What our trailer would become if it was a film...

What our trailer would become if it was a film .. on Prezi

Romantic drama word moodboard

As you can see here these are a list of words which I feel sum up a Romantic drama film the most, so I feel we should comprise all of these elements into our film trailer in order to make it realistic and directly correlate the generic conventions of this genre. Also these words picked are all symbolic. For example, throughout the scattered words you can see the title within which indicates that the 'Bitter Twisted Lies is influenced  by all these factors. Love, passion and incessant and happiness all interlink whilst the others aside from forgiveness can be all grouped together. The reason I have chosen  to have the singular forgiveness is because it links into both, that where there is hate there can be forgiveness which leads to love. 

Bitter Twisted Lies moodboard prezzi

Romantic drama typical narrative structure- Looking at Bridjet Jones

http://www.studycove.co.uk/study/close-focus-narrative-character-and-location-how-effective-comedy-genre-representing-%E2%80%98modern-w
 As I was researching into narratives, I thought it would be a good idea to look at an example of an actual Romantic genre film in order to see the conventions that they follow. Through my extensive research I came across this helpful article taken from the website URL included above. This article was very helpful in giving ideas that we could include in our own film. Below I have included the article.

Although this is a Rom-Com the use of voice overs was something which I felt would be good to use in our own production whatever narrative we may use. Also perhaps we should have elements that are not necessarily  comedy as done in  this film but instead light hearted shots that contrast against more morbid, dark and gloomy shots reflecting the mood of the piece. The contrast between the two allows the audience to have a different range of emotions when watching the film, to provide a more diverse and gratifying experience.

<><>

<>

I think its a key idea to thing about themes, for example these essentially have to depict the narrative of the film so we will have to think clearly about how we will present these themes.

soundtrack research( research and planning) cubase experimentation

A screenshot of the Cubase programme

Recently in our media lesson we were allowed to experiment with Cubase to give us a feel for creating our own music.Although we have Amir to create a musical soundtrack for us it was nice to see what we could produce in a lesson.The programme permits the enablement of recording different instruments in layers and different times. Due to our Romantic genre we looked at soft harmonic instruments such as harps, piano's ect which is sweet and soulful and we thought that perhaps we could comprise a harmony of people singing, with different songs to appropriate the mood.It would also be quite good if we wrote the lyrics ourselves as it expresses primarily our originality, will be fun to compile but also shows our individuality.Perhaps we could still use Cubase to upload Amir's work and layer it with the same composition but different instrument e.g. trumpet.I really found this lesson worthwhile and felt that this allowed us to see what opportunities that this programme entails.

Assessment week

There is a detailed analysis of a trailer and you have shown a good use of ICT, with screen grabs and mind map. You have explained the process by which you settled on your chosen genre and should now analyse similar genre trailers. Storyboarding and scripting should get underway soon so as to finalise your ideas.

Remember Me HD Trailer [in slow motion!] - Running up that hill

As we have thought about using slow motion within our piece, I have decided to do some additional research into romantic dramas and their use of slow motion, that is used realistically. Here what I really like is the use of the footage that has been slowed down and the fact that there is no dialogue, just music makes it seem really effective.

Dear John - Official Movie Trailer [High Quality] - HD analysis

From this film I have chosen certain elements from one particular shot, in this case the opening shot ( shown above)which I would like to include in our own advanced portfolio, since I feel it would be very effective in establishing both our target audience and and settings/ locations mise-en-scene . Primarily the opening shot depicts Amanda and Channing locked in a passionate scene, they are gazing towards each other with looks of admiration and devotion, expressing the everlasting love between them. This is implemented by the use of the two shot which has been angled in order to present Amanda from her side portfolio as her and Channing are about to kiss. I also like the use of lighting which of course is natural daytime lighting making the shot look clear and professional, thus the film looks authentic, like a real Romantic Drama. The blue in the foreground almost has an angelic glow surrounding them which represents the symbolism of their love for one another. In terms of our own production there are many ideas which can be obtained from this. This includes the following:

• outdoor scenes that make use of scenic backgrounds and iconic imagery in order to maintain a continuum throughout the teaser trailer i.e. we may have a shot of a woodland manipulated several times with different people and imagery ect , in order to convey to the audience that this an important symbol motif. This in turn can be used with non-diegtic sound that acts as a motif throughout as well i.e. a clock ticking, slowly as though time is slowing down, conveying to the audience that this an important notion to consider.
• Contrast between two characters to clearly define to the audience the intertwining relationships between all of the cast. For example we could replicate the shot shown above in the video of Dear John and then enhance it using contrast i.e. instead of the angelic blue use a softer more feminine glow i.e. pinky yellow in order to express the dominance of  females within the film, creating a post feminist character.
• With further explanation on from the last point about female characters within our trailer; we should have them portrayed as strong yet expressive characters that do not conform to the traditional stereotype of a passive, submissive woman. This would then make our film relevant to contemporary society and therefore it allows the audience to identify with the characters more.

Two Lovers - Official Trailer [HD] analysis

Before I begin my analysis of the trailer I have to explain that the narrative of the film , is completely different to what the title and the film poster suggest.Yes there are two lovers but the passion and lust that was depicted in the poster seems to be watered down in this film- which differs from the passion we are hoping to convey.However it is always interesting to analyse trailers and see what inspirations we can derive from it.As we are doing a teaser I have only analysed a minute of footage.

(Hi) As she says this piece of short dialogue, her face is quirked in a slanted smile, suggesting that she is perhaps excited or surprised. The use of positioning shows her to be looking away from the camera, so she is not breaking the 4th wall, indicating that she is perhaps detached from the audience, whereas Postmodern films such as 500 days of Summer has the male protagonist Tom looking directly at the camera breaking this fourth wall. The use of lighting here is dark indicating that it is a rough old flat, enhanced by the use of costume, which uses dark colours so that she can blend into the background more effectively , indicating her perhaps sly personalisation. The use of the background behind her I feel has been deliberately chosen so that she is the main focus of the shot, further implemented by the centring of the shot.

You live here right? She asks this in a rhetorical manner , as though she already knows this, using a tag question to support this.The other person whom she is talking to is also in dark clothing which suggests that he or she holds an ambiguous identity. However from my pragmatic knowledge I can deduce that this person is a male from her use of body language e.g. she is leant towards him with her hands outstretched from a far distance, inclining him to step towards her. The use of the long loose blonde hair suggests that as the title aptly suggests she is one of his two lovers, indicating that she perhaps enjoys indulging in dangerous affairs.The male is also turned away from the camera, so that the angling is almost over his shoulder into his point of view of her, which shows intriguing shot composition, as the varaition between the two shows diverse shot types meshed together.

( angelic chorus non diegetic soundtrack)

The use of this title screen is to give the audience the knowledge of what institution is backing the film, although it doesn't appear to be a well known production company ; despite being produced by an American distributor. The use of the institution company is accompanied by an non-digetic angelic chorus, which gives the effect of suggesting there will be elements of purity within it, so perhaps the divide between pure and dangerous e.g. with the whole cheating element. This is something we should take into consideration when looking at soundtracks, so something similar to this would be effective.

( sound bridge of soundtrack still)
The sound then transcends into the next scene creating a sound bridge , further implemented by the fade in which shows that is a different scene rather than a continuum. I really like the idea of sound bridges and I feel that we should inc operate it in ours, dependent on how we construct the script and other contributing factors. The use of location is also important, as this wide shot displays. For example it sets the scene in a busy road, with electric pylons/shops contrasting against the naturalistic beauty of the trees on the path. This shows a typically industrial urban environment embedded in nature, suggesting that is probably a big ' conventional city' although pragmatically you would be able to deduce that it is not 'London' since the Americanised tourist version of it is not shown e.g. red buses

(Hi)
This scene introduces a new woman in a closeup which again obscures the identity of the man which suggests that he is the instigator of the love affair, indicating that he is in control. This is something I would like to incorporate in our production. The slight smile on her face seems to replicate the previous woman's which suggests that perhaps they are very similar in some instances e.g. their behaviour, their mannerisms, they way they interact, speak with him. This is perhaps why he is having an affair with both of them because he cant choose which one he likes best. The use of the dialogue 'hi' is confident and demands surety suggesting that she is not submissive and will not be dominated by the male power.

( is that your bedroom in the back)
This is again another rhetorical question instigated by the female, which she repeated earlier on in the trailer, indicating a theme of repetition.Perhaps she has done this to gain more information about him as a person or perhaps she is hesitant and is attempting to make conversation with him and she can think of nothing else to say.The theme of ambiguity is used once again which allows the audience to be intrigued and engage their attention. The use of location is conventional, set in a household environment, conforming to the conventions of a romantic genre film trailer.The use of body language is also an intriguing feature, clearly emphasised by the positioning towards the door and the pointed finger which reinforces her point, that she made in her interrogative.

( I can see you from my apartment)
undesperate as she doesn't want to give a bad impression.

This closeup/ extreme closeup uses a side angle to significantly highlight his eyes, which gives the audience a further clue as to how he looks, but still the rest of his face is covered, so it continues to give the audience ambiguity and mystery, suggesting that this is typical of his characteristics. The use of the blue light also gives a sense of the abnormal, giving the audience the impression that perhaps he is not all that he seems at first sight.

( our parents want us to meet)
The choice of lexis here suggests that it is serious between them, at least to her it appears so, but the way in which his head is turned away from her disinterested suggests that he does not feel the same way about her- perhaps she is something fun, a person who he can mess around with but not commit to. This far shot is again very dark and gloomy, further implementing the idea of a romantic Drama genre. What I feel we should include in ours is juxtaposition between dark and light shots. For example a bedroom scene with dark dim lighting contrasting against a bright outdoor scene.

(Actually .....)
The transition into this next shot is interesting through the positioning  of her behind the door glancing out cautiously as she tries to observe what is going on perhaps, suggesting that she is eavesdropping. The use of the diegetic dialogue ' actually' makes it an open ended statement as we are unsure of what she is going to say next because of the pragmatical elision that is effectively used.

(.. I wanted us to meet)
It then cuts back to the same shot two frames beforehand, but instead using a closeup shot, completely focusing on her as she tells him ' I wanted us to meet' which again implements how much she likes him despite her unawareness of his infidelity as such. The small smile on her face is apparent while she talks and the device of her blinking infers that she is quite nervous. The use of sepia brown frames with a washed out effect appears to have been used here which could represent her characterisation, that perhaps she is seen as dull and dreary .

( his point of view shot)
This use of a point of view shot is very effective in primarily establishing what he is seeing clearly but it also allows the audience to identify with him, whether they feel emotive ect or feel empathy for him.

'hey'
The colloquial greeting shows how comfortable she is with him as there is no formality between them and her expression is that of pure unbridled joy. They have also blurred the background behind her slightly which gives the sense that it isn't the main focus of the frame, instead because she is at the centre- slightly towards the right, so therefore the camera focuses on her, not what is going on around her.

( are you going to the city)
I really like this shot as it has been paused at a point where, there is a fade in and fade out and as you can see here it includes the next scene within it which gives it an almost abstract artistic effect which I love and I feel we should try and incorporate this in our own film. The characters in the background have also been blurred which seems as though she feels its just them two in the world, they are isolated from the rest of society because of their love for each other.

This is quite a simple yet effective shot as again it demonstrates them being away from the rest of the society as notice how everyone is many steps behind. This also shows the themes of country vs city, suggesting that the mix of these environments are typical in a romantic genre film , so this is something we will have to think of in our own when looking into locations in-depth.

( so Michelle tells me you guys are neighbours)
This shows an informal atmosphere, further emphasised by the colloquial lexis used and the location that it is set in i.e the restaurant. You also get the understanding that this perhaps is her father and he looks directly at the protagonist as though he is trying to search him for faults in case he should hurt his daughter.

reportoire of elements




 

romance or a phycological thriller ?

After we presented our treatment/synopsis mindmap the general consensus was that we should go with our romance idea as the other was generally quite incomprehensible in terms of what the narrative actually was.This was because it was a good collection of ideas but they were like we explained a work in progress, generally the focus was mainly on ideas of obscurity and what it conveys.The romance however had a set storyline, and will be completely different to what we did last year therefore it will be versatile and original.This is also completely out of our comfort zone but will show that we are willing to experiment with new challenges.We have decided to go with a trailer format  as a teaser does not effectively depict the narrative, whereas a trailer gives  a more detailed plot insight and allows you to identify with the characters a little more.As part of background research I have decided to conduct an investigation into which genre receives the highest commercial success, what are the most financially successful films from both genres as well as a questionnaire asking participants about both genres.The subjective aims of these were to widen my statistical knowledge.In other posts I will be discussing these results extensively and separately.

Unsurprisingly romantic drama is more commercially successful the highest being Titanic directed by James Cameroon, the second highest grossing film of all time making $600,788,188. In comparison the thriller genre spawned fatal attraction which generated $156,645,693, the romantic genre did better in comparison.This could be due to the audience preferring a steady, generic narrative where they know what to expect rather than being unsure of what is about to happen, often the case why postmodern films never do well commercially but are a critical success. 
<><><><> <><><><>

questionnaire and results: romantic genre

For this questionnaire I selected 20 participants, asked them the questions then derived statistics from it splitting it into gender and age to see whether there was any differences between them both.To do this I used bar and pie charts.

1. What are the the traditional conventions you would associate with the romantic genre?
2. What character stereotypes would  you expect to see in this type of film?
3.What do you expect from a romantic teaser trailer?
4. How do you feel about postmodernism Incorporated within the film?
5. What makes a good storyline?
6. What settings would you associate with the romantic genre?

Responses initiated : 

Participants involved in our media

Amir Malekzadeh- composer
Why did we choose Amir?
Because he is one of the most talented young composers that I know with an incredible talent for both composing his own music and playing incredibly hard compositions. Plus he goes to our school so its easy for us to do soundtracking together.
Who can he be compared to?
Contemporary composer-Michel van der Aa

He is noted for being an incredibly gifted young composer , who's had many notable works including ' one which has been awarded. He also does compositions for film, opera and theatre.

Me- actor,  blogger, editor, idealist

Charley Johnson- director, filmer, editor

Chris styan- actor
Why we chose him? because he is one of our closest male friends and therefore it means we are able to film more frequently.
Who can he be compared to?

Tom Irwin, famously plays characters in Romantic dramas that cheat on their wives, which
is of course what we are trying to replicate here.

Amiee Louise Bretherick actor
Why we chose her?
Because she would be able to pay the part that we have characterized her in very well, as she is naturally a flirty person in general.
Who can she be compared to?

Julia Roberts in ' My Best Friends wedding' as her she betrays her best friend by kissing her fiancee.

Molly Venn photographer/ film poster/ film magazine
Why we chose her?
Because she has incredible talent for producing quirky innovative photos that are original, something we want to replicate in our own piece.
Who can she be compared to?
Quirky Mexican Photographer Manuel Alvarez Bravo who creates abstract photos.

mindmap of genre ideas