Treatment

Working Title:
'Skrilla' 

Estimated Duration:
1 minute.

Intended Audience:
18 - 26 year old males, with cinematic interest and of the working class


Feasibility:
The lack of special effects and equipment will work alongside the realistic genre of the film which will make it easier to film in comparison with the action, horror or science-fiction genres.
Format:
DV

Budget:
Our budget is low so we require actors to work for free  

The Equipment/Resources Required:
- Camera (Sony A1E)
- Computer (iMac)
- Editing Software (iMovie)
- Tripod
- Photoshop


Genre:
My group and I have  selected Social Realist Drama (youth/gang culture) as our genre. 

Synopsis:
The story follows the main character called Steon who is a drug dealer in a local community within London. He has a criminal record so therefore cannot get an established job, so drug dealing his way of looking after his sick girlfriend. He "ticks" (loans) 1kg Cocaine off his dealer Boss and has a week to pay him for it. However, he gets robbed in his neighborhood, and has his money stolen. He has two days to get the money, after which Boss will find him and kill him. The rest of the film follows the story of Steon trying to escape the clutches of Boss and managing to find a way to get Boss off his back.

Selected Genres

We selected two main genres that would easily fit into our budget and would work effectively together with the our equipment. These two genres were Horror and Social Realist Drama:

Horror:
Horror was one of our chosen choices in genre because it follows specific codes conventions that my group are familar with and under the circumstances and low budget we could easily recreate.

Social Realist Drama (youth culture/gang):
This was our second chosen genre because it is one in which our age group can relate to and is part of the media and society today. We can dramatise real life situations and involve the conventions of gun crime, drug and alcohol abuse in our storyline for our teaser trailer to fit in with this genre. It isn't necessary for a big or well known cast, however one problem of this genre is that its not always a success meaning unsuccesful box office reviews.

Selected Genres Analysed

I have chosen a few genres which I have ideas for and to help with my choice I have created a brainstorm with pros and cons for each genre:

Poster Selection

More than one teaser poster can be made at one time allowing the audience to choose the one they prefer through polls created their websites. 500 Days Of Summer was one that did this, giving a choice of four film poster design for the audience to choose. The variation allows feedback from the audience meaning this could be part of the production of our ancillary task and insuring it is a success. One example of variation of film posters is for the 2008 film 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall', directed by Nicholas Stoller:

Target Audience Interviews

To find out more about our target audience me and Ellie conducted a set of questions for our audience interviews. This was to give us an idea of their views of social realist drama as a genre and the expectations they hold for this genre of film. We asked five individuals that attend our college and recorded our interviews on my blackberry:

1) Name?
2) Age?
3) Are you familiar with the genre social realist drama?
4) What are your views on social realist drama as a genre?
5) What are your views on the use of gun crime and drug use in films today?
6) Is this a genre you would normally choose to watch, if so/not, why?
7) What typical conventions do you expect to see in within the storylines of this genre?
8) What previous films have you seen that fall under this or a similar genre?
http://audioboo.fm/boos/301925-maria-target-audience
http://audioboo.fm/boos/301928-liz-target-audience
http://audioboo.fm/boos/301930-melody-target-audience
http://audioboo.fm/boos/301935-greg-target-audience
http://audioboo.fm/boos/301941-charlotte-target-audience
From these interviews we found that they had a lot of opinions on how gun crime and drugs are presented and the problems they cause within society. However they expected this to be a typical storyline within this genre of film. It gave us a lot of information and a sound understanding of the expectations that this genre holds and the importance of creating an exciting, fast paced teaser trailer.

Questionaire Results

                                                                    Question 5:

These graphs here are the results to question 5 'How often do you watch films?'. I found that more men watched films then females and that the response of people watching films 'often' was much greater depending on the age group.

 

Question 6:

In the next set of results taken from question 6 'Do you like youth culture films?' tell me that overall the majority of males preferred youth culture films (social realist drama) to females. However in the age group 22+ I found that they all answered 'no', this means that this is the audience that I won't be targeting my film at whereas the age groups 16 - 18 and 19 - 20 had a majority of 'yes' as their answer. My main target audience therefore is males between the ages of 16 - 20.

Question 11:

This question was to give us feedback on how important audiences think teaser trailers are even though they do not offer a lot of information about the film. We asked if they believed they gave enough excitement for them to be interested in going to watch the film and we found that neither male nor female between the ages of 19 - 21 said no but nearly half between 16 - 18 said it wasn't enough. We need to ensure excitement is a key role throughout our teaser trailer in order to maintain that level of excitement expected by the audience but we also need to cater for the audiences that want more then jst excitement. This is an area we need to develop on as to get their attention and produce a teaser trailer that is exciting, eye catching and thrilling enough to grab attention and get the response needed.

From this questionnaire I found youth culture genre is more popular between the ages of 16 - 21 compared to that of older adults. The majority of people who answered my questionnaire were people who watched films reguarly and their favourite youth culture films were the sequel Kidulthood and Adulthood, this might be because of the high profile and media coverage in which both films have compared to various other films unde this genre. The responses to questions 8 and 9 were similar saying that from a teaser trailer they would expect to be aware of the characters and have an understanding of the storyline and obviously know the release date. For the film poster they want to be able to recognise the film and know the title, cast names and release date. Question 10 gave us information into what our audience expects from a youth/culture film and the storyline; they expect to see drug and alcohol abuse, sex, gangs, violence and a dramatised view on the problems young people face in society today.

Audience Questionnaire

My primary research into audiences gave me a better understanding on what they expect from a teaser trailer, their thoughts and views on Social Realist Drama (youth culture/gang) films and the age, gender and type of social class of audience in which my group should be targeting our film at. Film posters and magazine covers are another aspect of our media campaign that we need to have a solid understanding of so that we know how much information to use, the imagery and the types of conventions of this genre. This knowledge will also come from secondary research and the previous research we have already done. We used facebook, google mail and handouts of this questionnaire to get the best response possible and to ensure our data was unbiased.
Example of our questionnaire:

1. Gender?
Male        Female

2. Age?
16-18      19-21      22+

3. Do you like watching films?
Yes     No

4. If yes, what is your favourite film?

5. How often do you watch films?
Very often       Often      Not much

6. Do you like Social Realist Drama (youth culture/gang) films?
Yes      No

7. If yes, what one is your favourite?

8. What information do you expect to get from a trailer?

9. How much information would you expect to find on a film poster?

10. What type of story lines do you expect to find in a youth culture film?

11. Are teaser trailers ever enough to excite you enough into going to watch a film?
Yes       No

Here are examples of our questionnaire sent via new media; all of whom fit into our target audience:

New Media: Editing Programmes

Programme Three: Final Cut pro

We will be using final cut to edit and create our teaser trailer. It includes features such as 'SmoothCam' which will smoothen and straighten out any scenes that are shaky from filming allowing us to ensure continuity throughout the trailer, the transition effects and pace of the trailer can be adapted to suit us and to flow with the music or narrative we may have over the top. We will need certain scenes to be more effective and powerful than others, speed changes, trimming and cutting all will help achieve this. Final cut also allows you to create and include title cards which will be necessary for a teaser trailer, the use of transitions on these will be what makes it seem professional or not.

http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/finalcutpro/effects-transitions.html

New Media: Editing Programmes

Programme Two: Photoshop

Photoshop is another sophisticated editing programme that allows you to change and edit your shots in a professional manner. We will be using Adobe Photoshop CS3 to produce our magazine front cover and film poster. It will allow us to use basic features such as hue and saturation, blending, brightness and contrast, levels and curves, retouching and then features to help us layer our image and create a professional product.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/software/review/2007/05/22/Adobe-Photoshop-CS3/p2

New Media: Editing Programmes

Programme One: iMovie

Imovie allows is to enhance our film making skills and to achieve the best possible quality of film. With programs such a video stabilization it analyses how much your camera is moving and then reduces the shake on the film to achieve a steady shot. It also identifies when the camera is excessively moving and uses a red line to show were this is occurring and marks the footage allowing you to fix or hide it. It also has one step effects that let you speed or slow down your footage or repeat them, of course it has the basic video effects like ageing film, cutting, green screening, trimming, drag and drop, transitions and picture overlaying. It creates a Hollywood and professional finish to your video.

http://www.apple.com/asia/ilife/imovie/what-is.html

New Media: Camera for filming - Sony A1E

The Sony A1E is the camera my group will be using to film my teaser trailer with because it is the highest quality camera, we have experimented with the different techniques it has to offer and in what way we can use the camera to create the most effective shots for our trailer. We have experimented with the white balance and exposure level to change the brightness of the film, we also experimented with night mode which would give a realistic approach to filming. Some of the features I will be using that the camera offers are listed below with a small description into how they work:

http://www.sony.co.uk/biz/product/hdvcamcorders/hvr-a1e/overview

Built-in down-conversion to DV

The flexibility to film your footage in HDV and use the camera's down-converter to output Standard Definition pictures if required.

Still image capture

Enables you to capture still images onto both the tape and  the Memory Stick. It can record maximum 2.8M (1920x1440) pixels in Memory Mode, and maximum 1.2M (1440x810) in Tape Mode.

Cineframe 25 & Cinematone Gamma

As well as the HVR-Z1E camcorder, the HVR-A1E provides Cineframe mode (25 frames) and 2-mode Cinematone Gamma, in order to meet requirements to make images cinematic and film-like look.

2ch XLR audio inputs

The HVR-A1E offers the recording of audio by providing built-in stereo microphone, as well as two XLR audio inputs for connecting an external microphone or feeding an external-line audio source.

Selectable manual Focus / Zoom ring

The ring positioned in front of the body can be selected for manual focus or manual zoom, with direct operation of using the slide switch located near the ring.

Assignable button

A frequently used function can be registered to this button so that it can be recalled instantly with the touch of the button. The assignable functions are Status Check, Steady Shot, One Push White Balance, Histogram Indicator or Colour Bar.

Exposure lever

This new lever allows direct manual control of brightness. It can be assigned for either Exposure or AE Shift fuction by menu setting.

Histogram indicator

The new indicator allows you to check the brightness of an object and easily adjust exposure by viewing this graphical presentation.

What is New Media?

We did this in class as group work and brainstormed the different ways we could use new media to find out people's views and thought of different films and genres. One way in which would help benefit my group is by filming an audience or  group of people whilst watching a selection of horror films this way we can record and analyse their reactions. We can analyse what parts of the trailer got the biggest reaction and why so we can use these techniques to our advantage when coming to produce and film our own horror teaser trailer. Another form of new media could be Blackberry messenger (BBM) this way we can send information to all our contacts with this program on their blackberrys and get them to record their thoughts and views on voice notes or send information back to us. By using new media like facebook it allows us to focus on a wider audience instead of just family and friends so we get a unbiased and larger sample.

Jennifer's Body demographic breakdown and film review

Movie Review:
"Described by director Karyn Kusama (‘Girlfight’) as ‘a tribute to the fierce power of oestrogen’, this coming-of-age horror comedy typecasts beautiful ‘Transformers’ star Megan Fox as Jennifer, a high school alpha female in the ‘Heathers’ or ‘Mean Girls’ mould. However, by going against the grain of the ’80s horror movies to which it pays affectionate homage – ‘Carrie’, ‘Fright Night’, slasher movies in general – the script by ‘Juno’ writer Diablo Cody explores the toxic friendship between Jennifer and her nerdy, speccy bosom buddy, Needy (Amanda Seyfried). ‘Sandbox love never dies,’ so they are best friends forever. But when Jennifer’s encounter with a diabolical indie band ends with her being sacrificed and transformed into a literally maneating demon, Needy must see through her one-sided girl-crush in order to end Jennifer’s bloody reign of terror.
A welcome antidote to the sexless romanticism of ‘Twilight’, Kusama and Cody’s female-driven horror comedy explores the premise that ‘hell is a teenage girl’. When the far from virginal Jennifer transforms, she simply becomes herself, but more so: her sexual power is magnified, she glows with health after feeding, and her cruel selfishness goes into overdrive. But not even Needy’s sensitive boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons) will believe that Jennifer’s body is now the embodiment of evil. There are weaknesses: Kusama’s set-piece scare scenes aren’t always frightening, Cody’s trademark teen slang is occasionally more forced than arch, and the mysterious psychic connection between Jennifer and Needy is never explained. But by tapping in to the same vein of ‘hormonal horror’ as the excellent ‘Ginger Snaps’, this offers a witty, subversive look at the darker side of teen friendship."


Here is the demographic breakdown from the IMDB website: 

	Votes	Average
Males	19,110	5.3
Females	4,153	5.7
Aged under 18	702	5.8
Males under 18	460	5.8
Females under 18	242	5.8
Aged 18-29	16,021	5.3
Males Aged 18-29	12,811	5.2
Females Aged 18-29	3,164	5.7
Aged 30-44	5,598	5.3
Males Aged 30-44	4,947	5.3
Females Aged 30-44	615	5.6
Aged 45+	898	5.3
Males Aged 45+	786	5.3
Females Aged 45+	102	5.7
Top 1000 voters	258	5.1
US users	6,677	5.5
Non-US users	14,799	5.3
IMDb users	24,723	5.3

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1131734/

Example of Cross Media Campaign

I have selected 'Jennifer's Body' as an example of cross media campaign. For this I have selected a link of the teaser trailer, the teaser film poster and the magazine front cover from 'Fangoria' magazine an international US film magazine specializing in the genre of horror. For the film posters I have decided to use both the official poster and the teaser and compare the similarities and differences between them.

Writer and Director: Diablo Cody and Karyn Kusama

The font type and colour used on the magazine front cover and the film posters are the same which allows the audience to immediately recognise the film even if the two images used portray Megan Fox's character completely differently. On the magazine front cover Megan Fox's character is portrayed as evil and as a vampire, this is done by using subtle hints of the eyes becoming glazed over and the blood around her mouth and most commonly the fangs. Whereas on the film poster she is a typical pretty schoolgirl and looks out of place amongst the dark, creepy classroom, there is however still the idea of this just being a façade because if you look closely the table she is sat on has a hand hanging out from under the desk top, this is the only clue into her character not being as sweet and innocent as we first assume. With the teaser trailer the font for the title is not the same as the font used on the magazine cover or poster, it is also a different colour. Although I don't think it really makes much of a difference because it was quite a well advertised film so either way the audience still recognise it through the use of other similarities. By having such a well known cast in the film this is another way of advertisement, the audience will recognise Megan Fox and automatically associate her with this film at the time of release. The main colours used throughout all three media campaigns are red and black, red obviously being a convention of horror and blood.

What is Cross Media Advertising?

Cross media advertising is advertising in all areas of media:

• Radio
• TV
• Direct mail
• Internet
• Posters
• Marketing
• Magazines
• Newspapers

However for the area of media that we are focusing on and for our task the areas of cross media advertising we will be focusing on are magazines, posters and TV (were our teaser trailer will be shown). This is the best way of promotion for films because it allows them to advertise in more then one way and target their audience from different angles, the whole point is they want their audience to know about the product and become aware of it. In my opinion visual based messages are the most effective type of advertisement because to the audience they prefer to see something and become part of it. Newspapers wouldn't work so effectively in this type of industry whereas a magazine would because it can be specific in the genre and content and the audience it’s targeted for. You can match the target audience of your film to that of a certain magazine and know it will be made aware to the correct target audience. The drawback to cross media is that it would be costly because you are using new media technologies and more then one way of distribution however the overall effect from this would be far greater because it allows advertising to suit the audience and appeal to them through their use of media.

Film Genres

Films are placed under a genre based on the characteristics, subject matter and conventions within the film. Many films however contain characteristics of more then one genre and are therefore placed under hybrid or sub genres. For example you can have romance with a comedy storyline like ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’, also based on the type of actors starring in your film can also depend on the genre of film. An example of this would be Jim Carrey who is known for the comedy he brings to his films. I have brainstormed a few of the main genres and listed hybrid, sub genres and conventions beneath them. This will allow me narrow down the genres I intend to use later on for my final product.