Researching film trailers

Existing Product – Split (2017)
The first trailer I have looked is the psychological thriller ‘Split’, it was
directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The reason I have decided to look at this
is because it is in the same genre I am wanting to do and it is also
portraying the same mental illness. It opens with a tracking shot of a
young girl in the car park and there is a faint non diegetic sound of a high
key piano, it then follows the girl getting in the car and we see a quick
glance of Kevin looking over at the girls in the car . We see the girl glance
in the mirror and this is a medium close up which allows us to see her
body language and also puts us in that scene, It then cuts to show us
Kevin and there is s jump moment for the viewers when he goes to spray
something at the girls in the car and the use of sharp sudden music adds
to the unexpectedness of the situation. Analysing the opening I think it is
well done because it gives us the impression that something is about to
happen with the non diegetic sounds and the use of the tracking shot
following the girl is well used because it feels like we are there with them
and this is emphasised with the medium long shot because it allows us to
see the surroundings. Looking at the rest of the trailer the use of
suspenseful music is really effective and this is something that I want to
use in mine.

This is an effective use of a long shot because
it allows us to see the character in a setting
which allows us to get a sense of who they
are. In this case it allows us to see ‘Kevin’
trapping the girls in a room and this is
insightful to the viewers because it shows us
that he isn’t a good character
Here the camera starts to zoom in to reveal that this
‘character’ is Hedwig. The director has then used a
shot reverse shot to show a conversation between
two of the characters and it is also an indication of
continuity, however I have noticed that the director
hasn’t used an over the shoulder shot for this which
is something I want to do because it allows for us to
see the characters interact with each other
One of my favourite bits is when Kevin is talking
to a therapist and he turns away, for not even a
second and then turns back and you can tell
that it is a different personality and this is
emphasised by the sharp string instrument that
indicates a change has occurred and it is also
shown in the acting by James McAvoy

I like this shot because this is how I
want to frame some of the shots in
mine. This is a close up and the
background is blurry which allows us
to focus on the character and her
reaction to what is happening.
There is also a use of where the text fills
the screen and this divides up the trailer
and adds the suspense because it breaks
up at tense moments. This text usually
gives us an insight to the film for example
this is at the end of the trailer and it states
the films name and this is a convention I
have noticed throughout many trailers I
have watched so this is something I will do
in mine

Audience Appeal - Split
This film is an age rating of 15, If you look at this rating on the ‘British Board of Film
Classification’ films with a rating of 15 often mean they have use of dangerous
behaviour, drugs, violence etc. This is something to consider when making my project
because I will feature in the trailer on the poster what age rating it is. This particular
film may appeal to those people who are 15 plus because it is classed as a
psychological thriller and on the website ‘PeakStudentMedia.com’ multiple teenagers
state that they like this genre of films because it allows them to feel the emotion of
being scared but without being in danger. It also references the website
‘sciencenordic.com’ which I haven’t looked at however there is a quote from there
saying that ‘humans evolved to find pleasure in situations that allow us to feel
negative emotions in a safe context.’ And I think this is really useful when it comes to
my target audience because I have put it at a 14+ however I am considering changing
it to a 15.
Looking more at the context of the trailer of ‘Split’ rather than the whole film I can see
why it would appeal to this audience because it shows us the dangerous behaviour of
kidnapping and there is also hints of violence in it. Additionally the suspenseful music
also adds to the thriller experience because it builds up throughout until it stops and it
makes the viewer feel on edge and I think this is impactful.

Existing Product – The Babadook
The second trailer I have decided to look at is one of my
favourites. ‘The Babadook’ it is a psychological horror and it is
directed by Jennifer Kent. I think this film explores the
character’s grief manifesting into a creature, and the trailer
opens with Amelia reading the book to her son Sam however
he gets frightened so she puts the book away. The use of a
close up is often used throughout this trailer and I think it
works effectively, for example at the beginning the camera
zooms in from a medium long shot to a close up and it focuses
on Sam opening the door in the book. Whilst this is going on
there is non diegetic high key piano sound and this seems to be
in quite a few horror trailers. It then cuts to an image of Mister
Babadook on the page, the book is in black and white which
gives a sense of darkness to it.

The trailer opens with a shot of Amelia
and her son Sam. It shows us the
characters in a dark grey room which
creates a gloomy/depressing mood
which reflects how the character’s may
be feeling
The use of side lighting brightens up half of the
character’s faces. The lighting helps give the
impression that they are in a dark time in their life
and overall it helps create a dark/low mood
Here the camera is placed strategically
in the boy’s cupboard facing the
characters. This puts the viewers in
the place of the ‘monster’
This is a use of a Point of View shot, and it
is the mother looking at a picture of her
and her dead husband. This provokes the
idea of life and death which shows off Levi
Strauss’ Binary Opposition Theory.
Additionally the P.O.V shot includes the
viewer within the scene because it
creates the idea that we are experiencing
the same situation that the character’s
are going through

This trailer intrigues me by the use of mise-en-scene which highlights the
characteristics of a horror film, for example in this film the use of the book helps turn
the villain into a reality and this is in quite a few horror films because in Annabelle the
doll is the main prop which helps turn the villain into a reality and this seems to be a
convention in other horror films. Looking at the lighting it is low key to enhance the
feeling of darkness and isolation, additionally the low lighting indicates the danger
that the mother and the son face as looking at the whole of the trailer it seems to be
that they are in the most danger when it’s dark and this seems to be a reoccurring
theme in horror films. This allows for the narrative to move forward because it
provides a general consensus that the villain is distorting their lives from the inside
out. Moving onto the location the trailer is mostly set in the house which adds a sense
of danger to the film because they aren’t safe in a place where they should be. Some
of the camera shots are significant in this trailer because they appeal to the horror
conventions, for example the use of close ups on their faces allows the viewers to feel
as if they are in there with the characters. At one point in the trailer when the boy is
getting pulled up the stairs the use of a low angle implies there is something stronger
than him and has more power

The soundtrack to this trailer is effective in terms of creating an atmosphere that is tense and
almost uncomfortable to watch. The soundtrack is a non-diegetic sound that is placed in the
background, and it is quite quiet which adds the suspense to the overall scenes. The dialogue
provides a big role in moving the narrative forward for example ‘The boy has significant
behavioural problems’ this tells us that the boy must be grieving for his dad and this also adds to
the narrative because it makes us think that the book has frightened him so much and his fears
are now turning into a reality. Additionally this quote was said with a sound bridge because the
character originally saying this line was in the scene however the scene crossed over whilst they
were talking in the background and this is effective because it represents continuity and that
even when the husband has died the mother and the son have to continue with their lives.
Another effective piece of sound was when we heard the asynchronous sound where there
were three knocks at the bedroom door, this makes me feel as a viewer on edge and not only do
we find it unnerving that there is someone in her house knocking at the door it also reflects
what the book was saying. I think the sound is one of the key parts within this trailer because it
works effectively with what is happening on screen, furthermore it works within Todorov’s
Narrative Structure because the dialogue corresponds to the sounds we hear within the rest of
the trailer

In the trailer there is one bit that stands out to me and
that part is the montage where the young boy is
making a cross bow and this is because they are all
close up shots and it makes the audience question
‘how does the young boy know how to make on of
these?’. It also represents how the character is feeling
because he feels threatened enough to make a cross
bow and I think this is a small but significant part
within this trailer
Similar to a shot I mentioned earlier on, the
camera is placed strategically inside something
and this narrows the shot. I think this is
effective because it gives a sense of being
trapped and from this we can imply that she is
feeling trapped. Also from this shot we can
imply she is being watched and these types of
shots seem to be common in other horror
films because there is a sense of being
watched
This is an example of a bird’s eye view shot, and
these types of shots are used in horror films to
make the character appear vulnerable and this
creates the feeling of danger and us as the
audience can imply that when these shots are used
the character is in danger

In terms of the editing within this trailer, overall I find it appealing because it makes you
identify with the two main characters. There are multiple eye line matches, for example
when she looks at the book before she burns it we see what she is looking at which
puts us in the scene and I think that works effectively. Additionally when she looks at
the book there is a woman in there and we can only assume that represents her and
when we see her see the woman in the book there is a cross cut which then shows us
the scene of her burning the book and at this point us as the audience has realised that
these characters are in danger. There is also use of ‘Fade to black’ which is a post
production effect and I think this dissolve transition works effectively because it
indicates that time has passed, additionally the fade to black is commonly used
amongst dramatic scenes and it also eases the audience into the next scene. In my
previous work I have used a fade to black because I think it is a good way of showing
that something has ended however if I were to use it in the trailer I wouldn’t over use it
because after a certain amount of time it would loose the effect I would want to create.

Audience Appeal – The Babadook
Similar to the previous film studied ‘Split’, This film is also suggested at an age rating of
15. I think this film appeals to this audience because it distorts the character’s reality
and even though it isn’t a traditional horror with scenes of violence I think it still
appeals to the audience because psychological horrors have a way of tricking the
audience into thinking this stuff could happen to them and I think that is really
interesting and is something I am wanting to do. What psychological horrors do is
twist the perception of the audience’s views and twists the social norms and I think
this is why they are quite popular within the lower age range so 15-20 because it is
interesting to see. In comparison to the previous film studied ‘Split’ they are rated the
same and this is something to consider when rating my film because in the proposal I
stated 14+ however I am thinking of changing it to a 15.
This trailer includes the frightening aspect of having an emotion manifest its way into
something very real. The use of the suspenseful music helps build up the tension for
the audience and I think this is something that seems to be reoccurring in the horror
genre so this is something I will include within my project. This appeals to the
audience because it allows the fear to build up and overall it adds to frightening
feeling when watching a horror film/trailer, and the purpose of a trailer is to advertise
the film and I think this trailer has done it very well.

Existing Product - Us
The third film I have decided to look at is ‘Us’ and this
is directed by Jordan Peele and was released in 2019.
It looks at the Wilson family who have taken a vacation
to Santa Cruz with heir friends. On a night four people
end up in the house of Adelaide’s childhood home
where she had a traumatic experience. These four
intruders resemble the four members of the family
however they have grotesque appearances. This trailer
starts of with the family in the car having a good time
then it shows us them on the beach and the son goes
missing however he is found, the it goes onto show us
the doppelgänger family attacking the house.

The first shots we see of the
characters are close ups. This
allows us as the audience to feel
closer to the characters and
creates a connection between
the audience and them and this
is important because in my
opinion a good film is when you
can relate to the characters
There is then a birds eye view shot of the family
walking along the beach and the use of this shot
allows us to get an understanding of where the
characters are and it also give us an insight to
what they are like as a family it implies that they
get along well together
The use of a long shot is used to
show the audience how close the
two families are together. It shows
us them happy and enjoying their
vacation, it also establishes their
location

The lighting drastically changes
from the warm light colours of
the beach to the use of low key
lighting. Not only does it
represent that it is late at night
but it indicates that the family
are in danger. I like that we cant
see the faces of the family
because they are shadows and
this adds ambiguity because we
don’t know who they are.
There is then a sharp change from the
stillness of the family to them running at
them. This contrast is something I admire
because the atmosphere has sharply
changed and I think this is something that
should be included within my project
We then see the family within the house and the other
family attacking from the outside. There is use of
medium close ups to show the characters body language
as well as their reaction to the situation. The sharp cuts
from one character to the outside character is really
effective in creating a fast paste scene

This shot shows us the ‘evil character’ on the
floor in front of the fire and the camera is placed
facing it amongst the Wilson family. I think this is
a clever shot because it puts us in that situation
as we are seeing what the Wilson’s are seeing
and I think that is affective in regards to placing
the audience in the scene
There is then a close up of someone
resembling Adelaide, however with a
grotesque appearance we can tell it isn’t
her. There is then a similar framed shot
showing us the Adelaide that we know, I
think this is quite a significant moment in
the trailer because it allows us to see who
this family were and as a viewer I now
understand that this is a version of the
family.

There is an over the shoulder shot of a little girl
however she doesn’t resemble any of the family
members but it is suggested that she is Adelaide
but when she was younger because they are in her
childhood home. This implies that she has had an
experience with ‘The Tethered’ before, and that is
the name that is given to these doppelgängers
There is then use of a medium close up, where the
character resembles the daughter. This is one of
my least favourite shots and that is because it
makes me feel nervous when watching it and I
think that shows that the director has done a good
job in creating that fear for the audience.
The use of a medium close up is used again to
show the ‘tethered’ version of Kitty Taylor. In the
trailer earlier she resembles the person that
Jason sees on the beach. And just before that
the use of a long shot allows us to see Jason
standing on the beach in front of a fun house
that says ‘Find Yourself’ and this seems to link to
the idea of the doppelgängers

The use of low key lighting is effective here
because it shows us the tethered version
of the mother just stood there. This
certain shot personally is one of the
creepiest shots throughout the whole
thing and this is because it makes me feel
uncomfortable at the thought of this being
real
It then finishes with the title of the
film and then an image. These
types of images are often used in
therapy because the therapist asks
the patient what they see and
whatever you see is meant to
represent what you're thinking.

Looking at this trailer the idea of the film is that we are our own worst enemy and I really
like this concept because even though it is a horror film it explores the concept of self
destruction and I think that falls into the psychological horror. I think the theme of our own
worst enemy doesn’t just apply to individuals but on a wider scale like a group or a society
and I think that is a really interesting concept to put into a film and the way of showing it as
‘The tethered’ is a good idea.
Looking further into the soundtrack for the trailer stood out to me because like most other
trailers the use of sharp string instruments and orchestral sounds contribute to the overall
fear however within this trailer the use of silence with a faint non diegetic sound over the
top really stood out to me. I like the way the silence created an atmosphere and that made
me feel as a viewer uncomfortable because I was anticipating something to happen and
then it did, one part was when we saw the doppelgänger for Adelaide and there is silence
but we hear her laughing, I really liked this scene so I did some research and found a ‘Us
trailer analysis’ and some of the points made were interesting however the guy who made it
mentioned that no CGI was used in this specific scene and that really highlighted to me that
the actor (Lupita Nyong’o) was able to bring that character to life in such a creepy way.
Additionally the off screen dialogue towards the end with Adelaide saying ‘They think like
us’ etc. was really effective because it made watching it more tense as I was seeing what the
doppelgängers were doing to the family.

Audience Appeal - Us
This film is rated an R, and that means it is suitable for those under 17 as long as they are
accompanied by an adult. Unlike the two previous studied trailers where I am stating why it would
appeal to that age group I have decided to discuss about why it appeals to me as I am the target
audience. Personally I really liked the trailer because it made me feel frightened when watching it and
that is something everyone wants when watching a horror film. The first thing I am going to discuss is
the camerawork because I think this played a key part in appealing to the audience, I like the shots
used for example one of my favourite shots was the medium long shot where it focused on the
tethered version of Adelaide. I like this shot because it allowed all the focus to be on that character,
accompanied by low lighting this shot allowed the face to be shadowed adding a bit of ambiguity to
the character. When watching this part I was anticipating something to happen and I was on edge
waiting for something and that is something that I want to create for the audience watching my trailer
because I think it is a key aspect for a horror film. Another key part in this trailer is the soundtrack, it is
non-diegetic until the dialogue which is off screen. At the beginning of the trailer the use of diegetic
sound in the car with the radio helps set the scene, however when the family are on the beach the
same song is playing but it’s non-diegetic so its only for the audience to hear and the high key notes in
the song create a suspenseful atmosphere. Then about halfway through the use of orchestral
instruments is used with a varying pitch to create an intense feeling and when something happens the
sounds get sharper and I really like that idea because it makes me jump because it is unexpected.
With the dialogue towards the end with Adelaide talking off screen it’s as if she is talking to us and
this gives us an insight into the rest of the film, whilst she is talking it is silence then when she stops
the sharp orchestral instruments resume and the contrast is something that is unexpected and
catches me off guard and this is something I want to use in my project. Overall I think this trailer
appeals to me because it has aspects of the horror genre that I would want to see if I went to go see
the film so I think the director has done a good job in terms of aiming it towards the age group that
was chosen

Existing Product – Black Swan
The next trailer I have decided to look at is the thriller
‘Black Swan’ and this is directed by Darren Aronofsky. It
explores a young ballerina called Nina who is a dancer with
a New York City ballet company. She is dedicated to her art
and her craft but lacks confidence. She is also pressed on
by her domineering mother, also a ballerina in her youth.
Nina seems to achieve her goal when the company's
artistic director Thomas Leroy believes that she is perfect
for the role of the white swan however he doesn’t believe
she is capable of portraying the black swan. A new dancer
called Lily arrives at the company and Thomas believes that
she is perfect for the role of the black swan. This makes
Nina try and transform herself into something she has
never been.

The opening shot of the trailer is a long shot accompanied
by chiaroscuro lighting. The spotlight is focused solely on
the ballerina and this is an effective opening shot because it
focuses all our attention onto her, additionally it creates a
sinister atmosphere because normally you would associate
ballerinas with bright lighting however this is isn’t the case
in this.
The audio accompanying this is an off screen dialogue
spoken by the character Nina, this is effective in terms of
including the audience in the scene and the use of off
screen dialogue does this because it makes it appear as if
she is talking to us because there are no other characters
around. There is also a faint high key piano sound in the
background of the dialogue and this creates an
uncomfortable atmosphere because it creates a sense of
anticipation within the audience.It then cuts to an over the shoulder shot
and this reflects a conversation, it also pans
round as the character is moving and this
allows us as the audience to see the studio
and the surroundings and this allows the
audience to feel more involved because we
are able to see what's around us. Also used
in this scene is the use of shallow focus and
this allows us to focus on the two
characters whilst the extras are slightly
blurred and this is something I like the idea
of using in my project
The use of the medium close up introduces the character’s
mother. And the first thing we establish about her is that
she is controlling over her daughter’s dance as she states
that she should be noticed, and this is established through
on screen dialogue

This is a use of a long shot and this allows the audience to
see all of their surroundings. We have a clear view of the
main character, and the camera is strategically placed
within the crowd where it isn’t above everyone and I like
this because it makes you feel apart of the film and it is
inclusive.
The lighting used in this shot highlights the characters on the
stairs whereas the audience lighting is slightly darkened and
this allows the focus to be on the main character as well as
paying attention to the crowd
An over the shoulder shot is used again to introduce the new
character Lily, something I have noticed is that when we first
are introduced to Nina she is wearing white which
symbolises being good/pure where as this is contrasted
when Lily is introduced as she is wearing black and this
signifies darkness. The colour scheme is something I need to
pay attention to when it comes to my project because I think
the colours used are essential in creating a character
The lighting is something to acknowledge
here because when Nina was introduced
she had a spotlight on her and from this I
can infer that even with darkness around
her she can still stand to be good and this
is represented by the spotlight on her and
the rest of the shot is in darkness. When it
comes to Lily the lighting is slightly darker
than what it was earlier in the trailer and
this is a subtle change but essential
because it breaks apart the two characters

There is then a tracking shot following Nina, I like the
use of this shot because it makes us side with her as a
character and this is also reflected in the over the
shoulder shots as we are looking from her point of
view. Additionally the lighting in this shot contrasts with
the lighting in the last shot and I think this is something
to point out because it highlights the differences
between the characters
It then cuts to this shot which shows Nina and Thomas
watching Lily dance. The way the actor playing Thomas
(Vincent Cassel) is positioned makes it appear as if
there is a low angle on him making him appear more
powerful than Nina, behind Thomas there is no lighting
and it is solid black whereas behind Nina there is
darkness however there is a little bit of light and I think
this represents the character well in terms of showing
that even if she tries to become a bad person to fulfil
the role of the Black Swan there will always be a little
bit of good inside her
There is then a shot reverse shot as
Lily is walking away from Nina then it
cuts to a long shot of the studio and
from this I can infer that Nina is going
to get competitive because she has
been at that company longer and she
is jealous that Lily gets the attention

We then see Nina dancing and she is spinning around and it cuts to
a point of view shot (P.O.V), this is something I have spoke
previously about because having a P.O.V shot showing something
blurry is disorientating for the viewers and I think this would work
effectively in my project.
Another long shot is used to show Nina backstage at the studio,
this scene is impactful because she is alone and seems distressed.
Off screen dialogue of Thomas shouting adds to the uncomfortable
atmosphere because we feel bad for her that she is trying her best
and still gets shouted at with no acknowledgment, it is then
followed by a close up of an injury she has got from dancing too
much
This shot highlights that Nina has put all her effort into dancing so
much that she has been injured by it and it makes the audience
feel sympathy towards her because she's tried hard to get a good
role in the productions that the company put on but she has
always been in the shadows
The camera then moves along with Nina to reveal her mother who
calls her ‘My sweet girl’ and this is something that she calls her
quite a few times in the trailer, The over the shoulder shot allows
us to side with Nina instead of her mother and this helps build a
relationship between the audience and the character

A significant moment in the trailer is when the mother starts
talking about the pressure that her daughter is under. The
high angle makes us look down on the character which puts
us in the position of Nina, the reason I find this significant is
because at this point in the trailer there is a non diegetic
sound that is creating suspense and it is slowly building up.
This creates a feeling of anticipation for the audience
The use of a close up is applied to the shot where we see
the mother injure the daughter whilst cutting her nails with
a pair of scissors and this makes us realise that the mother
may be overbearing, the next shot then shows us the
daughter and these three shots discussed are quickly edited
together and the fast pace between shots contribute to the
feeling on anticipation for the audience
This is the next shot after the previous one discussed and
this close up allows us to see clearly how the character is
feeling towards her overbearing mother and it allows the
audience to side with Nina over her mother

I have picked this shot out because the medium close up allows us
to see that the reflection of Nina is moving even though she isn’t
herself and this is an effective convention throughout horror films
because it suggests that there is another part to the character that
doesn’t follow the ‘rules’ and by this I mean a reflection follows
what you do like a shadow however to have them act on their own
suggests something isn’t natural and I like this idea
It then continues to fade quickly to black and from this I can infer
that the character Nina is going to be a bad character because she
wants the role of the black swan. Whilst this is happening the off
screen dialogue consists of Thomas saying ‘The only thing holding
you back is yourself’ and this is represented through Nina and her
reflection being separate to each other when they shouldn’t be
There is then a close up shot of a broken ballerina from a music
box and I think this symbolises that the character Nina is now
‘broken’ and she isn’t as good as she first was at the beginning. I
believe that this is demonstrated in the next shot as it resembles
the music box ballerina to Nina
Something I have noticed throughout these shots is that the
lighting is now darker than what it once was when Nina was on
screen at the beginning and I think this reflects that she is turning
into a darker character to fit the role of the black swan

Towards the end of the trailer we see Lily and Nina and Nina is
questioning Lily about how does she know where she lives and
she responds with ‘I have my ways’. The over the shoulder shot
enforces my earlier discussion that when it comes to these two
characters we are siding with Nina as we see what's happening
from her side
There is then use of multiple jump cuts that are used to show
Nina starting to act paranoid believing Lily is after her and no one
is believing her. I like the use of jump cuts because it speeds up
the sequence to create an intense atmosphere, and this seems to
be something that is used throughout quite a few horror/thriller
films
The cuts begin to get faster and one moment that stood out to me
was when Nina started seeing paintings that were screaming at
her and this stood out to me because it made me realise maybe
she is being paranoid and that no one is after her because she has
started seeing things. And this is common in psychological thrillers
because they break down a character’s mind set

This medium close up shot stood out to me because it isn’t even
on screen for 1 second, and it shows Nina coming out a door and
the lighting is dark and it appears she has make up on which makes
her look very pale and this could resemble a mask which could
imply that she is a new person, whilst this is happening the use of
string instruments and drums are used to emphasise the intensity
of the scene and it makes me as the audience feel wary of what
could happen next
Something to note is that from 1 minute 36 seconds the faint echoing of the mother talking starts to build
up and she is saying ‘Sweet Girl’. The echoing effect is something I like because it adds the impression of
her becoming more and more further away which could imply that the daughter is becoming distant from
her mother and the ‘sweet girl’ she once was
This medium long shot shows us Nina in front of the mirror and
her wearing white. She continues to smash and break the mirror
and I think this indicates that she doesn’t want to be the ‘good’
person anymore because it has stopped her from getting the role
she wanted
These medium close ups allow us to see Nina as the
‘white swan’ which indicates being kind and pure,
compared to her being the ‘black swan’ who
represents evil and darkness. This is impactful
because we get to see the transformation she has
made and off screen the mother is shouting ‘My
sweet girl! She’s gone’ and this implies that she is
now a different person

After the credits are shown, there is a clip of Nina pulling out a
piece of feather from her back. It is shown through a close up
which allows us to see closely and I think this implies that she
has become the character of the ‘Black Swan’
It is then followed by another close up that reveals Nina has
red eyes and this is significant because it makes me realise
that she has now become the character of the Black Swan,
and the colour red signifies danger and evil.#
Overall I like this trailer however I found it more difficult to research than the previous films because the
clues were more subtle. However something I did like is the use of lighting because it altered between dark
and light and when Nina started to act differently the lighting changed to become darker and I think is
meant to reflect how the character is changing. The sound to this trailer is well done because the use of
the high key piano and the string sounds help contribute to the feeling of anticipation and waiting for
something to happen and I think that is a key feeling that you want the audience to feel with a thriller.
Another thing was the echoing because it mirrored with what the mother was saying because she was
wanting to know where her sweet girl had gone and the use of it echoing allowed it to feel as if Nina was
becoming more and more distant from her mother, and this also indicates she is moving further away from
her original self at the beginning. The significant colours used in this trailer are white and black which
overall represents good and bad, and this is a reoccurring theme throughout the trailer as we see Nina go
from good to bad due to Lily’s influence.

Audience Appeal – Black Swan
The film rating for this is a 15 which is the same as previous films discussed. Much like ‘Us’ I have
decided to write from my point of view and how this trailer appeals to me, I like this trailer because it
shows the subtle breakdown of a character as she fights between good and bad and ultimately
becomes bad so she fits in with the character of the Black Swan in a production. Furthermore another
reason this film appeals to the younger generation is because it focuses on a younger woman, and this
could appeal to the similar age group against women. It also would appeal to ballerinas because that
is what they enjoy so the may find it interesting in watching a film about the dance. It also contains
the struggles of mental health and this is something that I have noticed throughout psychological
horror films is that they do focus on mental health and this ‘appeals’ to the younger audience because
they find it relatable and they can relate to the stress that the character is dealing with and also the
sense of competition. I like this trailer because it looks at the ‘behind the scenes’ of dancing and the
hard work that goes into it, and the effect it can have on the people dancing and this is an interesting
concept because from the audience point of view ballet looks elegant and graceful but watching this
trailer has highlighted the hard work that goes into it and I think this is why it is relatable to this age
group.

Existing Product - Joker
The next trailer I have decided to look at is the 2019
Joker, it is directed by Todd Philips. This isn’t a
psychological horror however it is classed as a
psychological thriller because it looks at the mental
wellbeing of a character. The character is based off of
the 1950’s comics and has become an iconic evil
character throughout DC Batman films and comics.
However in the new adaptation the film looks at the
background of how the Joker came to be and I think
this is a good concept because it hasn’t been done
before and therefore fans of the character would
want to watch it to know the back story.

The trailer opens with an establishing shot of a city, this allows
the scene to be set and there is also use of a lens flare effect
and these are typically used to create a sense of drama and
also adds the sense of realism and that it is unedited and
that’s a real life scene
It then cuts to medium close up showing Arthur inside a bus staring
out the window, and these types of shots are usually used to symbolise
that the character is feeling down might be feeling trapped.
Furthermore I believe that it creates a sense of distance between the
viewer and the audience because stereotypically if a character is shot
looking out the window they are then seen as ‘day-dreaming’
There is then a short sequence where we see Arthur trying to
entertain the young boy and this gives us an insight into the
character and it makes us question how has he gone from
being down to laughing with the young boy, it consists of
medium long shots which allow us to see the character’s body
language as well as the surroundings
The camera pans slowly down the street tracking Arthur, the cold
harsh lighting creates a depressing atmosphere and I think this is to
reflect the character’s feelings. The use of off screen dialogue is used
and this is continued onto the next scenes and I think this represents
continuity and that Arthur’s life is the same everyday and he goes
along with it

The off screen voice of a woman is still continued whilst the
camera focuses on Arthur. The use of a tracking shot is used to
follow Arthur out of the door whilst he is doing this he manically
laughs and this forms a question in the audience’s mind to
question what is he laughing at because we only see him.
Furthermore the colours used in this scene are quite boring as
there are uses of browns and beige. This could be another
indication as to what Arthur’s life is like and this makes us feel
sympathy towards the character
The camera cuts to a side profile of a woman, the use of a
medium close up is used is effective because it creates the
feeling that we are there and we can see the characters facial
expressions up close. Here it is revealed who was speaking to
Arthur and I can imply that she is some sort of therapist
Another close up is used and this time it shows us
Arthur, this shot is accompanied by chiaroscuro
lighting and this is an extreme type of low lighting and
it is commonly used to experiment with shadows. In
this shot I think it is used effectively because it

We see Arthur get injured and tormented by teenagers who
make fun of his job. I think this scene is effective in terms of
getting the audience to sympathise with the character. The
camera pans out to make it appear as if Arthur is really small
which gives the impression of vulnerability, off screen Arthur
is heard questioning the therapist stating that she ‘has no
idea’ and this is might be relatable to a few people who have
a mental illness because it is hard to understand what you
don’t experience
Like the therapist the off screen dialogue soon matches up
with what is being shown on screen. The use of a medium
close up is used as Arthur is saying ‘All I have are negative
thoughts’ and the type of camera shot allows us to see his
body language and it gives us the impression he is tired of
answering the same old questions. The low lighting is a key
aspect in reflecting the character’s mood and this in this
shot it reflects the ‘bad thoughts’ that Arthur is having
I like this shot because a low angle is used, when a low angle
is used it suggests the person that it is focusing on has a
higher status or has more power. From Arthur’s reaction to
the man coming on TV it seems clear he looks up to him and
I think having the camera pointing up to the TV firstly puts
us in Arthur’s position, but also implies that he looks up to
the man on TV

A medium close up is used which reveals Arthur sat by
someone who appears to be in a coma. This makes us
sympathise with the character because he is caring for
someone, and has trouble with his work and his therapist
cant see him anymore, and this all seems too distressing
for the audience hence why we have sympathy towards
the character. The blue lighting is used again to create a
cold, intense atmosphere, additionally Arthur seems to be
in the dark more than the character in the bed and this
could indicate that he has another side to him
It then continues to show Arthur looking at himself on the
TV being humiliated by the host however I have seen the
film and it is implied that the character is suffering from a
maladaptive daydreaming disorder where the dreams
they are having alter their reality because they don’t
know what is real and what isn’t. The use of shallow focus
amongst the medium close up ensures that all our focus is
on Arthur, this scene is accompanied by non-diegetic
soundtrack and the music has been slowly building up
however it becomes sharper when the screen goes black
suggesting something is going to happen. This is
something that have been commonly used throughout
many thrillers so this is something I will try incorporate
into mine

At this point in the trailer the orchestral sounds are
acting sporadically which could reflect the character’s
state of mind. The use of a medium close up and a
shallow focus allows us to see the clown mask put into
the rubbish by someone passing by.
The next significant shot is this side profile shot using a
medium close up. This shows us Arthur painting his face
white which implies to us that he is starting to loose
reality because he is changing the way he looks. I did
some research of the character and it is implied that he
is suffering form many mental illnesses for example
personality disorders, schizophrenia etc, and this would
explain the secondary day dreaming disorder.
This long shot introduces the Joker, I like this shot
because you see him dancing at the bottom of the
stairs, and the use of a lens flare is used to add to
dramatization of the scene as well as making it appear
to be unedited and real. It then cuts to a medium
close up, and there is use of rhythmic editing because
when the music reaches to the most dramatic part the
Joker kicks the rain at the same part.

It then cuts back to Arthur, and he seems to be doing
stand up comedy however there isn’t an audience and
the trailer cuts between the Joker and Arthur to show
the journey that Arthur has gone on to become the
Joker. The lighting here contrasts with the earlier
lighting because there is now use of a spotlight and this
is to focus our attention onto Arthur as well as indicate
that he believes he is a successful comedian
The use of a long shot is to highlight the riots that
people are bringing up in relation to clowns. The close
up of Arthur is effective because we finally see him
happy because all we have seen is him being miserable.
The use of blue lighting highlights that their intentions
are dark as well as creating a suspenseful scene for the
audience to watch

Another shot I find interesting is the use of a tracking
shot watching Arthur run away from the police. I like
this shot because we shouldn’t side with a character
who is breaking the law and we see a different side of
Arthur that we hadn’t seen earlier on as he is more
confident. The lighting also contrasts with the often
used blue lighting as it is now a yellow tone, the harsh
lights make it an uncomfortable scene to watch
because yellow is normally warm and should be
inviting however it is over exposed here and makes it
uncomfortable to watch
I like this section of the trailer because it is similar
to a match on action, as the man goes to hit Arthur
but it changes as he gets hit into what appears to
be him in the rain and I like this editing technique
because its continuous and I think that is more
effective when telling a story
There is then a medium close up that sees us watch the
Joker as the city gets ruined and vehicles crashing. I like
this shot because of the colours used as there are uses of
red in the background which is representative of danger
and there is blue which contrasts with the red

There is then a ‘montage’ of Arthur and the Joker as they are now separate people, it shows how Arthur
came to become the Joker and the bad things he has done for example he is setting things on fire and
watching the city riot. I liked this montage because it was fast paced and established the character,
something I liked was the idea of at first sympathising with the character however towards the end he's
started doing bad things and you shouldn’t like him for it however he seems likeable and I think this is an
interesting concept of liking a villain because you shouldn’t like them however regarding this film it takes us
into the world of the Joker and we start to understand more and more of where he is coming from

Audience Appeal - Joker
This film is rated and R, and this is people under 17 must be accompanied by and adult. This is because the
film has mostly adult content such as violence, Additionally the film is targeting older teens and adults
because that age group grew up reading the comics and are already fans of DC. This film appeals to a broad
ranging audience regarding social class, age and gender, for example it appeals to teenagers because if you
look at the soundtrack used it is mostly classical however they alter it into a ‘current’ way and the colours
used are bright and engaging and this contrasts with the dark colours that I have seen from the other
psychological thrillers and I like this concept because the Joker as a character defies the stereotypes of a
clown and this is reflected in the colours used because in a stereotypical psychological thriller dark colours
like black and grey are commonly used however in the joker the use of red, green and purple represent the
character for example red indicates danger and power.

Advertising Films
The title of the film is in the centre of the poster
in big bold writing. It stands out because there is
a 3D illusion and it creates a dimension because
the title is more forward than the character who
is on the steps.
You have the main iconic character in the centre,
he is in front of the sky which is white so the
colours stand out amongst the rest of the
background
The red suit contrasts with the yellow shirt and it
becomes brighter and more noticeable, and this is
important to have the character stand out on the poster
because it catches the viewers eye
I like the idea of creating a dimension
because it helps put the audience
into that scene

I like this poster because the film is
similar to what I want to do and it
includes the same concept of split
personalities. I like the idea of the glass
being broken up because it splits the
character into different pieces and it
represents that the character is broken
The title of the film stands out as it is
in bold, it is also distorted which
makes it link into the split
personalities and the idea of being
broken
Unlike the joker this character takes
up more of the space, however the
joker was centred in the middle
whereas this character is towards the
left side which is usually associated
with the villains
I like the subtle use of the shadow
and how a bit of the characters face is
in the shadow. From this I can imply
that he has a different side to him and
this ties up with the split personalities

Like the previous posters the title of the film
is in the centre of the poster and it is in
white which stands out against the dark
background
I like how the character is positioned in the
middle, amongst the black background and
the use of having a mask indicates that
there may be another version of the
character, however the character holding
the mask has no eyebrows and they
represent the tethered who are the villains
The red is significant because it represents
danger but also represents power and
authority and this implies that the
tethered are taking control of the original
characters

The moth over the girl’s mouth is preventing
her form speaking and this ties in with the
title ‘the silence of the lambs’ . If you look
closely the moth has a skull on and if you
look at the connotations it could indicate
death. The old connotations of moths were
that they were associated with death
especially in Gnostic art, additionally the
murderer collects moths and only kills
women and this is symbolized in the poster.
Something I have researched is that the type
of moth is a death's head hawk moth and
this is something to consider when looking
at the connotations of death
I like this idea of having the eyes in colour
because it allows the viewer to ‘see into’
the character as they say eyes are the
window to the soul, and you can say a lot
about the person by their facial expression
and this could tie in with how she is
‘silenced’ and can communicate through
her facial expressions instead

The colour palette for this poster is subtle but very
nuanced. The moth has a variety of colours,
particularly different shades of red and orange; in
terms of colour the moth matches the red eyes and
the orange film title and, therefore, ties the whole
poster together. This means that, despite the
appearance of a lack of a colour, the very few colours
that are used are very much purposeful and play their
own part of the iconography – as red is associated
with blood in Thrillers.
Something I have noticed about this poster is the
slight use of chiaroscuro lighting which casts a
shadow on her face, and this implies things aren’t
always as they seem and the use of the shadow could
suggest there is another side to someone

Using adobe colour I put in each poster to
extract certain colours. One colour they all have
in common is black. I really like the ‘Silence of
the lambs’ poster because the colours contrast
against each other clearly to make it appear like
there is a harsh light.
I like the ‘Split’ poster because it is minimal in
terms of using mostly black and white. The use
of black and white make it appear as if there is a
shadow being cast on him and I like this effect
because it represents the multiple personalities
within the film
The colours used in the ‘Us’ poster, I really like
because the background is black which contrasts
with the red clothes they're wearing. And the
title stands out against the background because
it is white and it is eye catching

Research Analysis
• What common features do the researched products have?
I have researched many products and there have been many common features, for example when looking
at the trailers the use of dark lighting and the different shades of blue and this seems to be common in
psychological thrillers. Additionally there have been similar types of shots used in each trailer for example
there are many uses of close up shots because this allows the audience to focus on the character and their
reaction to certain situations. Furthermore the use of chiaroscuro lighting seems to be common
throughout as this casts shadows onto character’s which is effective in terms of psychological thrillers.
Another aspect that the trailers have in common is the use of non-diegetic orchestral instruments that
change pace depending on what is happening and if there is a dramatic moment then the instruments will
get sharper and faster. There is also use of dialogue that starts off screen and then matches up with what’s
on screen, and I like this idea because it shows continuity and helps the story develop
• What aspects of the research will you include within your on work?
The work I have researched has been really influential to how I want my final product to work out as there
have been aspects across the different trailers that I want incorporate, I especially like the lighting that has
been used for example the cold blue lighting that washes over a scene I think is really effective because it
creates an atmosphere that radiates off to the audience and gives the impression of sadness and as well as
the blue the use of black also implies unhappiness. Regarding the camera shots I have learned that the use
of a close up is really effective in terms of portraying how the character is feeling and showing their
reaction up close, I like the idea of non diegetic sound building up the anticipation throughout because I
think this is effective in terms of getting the audience to be intrigued because without the music you
wouldn’t have the build up and the drama that comes with it and I think it is a crucial part in making a
thriller because it builds up the suspense

Audience Research https://www.statista.com/statistics/286476/most-popular-
film-genres-united-kingdom-uk/
I've decided to do some research into what film makes the most profit in box office within the UK, my two
options for the genre that I wanted to do were either horror or thriller and this is because I enjoy watching
them and I find them interesting. I decided to look at which genre of films were the most interesting within
the UK and the study shows the top 5, the results show that action and thriller got 55% of the votes which
makes them equally popular and this helps with my trailer because if it were to be a real film then the genre
would be highly popular in the UK

Audience research - Age
To start off with I am going to do some research into the right age group for a psychological thriller.
https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-classification/15 – which is the British Board of Film Classification and they
have guidelines on what age ratings should include certain things and when looking at a 15 this would allow
me to include scenes of violence and dangerous behaviour however I shouldn’t dwell on the subject. This
age rating seems suitable for the type of trailer I am wanting to do because it doesn’t include any violence or
bad language, however I am also wanting to appeal to people who are in their 20’s because I have been
researching and there is evidence to suggest that the people most likely to visit the cinema are people
between 15 and 25 so it is important that I appeal to that age group because if this were to be a real film
going out in cinema it would be crucial to get people into the cinema to watch it so that it earns money etc
https://www.statista.com/statistics/296240/age-and-
gender-of-the-cinema-audience-uk/
This survey conducted in 2014 suggests
most people visiting the cinema were
between ages 15-24 so it is important
that I appeal to most of this age group
and I think I can do that by including
aspects that aren’t obvious and this will
make the older side of the target
audience want to watch it because it
requires thinking which also engages the
audience

Regarding my trailer, I have set my target
audience between 15 and 24. I intend to make
my project appeal to this age group by making
it relatable, for example the main theme in my
trailer is mental health and I believe that
mental health issues are most common
amongst these ages however I have done some
research and to back it up and I have come
across a chart that discusses mental health in
regards to gender and age. It shows that
between the ages of 18 and 25 26.3% of the
people reported having a mental illness
compared to only 14% within the ages over 50.
This suggests that the film I am advertising is
going to appeal more towards the younger age
group, furthermore this study shows that
22.8% of the people who reported to have a
mental illness were female compared to the
15.2% who were male
https://www.statista.com/statistics/252311/mental-illness-
in-the-past-year-among-us-adults-by-age-and-gender/

Audience research - Gender The next crucial part into researching the audience is
looking at gender. From the previous chart it is
suggested that 15% of people going to the cinema were
male and 13% were women, so it is equally important to
appeal to both these genders. I decided to look at what
genders were interested in psychological thrillers and I
came across a chart which shows the results of a study
to find out which gender preferred which genre of film
and I think this is beneficial because it helps me target
the gender who is going to enjoy it the most
Looking under the thriller/mystery result it shows
that this was 83% of women and 84% of mens
favourite genre, however my trailer is also under
the horror category and this shows that 57% of
men preferred horror compared to only 47% of
women. I don’t think result changes too much
who my target audience is because I would my
trailer is more towards the thriller genre rather
than horror.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/254115/favo
rite-movie-genres-in-the-us/

Audience research – Social Status
https://stephenfollows.com/social-class-of-cinema-audiences/
The next part of the research includes
looking at what films appeal to each social
class. I have researched a demographic table
which uses a letter system to describe a
certain class. I think that Thriller can apply to
all of these social class groups however I am
doing a psychological horror which requires
educated thinking behind it so a
psychological horror may not appeal to E
https://mahbubulfoundationproduction.wordpress.com/201
4/03/07/demographics-incomplete/
I decided to do some more research into what
genres appealed to which social class, and I came
across this chart which represents the cinema
audience by social class and film genre. I focused on
the Thriller genre as this is most applicable to what
I want to do. It shows that 35% of the people were
from group C1 and 30% were from groups A and B,
whereas only 18% of the people were from group
C2 and 17% from groups D and E. So in regards to
my target audience I am aiming for people in and
above group C1

Audience research - Psychographics
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-
v8jweHVy2H4/TXo1ShktBqI/AAAAAAAAIPI/pZmsl
MA7Dto/s1600/psyco.jpg
The next part for the audience research is to look at the
psychographics, and this is used to describe people’s traits
it looks at a person’s Values, Attitudes and Lifestyle. I think
the psychographics that fit my target audience best is
‘ASPIRERS’ and this is because my film is aimed towards
15-24 year olds and this is a student age group ranging
from secondary school to university and these are the
people who are most likely to be materialistic, and this fits
in with my film because the character is 20 years old so it
makes it relatable to them. Additionally ‘EXPLORERS’ may
be interested in the film because they seek discovery and
they are also a younger audience (students) to which my
film is aimed towards. I don’t think that ‘RESIGNED’ would
be interested due to being older people and previous
research ahs shown they don’t watch thrillers as much as
the younger people do.

Audience research
After researching some general statistics to find more about my audience I have decided to
conduct my own survey as this will allow me to ask questions that are specific to what I need to
know, and it will provide more of a reliable insight. I will use the website ‘SurveyMonkey’ as I
have used this before and it is easy to create a survey.
1. Gender?
2. Age?
3. How often do you see film trailers?
4. What trailers do you see the most?
5. Which trailers do you enjoy the most?
6. Do you prefer trailers to give away the plot or have mystery?
7. Psychological thriller or Horror?
8. What length should a trailer be?
9. Where do you see trailers?
10. Do they convince you to go watch the film?

Audience research
Gender Count of Gender
Female 6
Male 4
Age Count of Age
18-24 6
25-34 1
45-54 1
Under 18 2
The link to my survey wasn’t working so I had to ask the questions over social media and in person. I asked
10 people and then collected their results and put them into Excel and made them into different charts.
The first two charts show the age and the gender of who I asked and the majority of people who I asked
were female, and the people I asked were mainly between 18-24 so the answers could have been different
if I had asked other age groups.

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5
Less than one a month
ore than 3 trailers a week
One trailer a week
Count of How often do you see Fim Trailers
How often do you see Film Trailers Count of How often do you see Film Trailers
Less than one a month 3
More than 3 trailers a week 4
One trailer a week 3
What genre are the trailers? Count of What genre
are the trailers?
Action 4
Comedy 1
Horror 1
Other 1
Thriller 3
These show how often people saw the trailers and what
genre they were. I asked this question because it would be
beneficial to know what sort of trailers people were seeing
and which ones were popular. From the results it shows that
more people were seeing Action trailers rather than
anything else and this doesn’t help me due to my idea being
a psychological thriller. Additionally the results were close
together on how many trailers people were watching a week
so this hasn’t helped in my project
l

Which trailers do you prefer? Count of Which trailers do you prefer?
Action 3
Comedy 2
Horror 2
Thriller 3
Which do you prefer? Count of Which do you prefer?
Give away the plot 3
Keep mystery 7
These charts look at what genre people prefer and whether or not they like mystery when it comes to a
trailer. Thriller was one of the more common answers amongst who I asked and this helps me because
most of the people asked were between 18-24 which is around my target audience, additionally the next
question about the mystery has helped because it is obvious people prefer there being a mystery and this
helps because I know how to set my trailer out based on people’s opinions

Length of a trailer? Count of Length of a trailer?
1.00-1.30 6
2.00-2.30 2
Less than 30 seconds 2
These charts look at whether they prefer psychological
thrillers or horror and more people answered with
psychological thriller and this is slightly useful because
I know then that people might appeal to the trailer
however I think I should’ve asked why because that
would allow me to get ideas on what to include to suit
people’s preferences. The length of the trailer is useful
because it has helped me come up with a good idea of
how long people are expecting trailers to be and the
most common was 1.00-1.30 and this is how long I
plan to make my trailer
Psychological thriller or horror? Count of Psychological thriller or horror?
horror 4
psychological thriller 5
psychological thriller 1

Where do you see trailers? Count of Where do you see trailers?
Cinema 3
Other 1
Social Media 1
YouTube 5
Are the convincing enough to make you want to watch the film Count of are the convincing enough to make you want to
watch the film
No 3
Yes 7
The last two questions aren’t as beneficial in the
making of my project and I think I could’ve asked
better questions such as ‘What do you expect from a
psychological thriller’

After looking through all my audience research, It has helped establish my target audience
because I looked at mental health issues in relation to age and because my trailer is about
a mental illness it could relate to them. Additionally I have looked at the demographics
and the psychographics of my audience and I have established which types of people may
be interested in my trailer, I have found that for a psychological thriller the main audience
watching were people in group C1, B and A as I found a graph which supports this.
Furthermore in regards to gender I haven’t found a definitive answer so I will take the
approach of not aiming my trailer towards a certain gender, however it may inadvertently
appeal to women due to the fact that it has a female lead. Overall the questions askes
have been useful in terms of getting to know my audience although I think I should’ve
asked some more questions regarding the film poster and what they expect to see
because this would have allowed me to get more insight into what people are expecting,
so I might include this in my interviews.

Interview 1: Name: Angela Gilbert, Age: 50, Gender: Female
1. What do you expect to see from a trailer advertising a psychological thriller?
‘I would expect to see an introduction of characters and an introduction the plot. I would want to be
intrigued by the trailer and have it stand out amongst other film trailers. I wouldn’t want to have the film
spoilt by the trailer so not to have too much given away’
2. Do you prefer the trailer to be full of action or have it be more subtle
‘I would prefer it to be subtle rather than full of action because I don’t want it all given away in the trailer
and then go watch the film but have already seen most of it. I think it is more effective if the whole plot isn’t
given away because it entices you to go see the film’
3. When watching a trailer do you pay more attention to the music, the shots or the editing?
‘I pay more attention to the shots of the trailer because again it entices me into it and with the shots you get
to establish characters and the scenarios and you have the opportunity to see from someone else's point of
view depending on the type of shots they use. Although I think the music plays a crucial part in the trailer
because it helps build anticipation and suspense’
4. When it comes to a film poster what do you expect they have on them?
‘I would want it to be colourful and eye catching, I would also want to see the release date because this is
informative to whoever is looking. I like the idea of having only one of the characters on there because if the
poster is too busy it can be off putting and a little confusing’
5. What colours do you think are associated with a psychological thriller poster?
‘I would expect to see red, black and blue because the connotations to these colours are danger and they
give off a sense of coldness and a depressing feeling is created’

Interview 1 - Analysis
For this interview I thought it would be beneficial to have some knowledge on
what people think of a psychological trailer outside of the my target audience
(15-24). I have noticed that to this person they focus more on what is happening
in the trailer for example they thought that the types of shots used were a big
part because it allows you to see form different angles and you get a good feel to
the surroundings, however they did mention that they also thought the music
was a crucial part because it helps build up the anticipation. One of the key
questions for me was the first one because this has allowed me to see what
people expect from a psychological thriller so I can include what I think will work
because it is important to get people’s opinions. I asked about the poster because
I didn’t mention it in my survey and they have mentioned that it needs to be eye
catching but not too busy and this will help me in my project because it will allow
me to appeal to people outside the target audience. Something I did notice when
talking to this person was that they commonly mentioned about not giving the
plot away and this is something I have been thinking about because you have to
give subtle hints but I don’t want to give the whole plot away because having a
bit of mystery entices the audience in my opinion. Even though this person is
outside my target audience I think my product will appeal to them because I
don’t plan on giving too much of the plot away and I also would focus more on
the shots and the music rather than the editing because I think that they are both
more effective in creating anticipation and enticing the audience

Interview 2: Name: Harvey Gilbert, Age: 16, Gender: Male
‘I expect to see some information about what the film is about, I want to see a brief explanation of the plot is
but not to have it give too much away.’
‘I prefer it to be more subtle because personally a lot of action doesn’t interest me and I prefer to have
to figure it out myself rather than have it explained to me. I think it being more subtle is better for a
psychological thriller because they normally focus on a person’s mind and it isn’t always clear what is
happening and this should be reflected when making one’
‘The music I think is the most important because it can create a certain mood and build anticipation
which is exciting to watch’
‘I like when the background is dark because it focuses the attention on the characters rather than what
is happening. I don’t like when there is a lot of text because it can give the plot and it is distracting’
‘ I expect to see some black, white, red because I think the colours work well in contrast with each other and
the black and white backgrounds work well in highlighting the characters who are on the front’

The next interview I did was with someone who is 16, and this is within my target
audience and therefore it is more beneficial for me. From this I have seen that
another person prefers it when the plot isn’t given away however you get a little
information about it, and they also explained that they prefer it to be more subtle
in terms of what happens within the trailer especially with a psychological thriller
because they tend to focus on a character’s psyche and it isn’t always clear what
the problem is and this should be reflected when making a film/trailer about it.
When answering the last question about the colours they’re answer was similar
to the person questioned first and this has given me some ideas into what people
expect to see when it comes to the colours used on a poster and the common
answer seems to be black and red because they contrast with each other and
they stand out. Additionally this person has mentioned that the music is the
most important because it helps build suspense and this is a similar answer to
what the person said in interview one and this has also influenced me to take a
different approach when it comes to the music because I was planning on having
it silent however I think some suspenseful music would be effective in terms of
making the audience feel like something is going to happen

Interview 3: Name Alice Hill, Age: 18, Gender: Female
‘I expect to see a basic character introduction because it is important to establish a character however I don’t much
of the plot being given away because if it is given away then what is the point of going to see the film. I also want to
see sections where the character is fine one minute then breaking down the next because that is what a
psychological thriller focuses on is watching the characters mental state crumble’
‘I think with a psychological thriller I prefer it to be more subtle because it entices the audience to know more
about the character, it also requires thinking and this allows the audience to stay engaged because if it was all
action I think it would be too much’
‘I pay more attention to the music because it creates a foundation for the trailer to stand on because even if there
was no footage suspenseful music makes you feel on edge and I think alongside it with the shots would be really
effective because it is immersive for whoever is watching’
‘ I would like to see the main character in the centre because it catches the audiences eye. I would want to see it
quite plain because otherwise there might be too much going on and it is distracting, I think having a little
information would be good because it informs people who want to see the film however too much information
could distract from the rest of the poster’
‘I think I would expect to see different shades of blue that contrast with the white and I think the colours should
have a harsh contrast because it makes it uncomfortable if they don’t blend in with each other’

The 3rd interview conducted focused on someone within the target audience
again. From this interview I can see that most participants have said they prefer
if the plot isn’t given away because it doesn’t make them want to watch the film,
additionally they have said that they prefer it when it is more subtle because
then it requires thinking which engages the audience and this is a similar answer
to the two previous answers. This person has said that they pay more attention
to the music because if it done correctly then it build suspense even without any
footage, they then went on to say that with the shots it can be really effective in
terms of creating a suspenseful atmosphere for the audience. One thing that
was different to the previous answers was when they mentioned using blue and
white because it creates a feeling of being cold, the previous answers mention
black and red and I think has benefitted me because it has allowed me to see
that people prefer darker colours because they catch the audiences attention
because the contrast between the dark colours and light colours work well
together. I think my product will appeal to this person because I plan on making
the trailer subtle and regarding the poster I plan to use different shades of blue
and black to contrast with the white however I am not sure whether I am going
to include the colour red

Bibliography
1. Gilbert, Grace (2020) Target Audience Research Survey (conducted on 21/04/2020)
2. Gilbert, Angela (2020) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on 22/04/2020)
3. Gilbert, Harvey (2020) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on 22/04/2020)
4. Hill, Alice (2020) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on 22/04/2020)
5. Statista Research Department. (2014). 5 most popular film genres in the UK as of October 2013.
Available. https://www.statista.com/statistics/286476/most-popular-film-genres-united-kingdom-uk/
.Last accessed 21/04/2020.
6. Statista Research Department. (2014). Cinema audience distribution in the UK as of 2014, by age and
gender. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/296240/age-and-gender-of-the-cinema-
audience-uk/.Last accessed 21/04/2020.
7. ANON.(). 15. Available: https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-classification/15 . Last accessed 21/04/2020.
8. Elflein, John. (2019). Percentage of U.S. adults with any mental illness in the past year as of 2018, by
age and gender. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/252311/mental-illness-in-the-past-
year-among-us-adults-by-age-and-gender/.Last accessed 21/04/2020.
9. Watson, Amy. (2019). Favourite movie genres amongst adults in the United States as of December
2018, by gender. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/254115/favorite-movie-genres-in-the-
us/. Last accessed 21/04/2020.
10. ANON. (2014). Audience demographics and psychographics. Available:
https://mahbubulfoundationproduction.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/demographics-incomplete/.Last
accessed 21/04/2020.
11. ANON. (2017). The social class of cinema audience. Available: https://stephenfollows.com/social-class-
of-cinema-audiences/.Last accessed 21/04/2020.

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