Mise En Scene
When thinking about our trailer we have to think about Mise en Scene as this plays an important role in creating a successful film trailer. This includes location, costume, make up, props and lighting. All these things are needed in order to tell a story to the audience and to strongly get across the genre and storyline of the film strongly. Without the continuous thought of Mise En Scene when planning and making our trailer it allows us to develop our media skills and techniques as well as create a visually successful trailer for our chosen target audience.
The location of our film trailer is important as this can set the scene and make the audience feel like something is going to happen to the character or feel like they are safe. For example, if the character is in a derelict building this makes the scene tense as this location is seen as creepy and isolated. As we have a small budget for filming we will be using a location rather than a studio, as studios can be costly for one off films and can cost a lot to make and design.
Costume can show the era of that the film is set as well as whether the character is a victim or an antagonist. This makes it easier for the audience to establish the roles of the characters and how they will act before their personality is revealed. For example, a rich man may wear expensive looking fabrics (waistcoat, suit etc.) whereas a poor man may wear tattered and dull clothes (basic clothing, brown and faded colours etc.). Black clothing is often used to hide a person’s identity as this is a simple colour. Black is often the colour of the baddies’ clothing in films. For example, robbers wear black as this makes them less likely to be seen (The antagonists usually wear black make-up, costumes and bandanas over their face). We have decided that our victim will wear casual wear however, our two antagonists will wear black track suits to fit to this stereotype of baddies’ wearing black costumes and being associated with the colour black to hide their identity.
Like costumes, Make-up can set a character’s personality as well as age and era they come from. For instance, we may see a young teenager with minimal make up to show her vulnerability and innocence whereas we may see a rebellious teen with dark make –up. We have decided that our young victim in our trailer will wear minimal make-up to create this effect. Red lipstick is often used in films to show danger, as this colour gives the audiences a clue that something bad make happen in the upcoming events of the film. Make-up can also be used to show sickness and injuries. For example, pale make-up to show a person is ill and black eye make-up to show that a person has been punched and in a fight.
Props often play a part in setting the scene in films and film trailers. For example, some storylines create their story around a prop and the character’s main goals are to find or be in possession of this prop. In our film trailer we have a few props that are significant in our storyline and to set the scene. These is a mask that seems to summon the two antagonists and a gun that results in the victim being hurt and vulnerable.
From looking at different trailers as research I found that Lighting seems to play an important part in creating suspense in horror movies. For example, if something is going to jump out we want it to be low key or chiaroscuro lighting as these both create an eerie sense to what is happening in the film or trailer. Chiaroscuro is especially good in creating suspense as shadows can be created making the audience aware that the character is being followed before the character knows making the audience feels on the edge of their seats and routing for the character to see that they are being followed. Due to this I think chiaroscuro and low key lighting will be used throughout my teaser trailer to create this suspense.
The location of our film trailer is important as this can set the scene and make the audience feel like something is going to happen to the character or feel like they are safe. For example, if the character is in a derelict building this makes the scene tense as this location is seen as creepy and isolated. As we have a small budget for filming we will be using a location rather than a studio, as studios can be costly for one off films and can cost a lot to make and design.
Costume can show the era of that the film is set as well as whether the character is a victim or an antagonist. This makes it easier for the audience to establish the roles of the characters and how they will act before their personality is revealed. For example, a rich man may wear expensive looking fabrics (waistcoat, suit etc.) whereas a poor man may wear tattered and dull clothes (basic clothing, brown and faded colours etc.). Black clothing is often used to hide a person’s identity as this is a simple colour. Black is often the colour of the baddies’ clothing in films. For example, robbers wear black as this makes them less likely to be seen (The antagonists usually wear black make-up, costumes and bandanas over their face). We have decided that our victim will wear casual wear however, our two antagonists will wear black track suits to fit to this stereotype of baddies’ wearing black costumes and being associated with the colour black to hide their identity.
Like costumes, Make-up can set a character’s personality as well as age and era they come from. For instance, we may see a young teenager with minimal make up to show her vulnerability and innocence whereas we may see a rebellious teen with dark make –up. We have decided that our young victim in our trailer will wear minimal make-up to create this effect. Red lipstick is often used in films to show danger, as this colour gives the audiences a clue that something bad make happen in the upcoming events of the film. Make-up can also be used to show sickness and injuries. For example, pale make-up to show a person is ill and black eye make-up to show that a person has been punched and in a fight.
Props often play a part in setting the scene in films and film trailers. For example, some storylines create their story around a prop and the character’s main goals are to find or be in possession of this prop. In our film trailer we have a few props that are significant in our storyline and to set the scene. These is a mask that seems to summon the two antagonists and a gun that results in the victim being hurt and vulnerable.
From looking at different trailers as research I found that Lighting seems to play an important part in creating suspense in horror movies. For example, if something is going to jump out we want it to be low key or chiaroscuro lighting as these both create an eerie sense to what is happening in the film or trailer. Chiaroscuro is especially good in creating suspense as shadows can be created making the audience aware that the character is being followed before the character knows making the audience feels on the edge of their seats and routing for the character to see that they are being followed. Due to this I think chiaroscuro and low key lighting will be used throughout my teaser trailer to create this suspense.
Influence of Real Media- Don't Breathe
As I enjoyed looking at the Don't Breathe Trailer I decided to write a detailed version of how this was influential:
Don’t Breathe is an interesting trailer as it focuses around a man who is blind therefore, relies on his hearing. As three burglars break into his house to steal money for a better life, they immediately get caught up in a battle for freedom where breathing results in death. I think the storyline is unique to any horror movie currently on the market and that the use of a disability was used to create a strong and scary character consequently breaking the stereotype of disabilities creating a vulnerability character. As I have learnt disabilities is not something that seen on the screen very often (only 2.5% of people on screen are disabled) therefore, I think the use of a disabled man as the main character is different rare. Although I do think the stereotype is broken in some way as the man is not portrayed as weak like we believe he is going to be, by having him as the evil character it reinforces that disabilities are still shown in a particular way in the media. Paul Hunt identified 10 stereotypes that the media uses to portray disabled characters. These are:
Don’t Breathe is rated 15 which means that the target audience will be over 15. I think the target audience for this film is 15-30 year olds. I think this because in the trailer there is evidence of scary and disturbing scenes that would be unacceptable for ages younger than 15. I also believe that although there are both women and men as the main characters the target audience is predominantly women due to the character who we seem to be consistently supporting throughout the trailer seems to be a young woman. The use of a women means that women will feel a connection with her and that the audience will want to know whether she gets out of the man’s house alive. I think that horrors usually have the rating of 15 as this allows the film to contain detail and strong violence can be shown therefore making the horror scarier and more engaging. Horrors that are under the 15 rating are often seen as childish and usually don’t get the same response of that of 15 rated films. I think I will have my trailer rated at a 15 so that I can include these requirements that I believe make a great horror without being restricted.
The characters used in don’t breathe all fit the general characters in a horror film. For example, we have the young girl who is a single mother who wants a better life for her child, her boyfriend, her friend who is in love with her and the creepy old man. By having these different characters we automatically feel a connection with the girl as she is young and has a child to look after therefore, we are routings for her to escape from the house. I think this is portrayed well in the house as we can evidently see that she is looking for a better life, resulting in bond between this character and the audience. The characters personality is also evident through the use of costume. For example, the boyfriend who is wearing the black attire meets the stereotype of a gangster and seems to be the instigator of the crime, the black hoody is associated with crime, therefore gives the audience an immediate feeling of dislike of this character, as well as putting all of the blame on him. The rest of the cast wear black too, however the use of the hoody meet the stereotypical image of a burglar. The fact that he also has a gun and, quite easily pulls it out, whereas the other two people who are accompanying him both don’t seem to have a gun, one a man and the other a women, this gives the impression that the hooded man is the regular burglar and makes the audience feel less attached to him than the other two burglars.
Furthermore, the non-diegetic soundtrack contributes to the effectiveness of the trailer, as it adds suspense. This makes the character’s fear feel realistic and leaves the audience feeling tense and on the edge of their seat. The non-diegetic soundtrack reflects what is going on in the trailer, so this shows that the film should be scary and tense, just like the trailer. Also, the non- diegetic soundtrack is different to the usual soundtrack we usually hear in a horror trailer as it seems to be eerier sounds rather than fast paced and dark. The non-diegetic sound stops when they enter the house and is replaced by the heightened emphasis on diegetic sound. This adds and links to the idea that the characters can’t move or breathe without feeling like they are going to be killed. This adds to the intensity of the trailer and creates a difference to the don’t breathe trailer compared to other trailers, which I thought worked well.
I think the don’t breathe trailer differs from a lot of horror trailers as they use low key lighting throughout the trailer rather than when the horror begins. This shows that their lives are at a low point even before they enter the man’s house. Low key lighting is used throughout the time they are in the house. This is effective as it adds to the eeriness and intensifies the situation they are in. Although we can see there are lights on in the house these do nothing at illuminating the situation and instead, seem to take the opposite effect and create a hopeless situation for the characters. At the end of the trailer we see the characters in a situation where they are in darkness. This is effective as it creates this realization that they are in the same situation as the man, however the man has a superb hearing therefore this change in lighting creates a situation for the characters that the audience feels like there is no way out of.
At the beginning of the trailer we see a variety of shots that portray the location as run down. We see an establishing shot of the location, which shows the audience where the film will be set. The camera then pans up on a heap of bikes, which seems to emphasize that they are of the lower class, as most people own a bike rather than a car. This idea is reinforced as the bikes seen rusty and unusable.
The don’t breathe trailer seems to be mainly made up of close ups and extreme close ups. For example, we see an extreme close up of the women making a promise that she will move away with her daughter. This shot is in slow motion and shows that this is an important part of why she is committing this crime and makes the audience sympathizes with her although she is breaking the law. We also see a variety of extreme close ups of the women throughout the trailer, which shows how terrified the character is. I think this is effective as it shows the audience how scared the character is truly feeling, again making this character seem vulnerable. We also see an extreme close up of one of the characters foot. This is effective as it emphasizes the sound the shoe makes, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats due to the blind man using his hearing as his eyes.
Point of view shots and over the shoulder shots are important in this trailer as they allow the audience to see the man from the other character’s perspectives. This allows us to see when the characters are near the man, increasing the suspense and again leaving the audience routing for the buglers. I think this adds to the effectiveness of the trailer as it allows the audience to be in the shoes of the buglers therefore, hoping that they will not be caught and will escape the house.
Don’t Breathe is an interesting trailer as it focuses around a man who is blind therefore, relies on his hearing. As three burglars break into his house to steal money for a better life, they immediately get caught up in a battle for freedom where breathing results in death. I think the storyline is unique to any horror movie currently on the market and that the use of a disability was used to create a strong and scary character consequently breaking the stereotype of disabilities creating a vulnerability character. As I have learnt disabilities is not something that seen on the screen very often (only 2.5% of people on screen are disabled) therefore, I think the use of a disabled man as the main character is different rare. Although I do think the stereotype is broken in some way as the man is not portrayed as weak like we believe he is going to be, by having him as the evil character it reinforces that disabilities are still shown in a particular way in the media. Paul Hunt identified 10 stereotypes that the media uses to portray disabled characters. These are:
- As pitiful or pathetic
- An object of curiosity or violence
- Sinister or evil
- The super cripple
- As atmosphere
- His/her own worst enemy
- As a burden
- As non-sexual
- Being unable to participate in everyday life
Don’t Breathe is rated 15 which means that the target audience will be over 15. I think the target audience for this film is 15-30 year olds. I think this because in the trailer there is evidence of scary and disturbing scenes that would be unacceptable for ages younger than 15. I also believe that although there are both women and men as the main characters the target audience is predominantly women due to the character who we seem to be consistently supporting throughout the trailer seems to be a young woman. The use of a women means that women will feel a connection with her and that the audience will want to know whether she gets out of the man’s house alive. I think that horrors usually have the rating of 15 as this allows the film to contain detail and strong violence can be shown therefore making the horror scarier and more engaging. Horrors that are under the 15 rating are often seen as childish and usually don’t get the same response of that of 15 rated films. I think I will have my trailer rated at a 15 so that I can include these requirements that I believe make a great horror without being restricted.
The characters used in don’t breathe all fit the general characters in a horror film. For example, we have the young girl who is a single mother who wants a better life for her child, her boyfriend, her friend who is in love with her and the creepy old man. By having these different characters we automatically feel a connection with the girl as she is young and has a child to look after therefore, we are routings for her to escape from the house. I think this is portrayed well in the house as we can evidently see that she is looking for a better life, resulting in bond between this character and the audience. The characters personality is also evident through the use of costume. For example, the boyfriend who is wearing the black attire meets the stereotype of a gangster and seems to be the instigator of the crime, the black hoody is associated with crime, therefore gives the audience an immediate feeling of dislike of this character, as well as putting all of the blame on him. The rest of the cast wear black too, however the use of the hoody meet the stereotypical image of a burglar. The fact that he also has a gun and, quite easily pulls it out, whereas the other two people who are accompanying him both don’t seem to have a gun, one a man and the other a women, this gives the impression that the hooded man is the regular burglar and makes the audience feel less attached to him than the other two burglars.
Furthermore, the non-diegetic soundtrack contributes to the effectiveness of the trailer, as it adds suspense. This makes the character’s fear feel realistic and leaves the audience feeling tense and on the edge of their seat. The non-diegetic soundtrack reflects what is going on in the trailer, so this shows that the film should be scary and tense, just like the trailer. Also, the non- diegetic soundtrack is different to the usual soundtrack we usually hear in a horror trailer as it seems to be eerier sounds rather than fast paced and dark. The non-diegetic sound stops when they enter the house and is replaced by the heightened emphasis on diegetic sound. This adds and links to the idea that the characters can’t move or breathe without feeling like they are going to be killed. This adds to the intensity of the trailer and creates a difference to the don’t breathe trailer compared to other trailers, which I thought worked well.
I think the don’t breathe trailer differs from a lot of horror trailers as they use low key lighting throughout the trailer rather than when the horror begins. This shows that their lives are at a low point even before they enter the man’s house. Low key lighting is used throughout the time they are in the house. This is effective as it adds to the eeriness and intensifies the situation they are in. Although we can see there are lights on in the house these do nothing at illuminating the situation and instead, seem to take the opposite effect and create a hopeless situation for the characters. At the end of the trailer we see the characters in a situation where they are in darkness. This is effective as it creates this realization that they are in the same situation as the man, however the man has a superb hearing therefore this change in lighting creates a situation for the characters that the audience feels like there is no way out of.
At the beginning of the trailer we see a variety of shots that portray the location as run down. We see an establishing shot of the location, which shows the audience where the film will be set. The camera then pans up on a heap of bikes, which seems to emphasize that they are of the lower class, as most people own a bike rather than a car. This idea is reinforced as the bikes seen rusty and unusable.
The don’t breathe trailer seems to be mainly made up of close ups and extreme close ups. For example, we see an extreme close up of the women making a promise that she will move away with her daughter. This shot is in slow motion and shows that this is an important part of why she is committing this crime and makes the audience sympathizes with her although she is breaking the law. We also see a variety of extreme close ups of the women throughout the trailer, which shows how terrified the character is. I think this is effective as it shows the audience how scared the character is truly feeling, again making this character seem vulnerable. We also see an extreme close up of one of the characters foot. This is effective as it emphasizes the sound the shoe makes, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats due to the blind man using his hearing as his eyes.
Point of view shots and over the shoulder shots are important in this trailer as they allow the audience to see the man from the other character’s perspectives. This allows us to see when the characters are near the man, increasing the suspense and again leaving the audience routing for the buglers. I think this adds to the effectiveness of the trailer as it allows the audience to be in the shoes of the buglers therefore, hoping that they will not be caught and will escape the house.