indonesia, Cambodia and Malaysia it was banned out right. In the US the film came under fire from Christian groups for its salacious content and received an  R rating. Fifty Shades was promoted heavily in Vietnam however was cut of all love scenes and many other scenes were heavily edited. Similarly, last year Vietnam took Sex in the City off the air after only five episodes despite cutting racier moments. France couldn't differ more, they awarded the uncut version of the film a 12 certificate. The president of the French ratings board said the film "isn't a film that... can shock a lot of people" and described it as "a romance, you could even say a schmaltzy".

The Biblical epic Noah directed by Darren Aronofksy was dismissed by local censors in China on religious grounds. Noah was a huge hit in the US, despite its unorthodox depiction of the antediluvian patriarch. The film upset Christians, Muslims and secularists. The film was banned in Malaysia, after censor deemed it to be in violation of Islamic law, as well as Indonesia, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates due to concerns over the depiction of the prophet.

Promotional material such as posters can also face censorship and regulation. The Sin City sequel poster featuring Eva Green was deemed to risqué by US censors. Green appeared on the poster wearing a revealing thin gown and was banned by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for nudity.

Here are the legal responsibilities we must consider when filming our trailer:

We must make sure that none of the general public are in the background of our film without our consent. This is because they are protected by privacy. We must also make sure that we do not refer to a member of the general public in a way that would lower their reputation.

We should obtain written consent from anyone who is featured on camera

Insurance: As we are students and our project is part of our course then we are covered by our school. However, if we were an actual production company, we would need Public Liability Insurance which would cover the responsibilities of our production. As we are filming in the street, we would need at least £2 million cover. However, it is probably safest to have around £5 million. The size of our production is quite small which suggests that the costs for the insurance would be slightly lower.

U means Universal. This means that anyone of any age is allowed to watch a film that has this certificate. Us only included infrequent uses of mildly bad language and there is no large focus on sexual behaviour. Violence in films that are rated U is also generally quite mild. Us also have no references to drugs. However, a U rated film isn't necessarily a children's film - it is just a film that includes generally positive messages. Examples of films that are rated U are 'Wall-E', the 2015 version of 'Cinderella', 'Inside Out' and 'Home'. According to the BBFC - U means 'suitable for all'.

PG means parental guidance. This means that the film is suitable for most people but may be unsuitable for younger viewers. PG films aren't all for younger viewers. For example, Saving Mr Banks was rated PG because it didn't include any explicit content, not because it is was a children's film. Mild bad language, brief/infrequent sex references, mild violence and passing references to drugs may all be included in a PG rated film. Examples of films that are rated PG are 'Maleficent', 'Monte Carlo', 'Coraline' and 'Brave'.


12A rated films usually contain content that generally isn't suitable for children under the age of 12. However, the 'A' stands for accompanied which means that children under the age of 12 can watch a 12A rated film if they are accompanied by an adult. Strong language, brief sexual nature, moderate violence and drug misuse may all be included in a 12A rated film. Horror films can also be passed as a 12A if they include only moderate physical and psychological threat. Examples of films that are rated 12A are The Hunger Games series, 'Everest', 'Pitch Perfect 2' and 'Jurassic World'.


An 15 rated film is only suitable for those aged 15 or above. 15 rated films may include strong violence, frequent strong language, sexual activity, references to sex, nudity, brief scenes of sexual violence, discriminatory language and drug taking. 15 rated horror films can include strong threat and horror but there must not be a sustained focus on sadistic or sexualised threat. The most common films that are rated 15 are horrors and comedies. Examples of films that are rated 15 are 'Trainwreck', 'The Visit', 'Magic Mike XXL' and 'Mad Max: Fury Road'.


An 18 rated film is only suitable for adults aged 18 or above. 18 rated films may include very strong violence, frequent strong language, strong portrayals of sexual activity, scenes of sexual violence, strong horror, strong blood and gore, real sex and discriminatory language and behaviour. 18 rated horror films may contain sustained threat, horror and gore. Examples of films that are rated 18 are 'Spring Breakers', 'Gone Girl', 'Fifty Shades of Grey' and 'Legend'.

We made a collage of posters of horror and thriller films. We did this because we haven't quite decided which genre our film will fit into to (it is mainly a thriller but has elements of horror).

We made a spider diagram of the types of things that scare people so we could get an idea of what would be the 'scare factor' in our film.
Here is our idea put into Todorov's Narrative Theory:
Stage 1: Usual happy life, sets up relationships between characters (mainly between boyfriend and girlfriend)
Stage 2: The girlfriend is suddenly killed
----A Year Later----
Stage 3: Messages send to other friends - want to find out who it is, want investigation to resume
Stage 4: Try and go to police, more murders, anyone who starts to get on to the killer is murdered
Stage 5: Murderer discovered and killed, back to happy life, secrets are outed

Note: Stage 5 wouldn't be shown in the trailer.

We then related our films characters to Propp's Character theory:
Villain - murderer
Hero - The friends
Helper - one friend who is on to the killer
False hero - the girlfriend as she has hidden secrets and also the mystery killer as they are someone in the friendship group
Donor - police/detective