Daphen+Nakayiwa





media type="youtube" key="NkTrG-gpIzE" height="250" width="447" align="left" **SOURCE CODE (2010)**During the trailer there are no captions indicating the director, producer or actor so the audience are sold the narrative only, allowing it to and the characters to be the central focus. the voice heard towards the end of the trailer is deep and low, creating a serious tone towards the audience. the voice also creates a dangerous atmosphere that could revolve around the characters within the film. in addition there is a voice over heard from the leading protagonist. this brings the audience closer to the narrative and bringing them closer into the mindset of the character. Diagetic sounds when heard i.e. explosions and collisions usually dominate the entire score of the trailer bringing forth the element of realism and intensifying the situation. Non-diagetic sounds heard in the trailer are orchestral, building in crescendo to a climax. this is some what of a conventional factor amongst film trailers and is a obvious way in encapsulating the change in mood and narrative. another way to do this is through editing. //"**Source Code"**// is partially defined as an action film, therefore there would be short, fast paced cuts throughout the trailer. this could reflect the pace of the narrative also creating a more frantic and chaotic expectation from the audience. since the films major theme is time and time manipulation, editing i.e. motion control has been used to slow down, speed up and even rewind important moments that are relevant within the narrative and consequently the audience would clearly identify the theme of the film. the mise-en-scene reflects the modern element to the film. this could be seen as a subversion because time-travel usually involves futuristic mise-en-scene but the only futuristic element seen is through CGI i.e. the transformation of the main protagonist as he travels back in time, to the 8 minutes before the explosion. the target audience for this film would be 15+. a young demographic could be drawn to this film by the actors (Jake Gyllanhaal) and an older demographic would be drawn by the narrative itself, seeing as how terrorism is a current zeigtgeist. the dialogue hear informs the audience briefly about the plot and the factors that affect them. in addition, there is also an explanation to what **//"Source Code"//** actually is. the audience can then understand the films major theme giving way to a better experience. there is a range of cinematography used i.e.types of shots. at the beginning there is an establishing shot setting the time and place of the narrative. it also shows the audience the environment that will be affected by the explosion. lots of long shots and arial shots are used to show the full physical affects of the bombs explosion and close-ups / extreme close-ups are sued to show the main characters travel through time but also for a more emotional response from the audience.

There are closed captions towards the end of the trailer of extracts from film critics reviews about the film //**“Hard Candy”**// that they would have written after the preview screening for the film entices the audience. In addition there are also shots indicating the success of the film at the **//Sundance Film Festival 2005, Sitges Film Festival,//** indicating the films early success within the film industry and film. Including this in the film trailer gives the impression that the film is destined to be a success in the box office and in terms of entertainment. During the trailer there is no voice over edited in to accompany the trailer or sell the film. It relies on the dialogue and cinematography alone to carry the narrative and progression of the trailer. Without a voice the audience or viewer of the trailer is brought into the narrative straight away, there is less of a separation from the film and audience. Throughout the trailer, especially towards the beginning, diagetic sounds (i.e. key board typing, internet notifications) are heard. Adding a sense of realism before the non-diagetic sounds( discordant sounds) enhance the mood. Whether its a sense of obscurity or foreboding, the play on both forms of sound act as a audio turning point for the narrative witnessed in the trailer. This is a conventional element to film trailers in general; building up the intensity of the narrative by sound. Another way film trailers do this is by the pace of editing, from one shot to the next. At the start of the trailer there is a long take of the chat room conversation between the two main protagonist before they finally meet in a cafe. This allows the audience to identify the relationship between the two people. Shorter takes gives a sense of immediacy and urgency which is what the film trailer does successfully. The transitions change to fades instead of straight cuts which could symbolize the end of that scene, story or the end of the two characters light hearted relationship that was seen at the beginning. The pace of editing starts to get chaotic that there are 30 seconds of stills instead of footage. The mise-en-scene in terms of the lead protagonist reflects her youth as we see in the trailer, however she’s trying to subvert from with the elements of her personality and her intelligence (a moment in the trailer where she says she working at a 9th grade average, which could still be seen as young by the audience).Her hair is cut short and she's wearing a tank top. this is an evident physical notification of her age. the red hoody could connote danger and blood indicating to the audience that she might not be all that she seems, and yet red could also symbolize love and passion which is what she could be looking for in the man that she meets in the cafe after they had arranged to meet on the internet. the male protagonist is wearing a shirt with a blazer and trousers. he is then evidently an older man with a professional job (i.e. photographer). he does were glasses which is stereotypically a sign of intelligence but there is still an age gap that is evident. the target audience for this film would probably be 15+. young adults would gain an understanding of the dangers that the young girl is about to face due to the dangers of internet chat rooms. they would then have a vague understanding and prediction of the progression of the film. the social network is a modern zeigtgeist which has its perks but also its downfalls. in terms of shots there are a lot of close-ups that symbolize emotion, as in an emotive moment that is being shared or experienced by that character. close-ups and long takes of those allow for character analysis (i.e. facial expression).
 * HARD CANDY (2005)**media type="youtube" key="a-C2H4ipxz0" height="251" width="448" align="right"

media type="youtube" key="mQd3MwT2fAM" height="251" width="448" align="left" During the trailer there are no closed caption indicating the actors, directors or producers of the film. this could have been done to not detract from the world of the narrative, letting the traditional tale and characters carry the film. however there are captions, or frames of indicating the origins of the film. i.e. "from the classic novel by Alexandra Dumas". this could have been done to inform viewers who may have not known the original story of the three musketeers, therefore notifying that this is a remake. one could argue that this factor would or will contribute to the success of the film because remakes along with sequels do not need alot of marketing due to the factor of "word of mouth". fans of the original series will be interested to see this film and see if there is a modern interpretation of the film or whether it sticks to the original completely. there are conventional captions that are seen in all trailers i.e. This Fall (roughly indicating the time of release of the film) and yet with films there would be captions that address the film that is unique to the narrative. for example "The Legend Comes To Life" linking it back to the age of the tale and suggesting its return. the word "Legend" gives the story some form of prestige that could incline the audience/ target group or demographic (fans of the original, 12+) to go and see the film. there is another caption reading "like never before" indicating to the audience that this film will be unlike and possibly unconventional than the rest of the original films or films within this genre. it creates a new adventure that could appeal to those who may not be familiar with the original story so therefore they don't need to know it to understand this film; but also it could appeal to fans that are familiar with the original because its a new adventure that they may not have embarked on.At the beginning there is a voice over delivered from one of the three leading protagonists in the film. the tone of his voice is low and has a sense of determination. this could reflect that characteristics of the character himself or the three musketeers. they are determined, motivated and aggressive warriors. during the voice over the character says "its who we are. its what we do" as if to suggest that this character trait is innate and apart of there mission.the voice over acts as a audio introduction to the main and essential characters of the film. because of the tone of the voice over, the tone of the film through the trailer becomes serious and some what sombre.from then on the narrative is told through dialogue were the audience gain a sense of the story and the problems that the main characters will have to confront during its progression.The music in the trailer is symphonic and orchestral contributing to the period of the film. one could argue that orchestral scores are more expressive and can communicate the mood of the scene or trailer itself very well to the audience. i.e. the violins heard at the start and the tempo of them give a sense of immediacy and urgency. however the diagetic sounds over power the non-diagetic sounds, giving more of a focus to the movements and actions of the character and also making the fighting scenes more brutal and intense. linking back to the orchestral music used, there is a steady pace that is kept consistently throughout majority of the trailer. there is then a change and horns (i.e trumpets) are added. this could connote a sense of triumph and power. the tempo than increases with the pace of the editing which makes everything more hectic and chaotic. there are moments of silence that allow the audience to focus on the characters and the dialogue which in this case speak for themselves and possibly the addition of music could overwhelm the narrative and detract from the detail of the plot or that particular scene. At the beginning there are a lot of somewhat long takes which then end with a fade to black. the pace of editing is rather quick which is conventional of the action genre. in addition motion control is used to slow down certain moments i.e. fighting scenes to either give attention to detail or make them more dramatic. fades have also been used to suggest the relation between those two scenes; that they somehow link in character or setting.This then links to mise-en-scene which is very evident in the trailer. with period films the mise-en-scene should reflect the zeigtgeist (spirit of the time) which int his case is the 17th century. Whether its physical attire and/ or religious or political views, this trailer does adhere to this. for example Milo Jovovich's character conforms to the fashion of that era (i.e. wide, high waisted dresses with loose sleeves)i personally believe that the films unique selling point is that it has a new inventive interpretation of the original. it allows people who have never heard of the story to experience a new adventure with viewers who do know about the story. in addition previous fans get to see familiar characters in a new adventure. this will add tot he films success because they will be attracting to different demographics and therefore making more money. the are a range of shots used to commemorate the 17th century allowing the audience to visualize the the narrative more accurately in its time frame. it also adds the the epic-ness of the film. i personally think that because of its nature (it being a period film) every detail must be taken into consideration for it to communicate the era accurately and effectively so large exposition shots allow the audience to see that. close-ups evidently give time for character analysis.
 * THE THREE MUSKETEERS (2011)**

films within the genre usually contain vast amount of violence, blood and gore, featuring or following a group of teenagers of a leading protagonist which is in most circumstances is a female.

Audience expectation is important to the slasher genre. Slasher/stalker films rarely subvert from Tordov’s structure of narrative. The structure includes a state of equilibrium, where the group of teenagers go about their everyday lives, there is then a disruption to the equilibrium, where a psychopathic killer begins to stalk them for a particular reason. the disruption to the equilibrium is then evidently noticed when the leading protagonist or group of teenagers begin to die one by one in a horrific and sometimes harrowing way. To reinstate the equilibrium would be seen through the last character's attempts to stay alive. once the killer is dead, everything goes back to normal. Alfred Hitchcock's **Psycho** is described as the ultimate Slasher film. it is an American black and white stalker/slasher film which Marion Crane, a working girl, is tired of having to sneak away during lunch breaks to meet Sam Loomis her lover. they can't get married because most of his money goes towards alimony.Marion's employer asks her to take $40,000 in cash to a local bank. Marion impulsively leaves town with the money, determined to have a fresh start in life with Sam in California. As night falls heavy rain obscures the road resulting in her having to turn off the main highway. drained from the long drive, she decides to spend the night at the desolate Bates Motel. The motel is run by a strange young man named Norman who is dominated by his mother. After Norman fixes her dinner, Marion goes back to her room for a shower... //Psycho// is based on the 1959 novel by Robert Bloch which is based on the case of convicted Wisconsin murderer Ed Gain. Gein and //Psycho//'s protagonist Norman Bates, were murders in isolated rural locations. Both had deceased domineering mothers,had sealed off one room of their house as a shrine to their mother and both dressed in women's clothing. However, there are differences between the two. Among others, Gein would not be strictly consid- ered a serial killer, having officially killed "only" two people.

__//**THE DEATH OF MARION CRANE**//__ The murder of Marion Crane in the shower is the film's critical and one of the best known scenes in cinema history. the scene only last for some what of 3 minutes but contains many cuts which communicate a sense of chaos. the close ups of the shots make the scene feel more subjective form an audience point of view.

**The Texas Chainsaw Massacre** is an American Independent film directed by Tobe Hooper who then went on to direct the sequel to the film and soon to be third installment (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3-D). The film follows a group of close friends travel through the back roads of Texas to their grandfather's grave which they hear has been vandalized. Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) and her brother Franklin (Paul A. Partain). They pick up an unpleasant hitchhiker (Neal) who slashes both himself & Franky with a knife. Managing to eject the hitch-hiker from the vehicle they continue with their journey, but shortly after, they are forced to stop & wander over to a sinister clapboard house in hopes for gas. The group of teenagers fail to realize that this house is the home of Leather Face (Gunner Hansen) and his evil, family of cannibalistic psychopaths. The teens are murdered in horrifying and disturbing ways. The film follows the convention of a stalker/slasher film, following the Todorov theory. in addition the film follows the concept of //**"The Final Girl"**//concept. She out-survives all of the other characters. The typical traits of the final girl character are: the moral conscience of the film. The film was marketed as a true story to bring in a wider audience and as a comment on the political issues ion the 70's.Its plot is completely fictitious and yet the leading antagonist, Leatherface and pieces in the plot have been inspired by the crimes of the real-life murderers of Ed Gain.

Hooper struggled to find a distributor for the film because of the films violent content. Bryanston Pictures eventually purchased the distribution rights to the film. Tobe Hooper had to edit the film so that there was a limited quantity of onscreen gore so that he could rate the film as a "PG" (Parental Guidance) but the "MPAA" (Motion Picture Association of America) rated the film as an "R" (Restricted) meaning those under the age of 17 had to see the film with an adult. this issue was also relevant internationally. consequently //The Texas Chain Saw Massacre// was then banned in several countries and a large amount of cinema's began to stop showing the film because of the complaints about the amount of violence that there was.

**Halloween** is a late 70's horror film, directed, produced and scored by John Carpenter who then went on to direct the following Halloween films: Halloween Il, Halloween III: Season of the witch, Halloween 4: The return of Michael Myers, Halloween: The curse of Michael Myers, Halloween H2O: 20 years later and Halloween: Resurrection. On Halloween, a young child (six years old), stabs his older sister with a kitchen knife leaving her for dead. Fifteen years later, after being submitted to a psychiatric hospitals,escapes and returns home. He then begins to stalk a teenager by the name of Laurie Strode. however Dr. Sam Looms suspects his intentions and tries to prevent him from killing.

//Halloween//, was the first to introduce the concept of the killer being a seemingly persistent evil force that can not be stopped. The overall success of the film has made the film to be considered as a film that is responsible for the proliferation of the slasher trend creating conventions that would later on become key elements within the genre. //Halloween// doesn't contain any graphic and/or violent scenes than the proceeding films that soon defined the slasher genre. Critics have credited the film as the first in a long line of slasher film influenced by Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) directed by Tom Hooper is also referred to as giving the starting point of the slasher craze and following //Halloween//, being the pioneer for the stylistic techniques as well as the structure of the plot. //The Texas Chain Saw Massacre//, has a few elements that is shares with Halloween: a group of free-spirited teens being captured and tortured a sadistic, masked villain.



As the genre slasher/stalker progresses through time the conventions of the genre begin to become predictable. therefore modern stalker/slasher film start to find new ways to explore the genre, trying to find new ways to subvert audiences expectations of the genre. Prom Night is a modern stalker/slasher film that was released in 2008. the film wasn't screened in advance of its release because it was widely panned by critics because it lacked gore and suspense. therefore the film, to some audiences doesn't experiment with the typical conventions of a stalker/slasher film so it lacks in originality. the film follows a young girl by the name of Donna as she attends her senior prom. she's surrounded by her friends and is supposedly to be having the best night of her life. however the night soon turns into a more sinister one. Donna, along with her friends try and find ways to escape the sadistic killer. Prom Night does follow the theory of Todorov, in addition to the generic conventions of there being a psychopathic killer stalking a group of innocent teenagers and killing them one by one.

The Hills Have Eyes is a 2006 remake of Wes Craven's original directed by Alexandre Aje. Wes Craven produces this remake about the Carters, an American family traveling through the southwest of America. However their trip takes a segway into a closed off area away from any form of society. the deserted originally used to be used by the U.S. Government for testing nuclear weapons.The Carter's car breaks down at the old site abandoned site leaving them stranded. During the progression of the film the Carters soon come to realize that their car breaking down might have been a deliberate attempt to trap the family. The trap was left by the inhabitants that are setting out to create a gruesome massacre. the remake has a faster pace for today's audience which could be a subversion of the original and also to the conventions of the genre. in addition this would possibly appeal the film to a new demographic.

My Bloody Valentine 3D is a 2009 American horror film remake of the 1981 Canadian horror film original. The film as a whole is all ready a subversion due to the use of 3D technology. I personally believe that with the use of 3D technology elements that are iconic to the genre would be intensified creating a new cinematic experience for the audience. The narrative involves a mine collapse, burying six miners alive.there is one survivor who who falls into a coma. supposedly he (Harry) killed the other minors in order to save oxygen for himself. coincidental Harry wakes from his coma on Valentines day and murders twenty people including a group of teenagers that are having a party in the mine. Harry is killed but somehow returns the following year on valentines day seeking revenge. i personally haven't heard of a slasher film following the concept of a mine accident. however the relation to Harry returning on valentines day doesn't really relate to the story in any way.





Stalker/Slasher films are being remade and revamped creating a modern version or interpretation of past film. Remakes have always been considered as films that never perform as well as the original and sometimes fail to satisfy the expectations of critics and fans of the original films.

// Mirrors // or "Into The Mirror" was originally a Korean film directed by Kim Sung-ho in 2003, rated PG. however when Alexandre Aja read the script, he wasn't satisfied with certain elements of the original narrative. He therefore decided to keep the original film's idea of mirrors, incorporating a couple of its scenes, but otherwise crafted an entirely new narrative and script for the 2007 version of the film. The film generally received negative reviews for it's "clunky dialogue and over emphatic music". In the US //Mirrors// opened in fourth position making £11.1 million. the film did receive poor reviews but performed well in the box office especially in foreign cinema i.e. France, Mexico and the United Kingdom where it ranked No.2. The 2007 remake has had a straight to DVD sequel.



// A Nightmare On Elm Street // 2010,directed by Samual Bayer,is a remake of an American slasher film directed by Wes Cravern who is also known for films such as //The Hills Have Eyes, The Last House On The Left and Scream.//The film focuses on a group of teenagers being stalked and murdered in their dreams by Freddy Krueger. They eventually discover that they all share a common link from their childhood that is making them targets for Freddy to kill. the writers of the remake took what they thought were the best elements from the original and inputting them into the remake. they used Craverns original story in order to make the film more scarier, which meant developing the character and exploring the idea of him being a child murderer. the decisions was made to follow through with this idea because it made an explanation to the burns on Krueger's face. A nightmare on elm street broke the record of midnight showings and all together grossed $32,902,299, which topped the original which made $25,504,513. The films critical reception is that the film does adhere to the expectation of the fans of the original, however, the original will always be the ultimate horror film, in terms of narrative and characters. On January 5, 2011, the film won the People's Choice Award for "Best Horror Film". // Friday The 13th // (2009) is and American Slasher remake of the 1980 Friday The 13th film series. Marcus Nispel (Director) also directed the 2003 remake of Tobe Hooper's 1974 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, while Damian Shannon and Mark Swift (who wrote the screenplay and story) wrote the screenplay for Freddy Vs. Jason (2003). The idea for the 2009 film originally started as an origin story, but the film then changed into a re-imaging of the first couple films. In addition to bringing the film back to its roots, Jason was redesigned as a stronger and faster killer, with a back story that could aid in giving the leading antagonist a little sympathy but not so much that he would lose his menace. The iconic Jason mask was brought back. evidently the film was released on Friday the 13th of February and earned $19 million on the opening night and $40 million for the opening weekend. The remake broke records including: having the largest opening day for the film series and the largest opening weekend for any horror film. At the moment it stands as the second-highest grossing film in the //Friday the 13th// series with $65 million, and has earned over $91.3 million worldwide. from the critical response for the films, it is said that the film pleased slasher fans but didn't add anything new and inventive to the genre. Alonso Duraldo, a film critic, scolded the films attempt to appeal to a new demographic by commenting on the addition of a Black and Asian Character which was done to "update the movie for the new millennium".

Remakes of Stalker/Slasher films aren't usually hits with films critics and fans of the originals and yet factors like these don't stop the remakes from being success in the theaters as proven by box office statistics. remakes are a way for new film makes, screen play writers and producers to revamp a well known loved original while adding their own interpretation of the past films. films that demonstrate this well is A Nightmare On Elm Street 2010. the film delved into the origins of factors such as Kruegers burns that were left un explained in the original. however one could argue that that is what made the originals better. not everything needed to be explained so the audience was free to create their own harrowing ideas of how the burns were created. another argument for remakes could all be because of money. the original performed well in the box office so there is a sure chance that the film will do the same of not better the second time around. there is a definite bank ability in relations to the narrative alone which will automatically draw audiences in. the new take on the film will draw in a new younger demographic making a larger profit.



Based on the Table the "Scream" franchise was very successful seeing as how all three film are in the top 3. However, even though "Scream 3" made the most in theatres i.e. $3,467, it did not produce a lot of money over all i.e. life time grossing. This could weaken the notion that sequels, along with remakes, do not usually make a lot of money.in addition, based on these takings from the top 3 films, it was evident that "Scream 4" would make a lot of money. However, Below, "Scream 4" is located at the bottom of the table of the Top 20 top grossing films. No. 20. "My bloody Valentine 3-D" which is a remake of a well known original did fairly well, placing at No. 11. Considering the fact that remakes do not do very well it did better and placed higher than the slasher original "Halloween". One could argue that the caparison between the two films could not be just because each film may have a different fan base/ following. In terms of studio, "Dimension Films" were the distributors of the top 3 films and have had a lot of successful genre films made and released. None of the films released by "Dimension Films" are no where near the bottom of the table, and yet "Scream 4" is at the bottom of the table. The "A Nightmare On Elm Street" franchise didn't do as well as "Scream". In theatres its made less money than "Scream" did and also over a life time.

Rising out of the mid-western suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio,Craven has become known for genre bending and innovative horror which challenges audiences with bold visions.The youth horror genre was revamped by Craven in 1984 with the classic A Nightmare on Elm Street which he wrote and directed.However, even though he did not direct the five following sequels, he de constructed the genre 10 years later, writing and directing the audacious Wes Craven's New Nightmare, which was nominated as Best Feature at the 1995 Independent Spirit Awards. Craven has always had an eye for discovering fresh talent which one could argue, contributes to the success of his films. While casting A Nightmare on Elm Street, Craven discovered the then unknown Johnny Depp! Other films by Craven would include:The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes, Stranger In Our House, A Nightmare On Elm Street and Scream.

The last girl refers to the last female survivor to confront the killer and consequently the only one to tell the tale. the final girl is has been seen in many stalker/slasher films i.e. Scream, Friday the 13th, A nightmare on Elm Street. The term "The Final Girl" was created by Carol J. Clover (an American professor of film studies) in one of her books entitled "Men, Women and Chainsaws". Clover suggests that in these films, the viewer begins by sharing the perspective of the killer, but experiences a shift in identification to the final girl partway through the film."The Final Girl" will usually have a unisex name i.e. Charlie Sidney. on occasion the final girl usually has something shared history with the killer. Also of the theory the final girl is virginal or typically unavailable sexually.

**YOUTH** Another theme of stalker/slasher films would be youth. a depiction of youth subjugated to an adult community that produces monsters. if the teenage victim ever runs to their parents or an adult for help and support they are usually not supportive in a sense that they don't believe the teenagers allegations. in some stalker/slasher films the teenagers in the film would sometimes turn to their parents or the authorities as a last resort.

**IDENTITY** One could argue that identity is an important theme within the genre. In films like Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Scream killer always wear a mask, to wither hide his identity or separate himself from society. one could argue that by wearing a mask and changing his/her identity the killer then has the confidence to act out their true desires and act on the negative thoughts. the mask could also act as a way for the killer to detach them selves from the victims emotionally. they are then presented as a cold and emotionless killer. the masks worn are usually disturbing themselves e.g. scream: the mask is of a Extremely pale face with a stretched oval mouth and drooping black holes for eyes. the mask could have been used by the killer to induce fear into the victim when they see it. it is a strategy to make others fear them which would provide the killer with a sense of power and dominion. in addition to identity the killer would stereotypically stalk victims that are teenagers who themselves are at a point in their lives where they themselves are finding their own individual identity.

**THE OUTCAST** The outcast ideology would solely be associated with the killer. normally the killer would have been a social outcast from a young age because of the physical appearance or by a psychological illness that deemed them as "weird" of a "freak". This emotional degradation would have manifested from and early age and as a result turned the victimized youth into a psychological killer. one could argue that this would then give a reason as to the killer going after teenagers for his/her victims. the killer would be taking revenge for all the times that he/she was bullied from a young age. in some cases if the killer came across a victims with similar issues like them, they would take pity and usually leave them to survive. this is similar to the Saw films with Amanda Young. the notoriously known killer Jigsaw sympathies with her and she then sees him as a father figure because he helped her leave drugs. she soon then becomes his apprentice.

**VIOLENCE** An evident theme of stalker/slasher films is violence. compared to the past horror films there is less blood and gore than modern slasher films and remakes. some film goers prefer the old films because it puts a central focus onto the narrative and characters development. the modern slasher films use of violence and gore can be somewhat distracting and overwhelming, detracting from the narrative. sometimes when current directors remake a past stalker/slasher film they use this strategy and consequently produce negative reviews leaving fans of the original films unsatisfied. films such as the Saw franchise take violence further by exploring the theme of torture combined with psychological games. however one could argue that these films have no substance in narrative and its central focus and reason for its success is the violence within the films. murders within stalker/slasher films are usually graphic and vivid sometimes depending on the killer.

**GOOD Vs EVIL** Good Vs Evil is another theme within the genre. the constant fight between the good and innocence of the victim or the authorities themselves against the menace of the killer. throughout the films progression the battle between good and bad builds up to the climax of the film where there is usually one survivor left e.g. the final girl and she will be left to confront the killer on her own. one could argue that in some films specific to the genre, amongst the group of teens there would be a member that is in a sense evil i.e. sexual promiscuity, foul language and morally wrong. these charters are not liked by the audience so when the killer eventually does kill them there is less sympathy for their death. this would then question the morality of the audience. does anybody really deserve to die?

**ISOLATION** The idea of isolation is usually explored through the mise-en-scene in the film. for example in Scream (the first film of the franchise) the leading protagonist ends up staying in a house far out or in the suburbs away from any form of contact with her neighbors or help if she were to need it. another example would be The Texas Chainsaw Massacre where the idealistic American family are trapped in an abandoned area which used to be a site where nuclear bombs where tested. not only is the area desolate but the victims are also isolated. the idea of isolation could be extended further to the killer in a sense that he/ she himself, according to the conventions of the genre, was isolated in a psychiatric ward away from family and friends.

**CONSEQUENCES OF SEXUAL PROMISCUITY** women that engage in sexual promiscuity are usually the ones that get killed first because they have done something morally wrong so they do not survive. on the other hand those female characters that aren't sexually promiscuous usually survive till the end or to tell the story. these characters would usually be the final girl. the killer would go after them but because they haven't done anything morally wrong they survive.

A slashers narrative can be broken down into stages.

**A STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM** at the beginning of films within the genre there is a clear sense of equilibrium that is set. for example there is a few scenes where the audience see the leading protagonist with his/her friends in their natural environment, in terms of a young teenage cast the setting would be the characters at school or in class; a location where they are comfortable and happy. there would usually be an introduction to their parents and possibly the authority within their living area i.e. local police station. however they may not be seen until there is a disruption to the equilibrium. however an event could commemorate a past event.

**DISRUPTION TO THE EQUILIBRIUM** due to the commemoration of the negative past event, this could then activate the killers disturbing destructive force. the killer could be and outsider or a member of the community that people don't really communicate or relate to. the killer would then stalk the group of young teenagers linking them back to the past event and seeing them as targets. there is often a member of the community that tells the young teenager about the true elements of the past event and tries to warn them about their actions and or the killer. however because of the persons age they take no consideration of the warning.

**RESOLVING THE PROBLEM** after the victims are physically aware of the killers existence they seek help from the authority that tries to hunt down the killer but never catch them before they murder their next victim. the killer then continues to kill members of the teenage group of victims in violent and disturbing ways. the leading protagonist (usually a female) sees the murders and finally catches the killer either in the act of before.

**THE FIGHT! (CLIMAX)** There is then a battle between the killer and the last survivor. the "last girl" or buy manages to successfully defend themselves and kills the killer.





As part of "A Nightmare On Elm Street" advertising promotion it was effective that they create a variety of marketing posters establishing the central character. one could argue that for remakes little marketing is needed because by word of mouth the film will advertise itself. usually posters of films as popular as this one use minimal design on their posters because the weapon alone i.e. claw is so iconographic that that alone will notify the audience what the film is about.



// **GROUP MEMBERS** // Elise, Ingrid, Steven and ME!

// **CHOSEN GENRE** // Stalker/Slasher

//**TITLE OF FILM**// "The Calling"

//**TAGLINE OF FILM**// "Deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours"

//**SYNOPSIS**// A women forges papers to become a nun (Sister Gretchen) and begin teaching in a Catholic college. she has extreme religious views that she tries to impose onto the students who naturally have a modern outlook on life. sister Gretchen then sees it as her duty to God the "cleanse" the school from who, in her eyes, has done wrong by God.

//**CHARACTERISATION**// Sister Gretchen will be a young women with old fashioned, traditional views. at the beginning she will seem like a joyful women with a child like charm so as a result of this her transformation into a more sinister person will not be expected by the audience. Charlie, the leading protagonist and in this case "the last girl" will have a boyish quality to her. she will be strong minded, opinionated and persistent in finding out the truths of sister Gretchen.in addition to the two central characters there will be other students that see sister Gretchen's views as something strange but learn to accept them.

//**MISE-EN-SCENE/VISUAL MOTIFS**// There will be religious icons such as the bible, rosary and the cross. also the forged papers will be needed. the locations that will be used are the Chapel within the 6th form, the grotto, the brown circular stairs and classrooms. essentially majority of the scenes shot within the trailer will contain religious objects. Sister Gretchen's costume will be a more current nus habit and uniform for the students around the college. in terms of lighting there will be a fairly amount shot with the uses of natural ambient lighting probably at the beginning of the film and trailer. after sister Gretchen has experienced the pivotal moment of her teaching career and religious response, low chiaroscuro lighting will be used to create a dark atmosphere.

//**CINEMATOGRAPHY/PHOTOGRAPHY**// In terms of cinematography a variety of shots will be used to help narrate the story. POV shots will be used to show the perspective of the characters bringing the audience closer to the character, narrative and action. dogs eye views will be used especially with the character Sister Gretchen to give a sense of power and prestige. over the shoulder shots will act as a way of shutting the audience out but on the other hand extreme close-ups will be used to bring the audience in. close-ups also allow for character analysis especially if those takes are longer than usual. tracking shots i think will be essential to add an element of immediacy to the scene and also take the audience on the journey that the characters are experiencing.

//**TRAILER CONVENTIONS**//
 * 1) Pace of the editing: will alternate between fast and slow depending on each particular scene.
 * 2) The last survivor is usually a female conforming "the Last Girl" theory.in addition her name is usually a unisex name such as Charlie or Sydney.
 * 3) The psychopathic killer as seen in the remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" usually has a back story which is usually told in the form of a flashback or at the beginning.
 * 4) Using P.O.V to show the views of the killer and the victim.
 * 5) Chiaroscuro lighting.
 * 6) Violence

//**UNIQUE SELLING POINT**// A film of this narrative would not have been seen or done before.

//**FILM INFLUENCES**// Orphan, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Creep and The Priest.











Majority of the people I asked were females. one could argue that this would influence the direction of the answers given therefore giving an unbalanced amount of results. However there was a large amount of females available so i took advantage of that.



When asked, 75% of the students i asked went to the cinema twice a month. some students brought this down to the fact that there wasn't enough time in the week for them to go out because of the amount of work that they had to complete: homework, coursework or a part time job. in addition students at the college probably didn't have enough money to go to the cinema every week. consequently the second to lowest percentage (10%) were those that did go to the cinema each week. one could argue that this is only possible because someone else was paying for them. And yet, those who went a few times a year was the lowest. one could argue that they may prefer to watch movies at home on DVD or VCR.

Majority of the people I asked primarily expected to see gore in a stalker slasher trailer which evidently would be intensified in the film. especially with modern remakes of stalker/slasher films e.g. A Nightmare On Elm Street. Gore could fall under violence seeing as how it is a product of it however, violence could be seen without out as much blood as gore. violence came second in the line of expectations presented. interestingly, authority i.e. police, was least likely to be seen in stalker slasher films. however in stalker/slasher films, it is common for the authorities to make minor appearances in the film, and when they do they offer little help to the victims.

25% (5 people) hadn't heard of "Friday the 13th".the film is an iconic film to this genre and many people would have seen the film if not heard of it. 75% had heard of the film. I believe that i should have made this a multiple option instead of a closed question to see if there was a difference in the amount of people who had seen the film or heard of the film. this would have allowed me to see if a film can be successful in a popularity sense i.e. testing the films iconography popularity within a different generation.



In stalker/slasher films the killer is stereotypically a male. in my pitch my groups film trailer will definitely subvert this stereotype because the killer is a female and a nun. i believe that my group will go against the audiences expectations of a male serial killer and therefore make the trailer more interesting and entertaining. however there are some, looking at my results, that do see the serial killer as a female but it is a small amount. Based on the Table the "Scream" franchise was very successful seeing as how all three film are in the top 3. However, even though "Scream 3" made the most in theatres i.e. $3,467, it did not produce a lot of money over all i.e. life time grossing. This could weaken the notion that sequels, along with remakes, do not usually make a lot of money.



I looked over a number of fonts and decided that these in particular contributed to the style or theme of the film trailer that i will be making with the rest of my group. The first four fonts are particular to the horror genre which i do like. however i like the last font style the most, AN UNFORTUNATE EVENT its legible, has an awkward design which connotes strange and spooky atmosphere. The capital letters are demanding and alarming. the font style that i didn't think would suit poster would be KINGSTHINGS SPIKE font. even though the style is old English and would fit a religious film, i personally believe that the decorative style is too distracting.



The use of colour is very important on posters and magazines. different colours have different connotations and when used correctly and effectively, the colours can attract the target demographic and aid in the understanding of the film and also aid in a magazines success. Stalker slasher film posters usually have the colour red on them, evidently connoting blood and violence. Linking back to the posters that I analysed for "A nightmare On Elm Street"... The colours that dominate the posters are red and black only. could symbolise the obscurity of the stalker.the use of low chiaroscuro creates a shadow over half of the stalkers face. when i was analysing the posters i really liked this element and set on using that type of lighting. however, i did my own interpretation and created a different image but with similar lighting elements.











This draft was initially supposed to be a character poster. During my market research into stalker/slasher films I found that some films have posters central to a specific character in the film. After discussing this idea with the rest of my group I decided to take a few shots of a different model who if the outcome of the poster was successful would possibly be in the trailer.

This is a step-by-step of how i did one of my film poster drafts.

here are some shots of the locations that we as a group were thinking about using. some did provide a great aesthetic appeal to the trailer i.e. the long corridor in the 6th form area and the chapel. we wanted a strong sense of the school's atmosphere so we rarely filmed away from the school grounds.

During the production of film are a list of shots in the form of a storyboard that give a rough visual representation of what the film should look like. We evidently decided to do the same but made room for change if the shoot didn't generate the response that we thought it would, also in-case other factors prevented it from being possible i.e. the weather.