Evaluation- Screenshot analysis

Screenshot 1- This is our primary establishing shot which introduces our trailer, 'Betrayal'. This was shown through a fade in transition, with diegetic hip hop music from the car. This was an effective way to introduce our characters without physical revealing their identity to begin with. This is due to the association of loud, hip hop music and youths, being seen as irresponsible and stereotypically careless individuals. We used a long shot to medium panning shot to ensure that the focal point was on the car, to emphasis the importance of it and the people within inside it. The natural lighting allows us emphasis the the change in atmosphere, which is shown in later sections of the trailer. We have angled the camera so that you can see slightly down the road however the car is initially out of shot. As the car comes onto the shot the non - diagetic sound comes in from quiet to loud, this goes with the flow of the car as the camera pans slowly following the car round. The main reason we wanted to show our characters in a car was so that the audience could get a feel for the age of the characters and therefore  sympathize or relate to them. This will make the impact on the audience even stronger.

Screenshot 2
Screenshot 2 is of our institution. We were able to design and create this institution our self which enabled us to make the institution suit the genre of the film, horror. The main reason for this is because we have dark and gloomy colours shown which conforms to the conventions of a horror institution.

Screenshot 3
Screenshot three is of two of our protagonists. It is a medium shot and allows the audience see the characters which will allow them to relate and get to know the characters. Due to the closeness of the characters, it shows that they have close and good relationship, therefore making the audience relate to them. This will then allow them to find the trailer more scary and intimidating to watch as they will either feel as if they know the characters of feel as if it is happening to them as they can relate to them. This therefore means they would continue watching the film.

Screenshot 4
This screenshot is of our font. The simplistic and old looking font makes the font eerie and suitable for a horror genre. We have kept it the same font as our main title which allows us to have a recognizable feature of our film and therefore when the audience see's this font title they will be reminded of our film. We have chosen to have our font colour white with a black background because it means that there is a high contrast in colour and therefore means that the writing stands out well and is easy to see for the audience. Having the background black and the font white has different colour connotations which could reflect the film. The white connotes to purity and innocence, in which its engulfed in evil, death black, which are the connotation of this colour.
Screenshot 5
The reason I have taken a screenshot of this shot is because it is one of my favourite shots within the trailer. This is because its the first shot which initiates the first pace editing of the trailer. The use of the diegetic music of the axe dragging against the concrete creates an unnerving sound, which is very effective for our horror trailer as it creates suspense and conforms well to the typical conventions of a
horror film. The camera angle and the duration of the shot  make this shot effective because we have used deep music with the non diegetic sound of a heavily breathing gas mask and also due to the length of the shot being quite long, it makes the audience sit on edge as they think something is going to happen. As this shot is one of our longest shots, we wanted to make sure the suspense was built up the correct amount in the audience to make sure that the finale shot where we want the audience to be most scared is effective.
Screenshot 6
The reason I have screen-shotted this shot in our trailer is because I think that it is a very effective shot. It has been put in during our fast pase editing part of the trailer which means it can only be viewed for a short period of time by the audience however I think that this makes it even more effective. the way that we have angled the camera (low angle) helps emphasize to the audience that the antagonist is extremely terrifying because the low angle makes the audience feel vulnerable
because they are being looked down on by the antagonist. I like how there are the outlines of the trees in the background as it reminds the audience that they are in the middle of the woods which can make them feel even more scared as they'll know that the protagonist is isolated with no one to help them.
Screenshot 7
This next screenshot is one of my favourite shots of the trailer and has also been one of the most recognisable and favourite shots from the public. The main reason for this is because it leaves an
enigma, creates suspense and causes the audience to jump during the fast pase editing, this intrigues them into watching it and makes it very memorable. By having the shot at a low angle it means you can really see the girl being dragged however can not see who is dragging her. This leaves an enigma and make it even creepier as there is a hidden identity.

Screenshot 8
This is a long shot of our antagonist swinging on a swing in a park. This comes across as a establishing shot because it is a change in location which leaves an enigma to the audience as to why and how he got there. However, this could make the audience confused as this location is only seen once. On the other hand it could reflect the youthfulness of the antagonist and provides an additional disturbance ot the character. The gloomy sky on the background makes the shot even better as it conforms to the conventions of horror films as they tend to have gloomy dark skies.

Screenshot 9
This was our last shot of the trailer. This, in my opinion was a very effective ending to the traiel. This is because its memorable due to the scare factor we created. The close up shot we used was to
provide minimal vision (with the addition to dark lighting) which makes the audience feel frightened as they are expecting something to happen- ideal for a horror trailer. The close up shot also allows us to reflect and emphasis how terrified the protagonist is as you can see the fear in her eyes and expression.

Screenshot 10
This is a screenshot of out main titles. We have used one of our main antagonists as the background image to make it flow into our trailer better as we decided to have a different shot as our ending shot. This has been done in a few other horror trailers however we decided to do it to make out film original and not the same as all of the other horror films. We have put an effect on the titles so that it flashes an inverted colour. This looks creepy an can link into the flashes between life and death which makes the audience be intrigued into seeing what happens in the actual film.

black is because it will them easily flow into our next shot as we have tried to keep our shots fairly dark so that it conforms to the conventions of horror films and will come across more creepy to the

audience. The font at the end of the trailer was altered slightly, in fomr of colour scheme used. We
used white and red font, which makes this shot effective. This is because the important information is in red therefore expressing and emphasising the importance of it, therefore would stay in the audience's mind. Adding this marketing to the end of the trialer would make the audience want to research it, and therefore find out more, and creating more of a 'hype' for the film.

Evaluation- Commentary overview

This is a running commentary of our trailer 'Betrayal'. This is to show our self analysis of our production, on why we chose certain shots and the effectiveness of different aspects within it; mise en scene, camera shots, lighting...

Evaluation- Equipment Used

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

Camera:Nikon D3200
We used this to film and capture all our shots within and behind the scenes of our trailer. We used this because it provided us with a high defined picture, which would make our production even more professional. This camera also has its benefits as it has many features which aided us to producing 'Betrayal'. Firstly, this camera allowed us to alter the exposure, which made our duration of filming easier as it allowed us to ensure all the lighting was the same within all shots. This meant that we didn't have to continuously return to film, therefore avoid time wasting. Another benefit to using this camera was that it had adjustable and changeable lens, which ensured consistently high resolution within different shots; as if we used the same lens for all shots it would mean that extreme close up would be blurry and not as clear. Also the Nikon D3200 is also a manual camera which means we can change the featrues to suit what we want to portray. For example we can manually
change the focus, colour saturation, exposure and attach flashes and lens to it, enabling us to capture the best shot possible. For example when the protagonist is in the foreground of the shot, blurred within the background is the antagonist. This camera also allows us to attach a tripod to the base of it so we can produce a steady and stable shot, therefore would not disrupt the continuity of the trailer. This camera also allowed us to take picture of which was perfect during the research and planning stages of this process. This is because it allowed us to take pictures of different locations and angles, so we could compare and decide which locations and shots we should use for the final production. The final advantage of using this camera was that it is lightweight, therefore easy to transport and carry. This provided us with the ability to vary our shots, for high to low, as it was easy to transport.

Computer Software- iMovie and Adobe Premiere Elements 10
At the beginning of the editing stage, we used Adobe Premiere elements 10, which we used to cut each shot to desired duration. However, collectively as a group, we decided not to use this software for further use, This is because we felt that from our AS year, iMovie was more beneficial to use as we know everything about how to use it, so therefore what would make our final production effective. This would mean that editng would not be as time consuming as if we used Premiere Elements. There are many features on this software which made our production what it is, for
example, the discrete non diegetic sound effects was part of this software. This software also alloowed us to create our own institutions so it wouls make our trailer appear professional and allowed us to show our creative abilities. In comparison with our peers, they found it difficult to produce their own as they were restriected ones they had to choose from, therefore some didn't suit their genre. However, this was not a problem for our team as we were able to design our institution the way we desired. This therefore made our trailer increasingly more professional.
Other cross platform software such as 'YouTube', allowed us to broadcast our trailer to the whole world. This software means that it would increase the popularity of our film and therefore increase our target audience.

Evaluation- Audience Feedback

This is our audience feedback for our trailer 'Betrayal'. This is a vital process which occurs, so we know what our audience liked, didn't like and therefore improve upon. We asked our peers to watch our trailer and inform us the strengths aspects present within our production and what we could improve on, so it would be even more professional and successful. From this process we were given many positives, which gives us confidence of what we produced. A few positives were:
-The use of sounds creates an atmospheric situation of the correct genre, horror. Therefore indugling the audience within our trailer
-The use of various of sounds, e.g the hip hop music at the beginning, would draw in the younger audience of our large target audience.
-The use of conventions were used well, instantly telling the audience it is a horror trailer.
-The variety of shots and fast paced editing creates a sense of mystery and suspense. Having the whole trailer build up to face pace editing was effctive and it created tension.

Although we have had many positives, we have also had a few negatives, in which we hope to improve on within the future. The negatives consisted of:
- A consistent appearance of characters throughout trailer. Some characters were only seen in the beginning of the trailer, could cause confusion of the importance of those characters or give certain events away, for example; audience could think they are dead.
-Could use even more camera shots, varying the juxaposition of them
-Could of drawn out the sounds more to make it flow better.

From this feedback we can pinpoint the few mistakes and weaknesses of our porduction, allowing us the ability to improve them. This would continuously aid us to develop our skills of film-making, which will be vital for our future we wish to take.

Evaluation- Theory Links with our trailer

Cultivation Theory- George Gerbner
George Gerbner's Cultivation theory suggests that television is responsible for shaping or 'cultivating viewers conceptions of social reality, resulting in 'Mean World Syndrome'. He believes that what you see on television or within the media causes this world mean syndrome; making the world a horrible place.
This theory links with our production of our theatrical trailer, 'Betrayal' as we have shaped our audiences conceptions of reality, by the use of mise en scene, location and characters. The location within our trailer was based in the woods, which acted as the campsite for the protagonist'within the production. By using this location within a horror genre film, makes our audience believe that the events they see could happen to them, therefore cultivating their outlook on a wood location. Having used a campsite location, which is stereotypically associated with a family friendly location, within a horror makes creates a fear for the audience due to the two contrasting ideas of the location. This therefore creates a conception for the audience that the woods should not be entered alone at night as dangerous and murderous events could happen. The use of mise en scene, through the mask also reinforces this 'Cultivation theory'. It achieves this by connoting that people who wears mask and hides their identity are bad individuals who gain satisfaction through violent acts; making the passive audience believe this (linking hypodermic needle theory).

The Hypodermic Needle Theory
This theory suggests that a media text injects its message straight into the passive audience. This therefore applies to our theatrical trailer via the certificate of it. The certificate of the film is deemed as an '15', due to frightening and disturbing events which occur during the production, therefore not suitable for younger audiences. Also as the audience is seen as a passive mass who would immediately accept the conception of events which occurs, it means the audience would believe our trailer. When watching our trailer, 'Betrayal', the audience would believe that the character's are trying to create mishap and spill blood, which is reinforced by the use of mise en scene; masks, axes, hooded dark clothing. Using mundane realism (normal circumstances:group of friends within a wood, camping) and using masked antagonists causing horrifying events, makes the audience feel as though this could happen to them. This therefore means that they believe these antagonist's representation; following the hypodermic needle theory. Using this theory, meant that our passive audience believed our representations within our trailer, resulting in it being realistic and believable. If this theory was not applied, then our representations would be questioned, which follows Stuart Hall's 'Reception Theory', that the audience are either negotiated or oppositional audiences.

The Uses and Gratification Theory
This theory was presented in 1970's by media theorists Blumler and Katz, which declared that there were five main reasons why audiences consumed media text. The Uses and Gratification Theory has five categories; to be informed and educated, to be entertained, escapism, to enable socialism and identify with characters situations. When watching our trailer the audience would seek for excitement, due to the numerous enigmas created through the use of juxtaposition and camera shots. Due to making our audience excited it would make them want to watch the whole film to be informed about what actually happens; therefore supporting this theory of the uses and gratification theory. For a more passive audience, our trailer could be used for escapism from reality, as our trailer would allow them to feel as though they are in this situation, therefore a release from everyday worries and concerns.

The Male Gaze
'The Male Gaze' was explored by Laura Mulvey, who argues that  in films the audience view is predominantly from a heterosexual male point of view. Therefore she continues to state that women are objectified in films for the pleasure of a male viewer, for example through an attractive character or narrative. However, this theory applies to males in both ways; through the use of females and males. For example, using attractive female, which are seen as damsel in distress would appeal to the male audience as they would want to protect and save her. Using confidence, classy and muscular males, would make male audiences associate themselves with the character or makes them want to be like them. Within our trailer 'The Male Gaze' is seen through the use of our protagonist's. This is because they are seen as the Damsels in Distress due murderous unknown events which the audience assumes from the trailer. This therefore makes the male audience want to see them safe and avoid harm. This vulnerability was reinforced by the use of mise en scene from the girls having blonde hair and wearing white clothing (connoting to innocence and purity).

Claude Steele's Theory of Stereotype Threat
Claude Steele's theory is based on the concept of stereotype threat. This is where a perceived stereotype is popularised then the member of the stereotype social group become increasingly at risk of living up to the characteristics of the stereotype. This means that the stereotype has become normalised. Within our trailer, the protagonist's are a good example of this theory. Through years of horrors and thrillers, women have always been seen as the Damsel in Distress, where they always need to assistance from, stereotypically a man. Within our trailer we use female protagonists to follow this trend of which is used in horrors; this has become normalised. This also links to the 'Male Gaze' theory of which makes the male audience attracted to her, therefore wanting her to survive.

Adorno's Theory
Adorno's theory argues that people are almost slaves to the media and that mass media has a lot of damging power over people. To a certain extent this theory was shown within our trailer. It was shown within our trailer by the use of our antagonist, wearing an oversized hoodie, carrying weapons and having a hidden identity. Due to the media coverage reporting on crimes where stereotypically the criminal are youths and are described as this, it makes our plot seem very realistic, as the media has used their power to make the audience believe that people like this are dangerous. Therefore through the use of mise en scene we make the audience feel horrified and scared of what this murderous individual will do within the film.