Initial Ideas

These are my initial ideas for a genre my film could be, after thinking about each idea I have decided to do my trailer as a murder mystery.

These are my initial cast ideas depending on who is available and when, also the actors will have to fit the characters I create for my film trailers.










Murder Mystery Narrative Ideas:

Textual Analysis

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Mise-En-Scene	Cinematography	Editing	Sound
Age Rating Production Logo x2		Cuts	Sound Bridge – Production Logo to scene (character speaking)
Old boat, campfire, beach, basic costumes Low Lighting (LL)	Pan around boat, set scene two shots x 4 S/RS		Dialogue Non-diegetic sounds such as thuds
Car driving seen from different angles Red car Road cliffs LL	MS CU of headlights ELS CU of faces MS car LS of people walking MCU of person and body LS, zoom out? MCU of , 1 walks into frame	Match on Action	Car engine, Upbeat party music - diegetic Screaming, skidding
Dock Mist/Haze Feet Wood Blackout	CU of feet LS Blackout	Match on Action Blackout	Dialogue Splash
Boat, sunrise Main characters faces x 4 Julie’s house opening note	zoom in CU MCU S/RS CU of note MCU repeat	Elliptical edit- next day Cuts	Upbeat music Voice Over Dialogue
Characters discussing note x4 Houses/white colors represent purity which is ironic	cu note  hands CU - blonde two shot - girls s/rs to boy	cuts	Dialogue Non-diegetic music
Fireworks Party	LS ELS CU		Firework noises Voice over Dialogue Party music - diegetic
Car chasing character Black car- danger and darkness	MCU car then character track		High pitched non-diegetic noise Car engine/Tyres squealing
Discussing of previous scenes Hospital, white-conotations with hospitals, other characters also wearing white enforces this.	CU's		Dialogue
Water and docks suggests the person thrown wasn’t dead at all	CU of docks and water		Voice over
Two girls, home, outdoors Two guys, hospital, indoors One girl appears to be at docks.	2 shot S/RS CU CU		Characters stating throughout if accident or murder “what if he’s still alive?”
House, 2 girls 1 girl with phone-suggests calling emergency services	2 shot MCU S/RS zoom in		Dialogue Bang-possibly diegetic
Car – blue Licence plate tells us the location Girl opening boot of car	zoom in CU		Voice over dialouge
4 characters, in a  neighbourhood Costumes, regular	CU birds eye view of note group		dialogue
Helen Loose hair-struck by stalker Lipstick on mirror – seen in other mystery shows/films Julie Rapidly closing boot of car	CU Reaction CU Hair CU Mirror, taken as reflection CU smashed mirror MCU Pan		Character voiceover explaining scenes Scream Slamming of boot
Beach, 1 male and 1 female, relates to beginning Fight between boys	LS MCU Birds eye view long shot		Sound bridge Dialogue dialouge
Masked villain 1 male, topless, female audience Villain Hook Running girl Hook POV running Girl running Boy in shower area Bolted door Girl Door unlocked girl	Handheld camera CU LS	Rhytmic editng,	Upbeat music Banging on door Scream
Text “Someone Knows they’re scared” - Red Scenes Fight Gun Falling Text “Someone Knows their secret” - Red Scenes Girl walking Banging on a window Falling from a window Text “And Someone Knows” - Red Scenes Male Swimming Boat Text  “What They Did” Scenes Girl Someone jumping out at same girl Text “Last Summer”	CU LS		Non-diegetic music Girl Screaming name
Girl shown behind bars = trapped Smashes police car Faces x5 Eyes then her face Killer	CU		Non diegetic music Smashing glass Screaming
Title Screen Woman and killer Actor/Behind the scenes credits			Voice Over Screaming Thud, fading out.

                   

Mise-En-Scene

Initially we are shown the age rating of the film which is conventional of the form of film trailers so we are aware at who this movie is appropriate for and who it isn't. We are then shown two production logos which is also conventional of this form. The first scene is of an old rusty boat as well as the group of friends around a campfire at night, this is conventional of a murder mystery genre as the crime is generally carried out at night and from research I have learnt that scenes set in low lighting with dull weather is also conventional of this genre as it adds to the tension and suspense of the film. They are all wearing regular clothes in this scene which adds to the verisimilitude, allowing audiences to relate more to the characters so we feel emotions for the characters. We also see the same characters driving on a large cliff in a car, the car is red which could signify danger and caution which an audience can recognise and they'll be able to interpret this as something major is about to happen to one of the characters in the narrative. The lighting is also low key in this scene meaning it is conventional and conforming to the genre as well as creating suspense as in most murder mystery movies it is stereotypical for the murder to happen on a nighttime. As we see the murder and murderers this is what is known as an open murder mystery, meaning we see how people can carry out the crime and we see the villain from the start. In the mise-en-scene, whilst the characters are getting rid of the body it is still night time and they are at a wooden dock, we also see a mist which enforces the genre further as it is happening on a dark, dull night, this is also reinforced throughout the trailer as the majority of the scenes take place in the dark at night. The fact we are shown the characters feet as they run could demonstrate that they are running from their problem as they push the body in the whole screen has a blackout, this could be to relate to the fact that the person is not actually dead as spoken later in the text, it could also be done to add to the suspense as we wonder what the characters reactions are to what they're doing. We are then shown a sunrise at the dock which could indicate a change in time before we see the main characters' faces, to reinforce which characters' story we are following. We then see a note which is shown as a warning sign to the characters, as an audience we can also relate to the note as it says "I know what you did last summer" and the audience will relate to this because we also know, meaning the mise-en-scene applies to the audience. When the characters are shown discussing the note the houses and the clothes they are wearing are generally white which represents purity and innocence, this is ironic when compared to the rest of the text as we know that they are not pure due to the crime they committed.  We also see a party scene which adds to the verisimilitude as we see teenagers partying which is stereotypical of this age group. A person is seen driving a black car at a character, this colour can represent danger which we see the character is in, as well as foreshadowing that more of the other characters will be as well, this could also relate back to when the characters killed someone by running them over at the start of the trailer and therefore this is revenge. The next location is in a hospital and we see the characters wearing white and the setting is white as this colour is often related to doctor's and hospital's so this adds to the verisimilitude. The fact that we are then shown the water in the dock before we are shown the characters speaking about if the person they killed is still alive could suggest that he in fact wasn't really dead and has been the one trying to harm/sending notes to the characters. We then see two girls outside a white houes suggesting purity yet they are trying to look inside the house, we then see another girl holding a phone, indicating that she may be calling the emergency services, we infer this as that they are the homeowner, so we worry for the main characters as we fear they are in trouble. We then see a blue car which is seen as a calming colour, this makes us believe that all the things happening so far are going to calm down which is ironic as we see that later in the trailer the events have not calmed down and we see the person trying to harm them but not revealing his/her identity. The location is established by the characters licence plate, we also know it is set in America due to the characters accents, this gives us a more exact location. We then see the four characters in their neighbourhood, they are wearing regular clothes which adds to the verisimilitude, we see them outside as they are clear targets for the other person. Red lipstick on a mirror is a sign of warning to the characters within the diegesis, from other media texts I have noticed that this is conventional in mysteries aimed at at teenage audience as I have seen it in other movies and tv shows. Two characters at the beach could reflect the start of the trailer when all the characters are there and the fight between the two characters we see after that could reflect that the group is breaking apart. We then are shown a sequence of different scenes, either of the villain or of the characters trying to run from him, we see a male character changing which signifies that the target audience for this movie is girls. There are some shots with text which re-enforces what the narration in the voice over is telling us. Throughout this we also see different clips of the characters trying to get away from the antagonist. A girl is framed behind bars this could show that she is trapped within the diegesis and she can't escape the villain, we then see the main characters' faces so we know what they are feeling and to re-enforce the focus of the narrative. There is then a title screen before we see another scene from the film which is of the killer and one of the female characters.

Cinematography

A pan is used to introduce us to the characters, the pan is around a boat and also establishes the location of the scene, in this same scene, two shots are used, this implies that the characters are in a relationship both due to their positioning in the mise-en-scene and the type of shot. During the car sequence we see many close ups and medium close ups, these are so we can see how the characters are reacting to what is happening, an extreme long shot is also used to establish the new  location which is on a cliff, this lets us understand where they are within the diegesis. We are shown a close up of the characters' feet to add to the mystery of the location, the location is then revealed by a long shot, this is to still keep a slight mystery as we know they are at a dock but we don't know exactly where in the diegesis. A zoom in is used when the sunrise is happening, this may be to represent a change in time as it is also an establishing long shot of a new location and it is no longer night. When two characters are discussing an over the shoulder shot is used and shot/reverse shot is used to show the dialogue between the characters We see multiple close ups of the note throughout the trailer which is to enforce the importance of it to the narrative. A tracking shot is used so we are able to follow him at that point and it helps to put us in the diegesis as an audience feels as if we are actually alongside the character. During the fast montage sequence close ups and medium close ups are used to focus on the characters reactions so we can tell how they are feeling throughout, a handheld camera is also used in one shot to add to the verisimilitude and create more panic with in the scene.

Editing

Simple cuts are used throughout the trailer, this is conventional as trailers are different scenes from a movie merged into one. There is a lot of continuity editing throughout, for instance a match on action is used when we see the car driving on the cliff as the characters continue what they are doing throughout making the cuts barely noticeable. An elliptical edit used to show a change in time which makes us understand that it is a different day when this scene takes place. A fast paced montage sequence is used at the end of the trailer, montage editing is common in trailers as different scenes from the music are used throughout, this is done rhythmically to match with the non-diegetic sound so it makes the trailer more engaging for an audience.

Sound

From the second production logo to the first scene of the trailer a sound bridge is used as we hear the character start speaking with the production logo before the scene is shown with him speaking. Dialogue is used in the first scene to show interaction between the characters, we also get non-diegetic sounds such as thudding as they are talking about a killer so this adds to the suspense which is needed for a trailer within the murder mystery genre. In the next scene we hear upbeat party music, this is diegetic as the characters are listening to the music in the car, upbeat music would be a stereotypical genre of music teenagers would listen to adding to the verisimilitude, we can also here the car engine as well as the tyres skidding when the car comes to a stop, this makes the trailer more realistic as it uses familiar sounds and we can tell what the trailer is portraying, we also hear the character's screaming which adds tension as it makes us wonder what is happening and we want to know what the characters are screaming at. When the characters are at the dock we hear them talking about what they have done which helps the audience understand more about what has happened, when this has a blackout we hear a splash therefore we know they have dropped something (presumably the body) into the water, this could be done as just sound to break the conventions of trailers where we see scenes happening and is just implying what is happening allowing an audience to decide exactly what happened themselves. We then hear non-diegetic upbeat music which is not conventional of murder mystery trailers, therefore this breaks the convention yet it enforces the ages of the characters within the diegesis, a voice over is first used in the trailer at this point to tell us more about the plot, this is not used throughout the trailer but is a common feature, a voice over is conventional to film trailers as most film trailers have one in some way or another describing the events or enforcing how good the film is, in this case it is used to support the narrative and make it clearer to the audience. Non-diegetic music is used here to enforce the genre as it is suspenseful and is played under the dialogue so it is significantly quiet which I believe increases the tension as we know it is there but barely noticeable (similar to the person sending the note and later harming the main characters). We hear the diegetic noises of fireworks, dialogue and party music, the noises of fireworks could represent a warning as although they can be harmless they can be dangerous like we know the main characters are. A high pitched non-diegetic noise is used to add to the suspense as it makes an audience wonder what it is, we then have the repetion of a cars tyres squealing which could relate back to the previous time. Diegetic noises are used throughout this includes the banging of cars and doors,this is used to add to the verisimilitude. Non-diegetic upbeat music is used during the fast paced montage sequence at the end which is used to re-enforce the target audience which is teenagers.

Cry Wolf

Conventions of Form and Genre

Form
The conventions of a film trailer are:

• An age rating
• "Coming Soon" or a release date
• Fast paced editing
• Montage editing
• Film Production Logo
• Film Title
• Music
• Voiceovers
• Protagonist and Antagonist introduced
• Names of stars
• Most trailers are 1m30s to 2m long.

Genre
The conventions of murder mystery:

• Some form of detective, an actual investigator or civillian = Hero/Protagonist
• A masked villain
• Victims
• Dull mise-en-scene and the weather supports this, normally dull weather
• Suspenseful and fast paced soundtrack
• False Villains/Red Herrings
• Multiple Suspects
• Damsel in distress character
• Warnings
• Clues

History Of Film Trailers