Evaluation Screening: Cold Blood

This is the final evaluation screening for Cold Blood. Our group received some positive, as well as some negative comments. The majority of the class liked how well the music and the footage synchronized with each other, and how the second half of the trailer was more tense in preparation for the jump scare at the end. The use of the inter-titles also allowed the class to understand the narrative much better. They also said that the trailer doesn't give the overall narrative away, therefore there is still room to surprise the audience in the actual film. Our trailer averaged a nine out of ten, and we are extremely happy with this score considering all of the hard work we put into the making of Cold Blood.

Directors Featurette: Cold Blood

Side-By-Side Poster/Magazine Work

Both my magazine cover and my poster fit to the trailer because of the use of the colour green, as well as the use of scales to connote a lizard-like creature. Also, the use of black throughout all three images create a sense of mystery, which would lure the audience in to find out what happens, and how someone can become a lizard-like creature. The selected target audience that Cold Blood is aimed at is predominantly males between the ages of 18 to 24. The trailer is aimed at this target audience because the horror trailer features elements of sci-fi, and sci-fi is stereotypically more appealing to males in comparison to females. The trailer does feature elements of a psychological horror, which is more appealing to females, so some females would take an interest into our film, but more predominantly males. My magazine would appeal to a more mainstream audience, rather than a niche audience; this is because horror is quite a mainstream genre amongst teens aged 18 to 25, therefore the magazine would mimic the conventions of Empire magazine, but with a horror twist. The use of corresponding colours and images allows the viewer to associate the magazine cover, poster and trailer together as being part of one overall product - a film.

What have you learnt from audience feedback?

Evaluation Screening Feedback: Cold Blood

How did you use media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?

Original Photo (Magazine Cover)

Original Photos (Poster)

Not So Grave Encounters (Practice First Year Trailer)

Choice of Trailer Type

I and my group have decided to focus on creating a psychological horror trailer with elements of a gory horror. We, as a group, have also decided to focus on a highlights trailer rather than a scene trailer; this is because we felt that a highlights trailer would be more intense, and promote the genres within our trailer. We also wanted to include a jump scare at the end of the trailer to heighten the suspense and draw the audience into watching the entire film. A trailer that we have been inspired by when making this decision is the trailer for Sinister (2012), we liked how it displayed the narrative of the film, whilst making it tense and scary. We also liked the jump scare at the end of the trailer.

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Cold Blood: In what way does your media product use, develop, or challenge the forms and conventions of real-life media products?

Cold Blood Poster

This is the poster made to promote my horror trailer Cold Blood, I have a dominant image on the front cover, this is to pull the viewer in and provoke them to watch the film. I have stuck to the same colour scheme as I used on my magazine cover; this was so that when people look at both of the products, as well as the trailer itself, they can see a relation between all three products. The colour scheme also reflects the genre's that are present in the film, therefore the viewer will get an idea of what the film will contain before watching it.

Aversion Magazine Cover

This is the final edit for my magazine cover. I have decided to call it Aversion because I wanted my magazine to be called something that related to a dislike of something, or a word relating to the horror genre. I settled on Aversion as I felt that the word was short, but to the point. I have used a colour scheme that would reflect the genre's that appear in my horror trailer Cold Blood. I have used the colour green to represent how the sci-fi genre is seen within my horror trailer through the concept of the lizard and the way in which a human transforms into a lizard-like creature. I have subtly used the colour red on my magazine cover to reflect that it is primarily a horror trailer; red connotes blood, and blood links to the genre of horror. I have used a black background to give my magazine cover a sense of mysteriousness; the viewer can not see what is behind the model. Also, the black background allows the viewer to focus primarily on the model, rather than some sort of background image. The use of black also connotes a sense of seriousness. I have included four lots of sub-headings on my magazine cover, I didn't want to add anymore than four because I thought that it would look too 'busy'; also, I didn't want the attention to be taken away from the main image. The advertisement of the free posters draws the viewer into buying the magazine. I have added a quote from one of the students that helped to make Cold Blood, to make the magazine look more authentic; and also, when I was researching magazine covers in preparation for the production of my own, I found that the majority of the film magazines had a quote from one of the people that either helped to make the film, or saw the first screening of the film. 

Overall, I think that my magazine cover is successful in what it is selling, and also looks authentic, The use of a colour scheme made my poster look less busy, and focuses on what genre/s the film is promoting. 

Class Feedback on Rough Cut: Cold Blood

Class Feedback on Rough Cut: Cold Blood
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Cold Blood Poster

Our group has designed a new poster to replace the Daddy's Little Girl poster. We have been unable to get feedback from our class because we had designed it late. We decided to stick to a simple, yet detailed poster. We wanted the viewer to get an overall idea of the film, without giving too much away. We coloured the poster a blue/green to connote that it has elements of science fiction within the horror trailer. We also used a close up of the main character so that the audience get a brief idea of what our horror trailer includes. 

Props used in Cold Blood Trailer

Group Photo

This is a group photo of everyone that was involved in the making of the Cold Blood horror trailer. Everyone has played a significant part in the trailer from acting, to directing, to the making of the props.

We worked very well as a group. Myself, Lauren, Michelle and Brad were the directors; Kayleigh and Alex helped with setting up the props; and Harold and Lewis were our two main actors. None of us wanted to appear in the trailer as main actors, but we made sure that we where shown at least once throughout the trailer, either as background people, or extras.

Silicone Mask Test (Health and Safety)

Green Eyes (Rendered Test: After Effects)

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Mixing Chemicals (Rendered Test)

Cold Blood: Webisode #4

Test #4 for Cold Blood, these were rendered like this to gain a small feedback from selected people to get an idea of what we can do to improve for the first official cut (rough cut).

After fiddling about with the footage, we have made the trailer look more like a highlights trailer, compared to the last cut that looked more like a short film. We have also been able to explain the concept of the narrative, without giving too much information away. 

Cold Blood: Webisode #3

Test #3 for Cold Blood, these were rendered like this to gain a small feedback from selected people to get an idea of what we can do to improve for the first official cut (rough cut).

We started to piece together the footage that we had. Although some of it fits with the soundtrack, it began to look more like a short film than a highlights trailer. But, by doing this, we have allowed ourselves to get to grips with how we want to show the narrative as a whole. 

Cold Blood: Webisode #2

Test #2 for Cold Blood, these were rendered like this to gain a small feedback from selected people to get an idea of what we can do to improve for the first official cut (rough cut). 

This soundtrack built tense more so than the first cut. It also has a calmer beginning, followed by a heavy and dramatic ending. There are also gaps between the music, therefore it allows room for inter-titles. 

Cold Blood: Webisode #1

Test #1 for Cold Blood, these were rendered like this to gain a small feedback from selected people to get an idea of what we can do to improve for the first official cut (rough cut).

This first cut is accompanied by halloween-like music. Although the music fit well with the footage, it does not build enough tension to make the trailer appear scary and does not build suspense. 

Behind the Scenes Photo's

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Class Poster: Daddy's Little Girl

This was our original idea for our horror trailer; a girl that is kidnapped by a mourning father. Due to problems with finding actors and good locations, we have had to come up with a new idea. Our new idea is about a college guy that has been bullied his whole life and is seeking revenge on his peers through a subject that he is obsessed with - herpetology.

The comments that we received were helpful when discussing how we are going to film the trailer, and how much of the storyline we should present. We also got a comment saying 'different from most horror films', when deciding our storyline for our trailer, it was key that our idea was original and not copied from other horror films. We want to try something new and be as experimental as possible.

In conclusion we found that we need to simplify the overall plot of the horror trailer so that the audience can get a clear idea of what the horror film is about. We have also decided that we will need to use inter-titles in order for the audience to understand the narrative.

The entire class voted that they would definitely see this film if it was in cinemas, therefore we know that our storyline is successful and original.

6 Panel Practice Storyboards

This is a storyboard that me and Lauren drew up in class. Our aim was to create a mysterious and edgy atmosphere at the start, then towards the end a jump scare is used. We decided to use these techniques because we have recognised that these a few techniques used in official horror trailers to draw the audience in.

Own Image Analysis

This is a strong image from the film Patrick (2013). I think that this is a strong image because it goes against the rise of modernism, in this image the car represents modernism, the house looks considerably bigger and more powerful than the car. This scene contains low-key lighting to set the overall mood of the opening section, this then allows the audience to predict the overall mood and outcome of the film. The use of an establishing shot allows the audience to explore the location; the location in which the clinic is in is a typical location for a horror film. The house is in an isolated location, and the house itself is old and aged, but it also hints towards the modern day with the use of building a more modern side of the house. The image is also taken from an expressionist angle, the high angle makes the car look tiny and inferior compared to the size of the house. The architecture of the house also looks very Gothic and fits in with old-style horror films. 

The History of Horror

Class Research: Favourite Type of Horror

My favourite type of horror sub-genre is psychological. This is because I do not like gore or action films as much as psychological films. 

Health and Safety

Shotlist

Shooting Schedule

Stereotypical Fan

Stereotypical Fan

Psychological/Sci-Fi/Action Horror

Name: Luke Smith 
Occupation: Student

Luke Smith is an 18 year old student from a middle class background who is pyschographically a reformer. Defining his image, he wears causal dark clothing, very mature looking – facial/body hair and a deep voice. Doesn’t take life too seriously, works hard at college studying for AS Media Studies, Film Studies and Game Development. Besides college, Luke watches many horror films, plays grunge/rock music (nothing mainstream in terms of music) as well as playing video games and guitar – he also has an interest in reading comic books. He regularly socializes with his friends and spends time with his girlfriend who has the same interest – on weekends they have a couple of drinks and has a takeaway, like an ordinary teen. On the contrary, Luke doesn’t like romance films or anything Disney and he isn’t physically sportive.

In terms of his favourite films: Marvel/DC Films, mainstream horror films such as Woman in Black, Insidious, Paranormal Activity, Saw, Dale and Tucker, Zombieland, Panic Room and Fight Club are some of the films he enjoys watching.

The typical horror fan for our trailer for the film Cold Blood are old enough to watch the 18 rated films, but they’re also at the age in which the use of action and suspense will thrill and create adrenaline in them. As the film is rated 18, the overall target audience is of ages of 18 to 24. The male in the photo above represents this age demographic. Anybody over the age of 24 is still likely to enjoy the film, but is too use to the overused themes such as creepy nurseries and children, haunted houses, kidnap and such. Another reason this is the target audience is as the characters in the film represent these modern college students, giving them something to connect and relate too.

The typical fan attends college full time and has a wide range of friends to hang around with, this enables them to go out and socialize including to the cinema to watch the film. They enjoy gaming, alcohol, watching film, spending time with friends and their girlfriend, and pop culture as well as alternative.

Cold Blood

Group: Michelle Connop, Brad Lacey, Lauren Peace and Beth Quittenton

Choice of Trailer:

50% Highlights (Beginning) 50% Scene (Ending)

The beginning of the trailer catches attention of the viewers, making them react to the highlights of the film and become visually interested whereas the second half of the trailer is presented as a scene trailer, showing more of the main characters purpose and also a transformation scene ending on a jump scare. The highlights are to start the trailer off with a narrative and the scene is a slow montage which fastens up when the transformation is shown, ending on a jump scare.

Film Synopsis:

An 18 year old named Michael is a target for bullies and has been his whole life, at college he studies Science and dedicates his life to the study of reptiles and amphibians, also known as Herpetology. Michael studies Herpetology in his lessons and finds out that the creatures DNA includes Autotomy, allowing them to regrow cells and limbs. This drives him to the idea of experimenting with the DNA of the Reptiles and stealing important documents from his classroom allowing him to create a substance to give a human Lizard genetics. The idea of him changing humans into a more developed and intelligent life form leads him into kidnapping his former bullies and using them as victims of his experiments.

The results of these experiments always leave the victim tortured and killed, yet eventually Michael finds the error to his substance and fixes it, leading to the final victim which he chloroforms and kidnaps to a room in which he injects them. This victim is then feeling pain and feels as if he is burning and killing him yet as the substance kicks in, their newly developed Lizard DNA heals them, giving them features of a Lizard and transforming them into a beast. The DNA also changes the brain, making him forget what Michael has done and in fact siding with him.

Moodboard