Poster Analysis

Texas Chainsaw Poster Analysis from nwanj004316

Historical Genre Research

Horror/Slasher Genre

The Slasher genre is a sub genre of the horror genre and it tends to involved a mentally deranged male stalking and eventually killing a sequence of women, this is normally with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe. Slasher films can be very graphic and this is why they have high age ratings.

The 1970's was the time period where slasher films were born. This was because it was a time where movie directors where experimenting with different movie scenarios. The first film to fall under the Slasher genre was Black Christmas. Black Christmas was released in 1974 and it was directed by Bob Clark. Many characteristics of a slasher film were present in this movie e.g: a mysterious stalker, innocent group of female victims and a point of view shot showing the stalkers perspective.

Halloween by John Carpenter is also said to be one of the first slasher films made. Halloween is very similar to Black Christmas in the sense that you have a mentally deranged killing machine. In Halloween, the identity of the slasher isn't revealed. Halloween was one of the first slasher films in which the killer was almost an indestructible force.


There have been many popular movies in the Slasher genre. E.g: Silent Night (1974), Savage Weekend (1976), Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Friday the 13th (1980). These films have been important for the genre because they have helped to shape what the conventions are.

Trailer Analysis

Trailer 1

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Trailer (2013)

 

This is the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Trailer, it is a horror/slasher film and it was released early 2013. It is the direct sequel to the 1974 classic directed by Tobe Hooper.

• In the beginning of the trailer you have an Establishing Shot and in this shot you can see the car that the characters are driving in. It is an Exterior Shot. This is has been done to lure the audience into a false sense of security. If the opening shot had been dark then the audience would instantly expect something to happen. This is a known convention of horror/slasher movies, they like to trick the audience into thinking that the characters are safe.   

• Also, in the beginning, the Sound is calm and relaxing. The music being played is country music. This is very unusual for horror films as you normally tend to associate it with dark evil music. The country music contradicts the movie genre, you wouldn't guess that its a horror movie based on the music.

• Fade Ins and Fade Outs are frequently used in the trailer, they create Suspense. The fades are used to break up bits of the trailer. The fades are also used to show the makers of the film. 

• Jump Cuts are also used in the trailer. These cuts help to create a sense of chaos. Jump cuts have to opposite effect to fades. In this trailer jump cuts are used when the man with the chainsaw is chasing after the main characters.

• Some horror movie Setting conventions include a graveyard, a church and a haunted house, and in the trailer there are scenes set in a graveyard and in a haunted house. So the director of the movie has conformed to the setting conventions of horror movies.In the image you can see that the woman is trapped inside a coffin. Horror movies tend to be set in graveyards because of the link with death.  

Trailer 2

The Pitch

Chosen Genre – Horror/Slasher

Tagline – Can Sins Be Forgiven?

Basic Plot Synopsis

The name of the killer will be Jonathan, he is a boy that has been brought up with no mother. his mother left when he was a young boy, she left to go live with a rich and successful man who had his own business. When his mum left, his dad could no take having to raise a child own his own and as a result became depressed and eventually committed suicide. After the death of his father, because Jonathan's mum didn't want anything to do with him, Jonathan was sent to an orphanage home. In this orphanage home, Jonathan committed a crime that was so severe he was sent to a youth detention centre. After being released from the borstal Jonathan was on his own and had to start a fresh new life, he was offered a job as a cleaner in a posh professional business firm which reminded him of the woman his mother who left him had become and ever since she left him he had despised her. Jonathan’s manager where he was working as a cleaner was very bossy and bullied him constantly he thought that she was not kind to him or fair at all, she treated him different to the other workers. He became very angered by his managers behaviour towards him as he felt humiliated and intimidated so he eventually killed her, after this very day Jonathan became obsessed with torturing and killing females who were associated with professional business .

What type of characterisation will there be?

There will be one stalker, and 4 female victims from professional businesses.
One will be a secretary, one will work in the school finance department and there will be one who works in an airport. These will be hard-working single women. The killer will be sexually frustrated.

Describe the Misc-en scene to be used or any visual motifs.

We will have a stalker with a hoodie or mask, and the different locations will be London City Airport/train station, a school, an alleyway and a basement. There will be a collage of different pictures of females with string to highlight different locations or different victims. There will be low lighting and there will be street lighting at night, and natural lighting during daytime.

What are your ideas about cinematography/photography?

There will be a tracking shot of a plane taking off, and then there will be an establishing shot of the airport. Then there will be a two shot of the female who works at the airport /train station walking into an airport and a male walking out in slow motion. At the station, there will be a close-up of the stalker with his hood up (representing his identity), and there will be quick cuts at different parts of the collage after which we will see a long shot of victim number 2 (The school finance worker) then a close-up of the females hand tapping the St Angela’s barrier to start her day off at work, then a close-up of the door opening behind her (A point of view shot, the stalker following her). Then in an alleyway we see the female secretary walking home from a party. We will see a midshot of a stalker and then a shot of his shadow against the wall and then an extreme close-up of his eyes opening. Then in the basement there is a close-up of blood dripping from the victims face (secretary character) and the stalker crossing out pictures of the victim with blood. Then there will a two shot of the other two victims (Airport worker/School finance worker) trying to escape, and you’ll see them crying (close-up).

Conventions of trailers/posters/film mags you plan to reinforce or reinvent?

The film company’s names (adverts) such as Paramount Pictures will be fading in and out like many trailers in the film industry. We have loud eerie music when different victims are being stalked/killed. Then we will have a fast paced trailer, conforming to conventions. Then there will be quick cuts of different parts of the film without revealing the ending. The darkness and ambiguity of the stalker conforms to conventions as many film trailers and posters do not show the full identity of the stalker. The alleyway scene conforms to conventions because we see a lot of stalking happening in lonely dark places such as this. Also, having the victim’s female and the stalker male is typically seen in stalker slasher films

What resources will you need?

Actors
One male actor
· 3-4 female victims
· A collage board with images and string for visual effect
· A hoodie for the stalker

Props
· Fake blood
· Makeup
· Rope/duck tape
· Mobile phone
· Knife

Settings
· Airport (exterior)
· DLR station - London City Airport (exterior)
· Alleyway

Justification of ideas in relation to genre and recognisable film influences also what is your unique selling point?

Stalking on the phone (an idea from the movie scream) shows mysterious of not knowing who is there. A slasher film often includes blood and victims being trapped/followed via a tracking system, which is where the idea of a collage represents this convention, helping you to recognise the genre. The idea of ambiguity and identity is important therefore the stalkers face will be in chiaroscuro so you can only see him slightly and can be recognisable through his hoodie, which portrays his identity. The trailer will be aimed at young adults, which is our unique selling point and subverts common stalker films conventions because they are normally targeted at an older audience in which the stalker is often more mature than a teenager.

Horror Movie Conventions

World War Z Poster Analysis

World War Z - Trailer Analysis

The Trailer




What Is the Genre? How can you tell?


Zombies, Horror, Action, I can tell this based on previous stories with similar equilibrium. I can also tell that the genre is action because of the jump cuts used in the trailer. This shows that the movie is fast paced.


What can you say about the editing?


Short Shots and Jump Cuts are used in the editing of the trailer. The use of a fade is also present during the trailer. This fade is used to jump from one scene to another, this helps to build up suspense. The fade is also used to show us the title of the movie.


Who is The Target Audience?


Teenagers to adults. They're known to enjoy games. eg: Call Of Duty Zombies and Gears of War, with similar story-lines.


Do you think the trailer is effective?


It is effective. Builds up to possible resolutions and then cuts out and shows movie name. Leaves viewer wanting to see the movie.


What can you say about the sound?


Dialogue in the begining. Short Dialogue. The sound used helps to build up the suspense. Some diagetic sound and some non-diagetic sound.


Who are the main characters?


The main characters are the dad of the family, the black security guard, the mum of the family and the daughter.