Character Development

Character profiles:

Anna Carter
Age: 17
Character status: Main character
Personality: Used to be fun, happy and popular, now she is distant and emotionally scarred
Costume: At the beginning of the film she wears pretty dresses and make-up, as the story progresses she puts less effort into her style
Costume at the beginning of film: Relatively bright and smart - casual clothing at the start of the film, indicating an enthusiasm for school and motivation and a stable home. Reflects the storyline of how she's initially in a stable home and happy with her friends and her family. 

Costume later on: Later on in the film, when the plot emerges, Anna's costume has to change to convey change. A pair of jeans and a hoodie is highly in contrast to the smart casual bright clothing she initially wears. By wearing dark casual clothes, she seems to not be making an effort and portrays her depression and sadness and lack of self confidence when she encounters her dilemma. 

How we were influenced to incorporate 
character: 

Taylor from 'cyberbully' 

Whilst we decided on our characters, we knew that having one main, prominent character would allow, the genre and one of our key themes (bullying, self-harm, insecurity etc) to effectively emerge. A prime example , which influenced our decision to do so, was the film 'cyberbully'. In that film, the main character Taylor, was significant; how she dealt with the predicament she found herself in was portrayed successfully, with emotions etc. The theme of 'cyberbullying' also unraveled successfully and made it more educational. 

Annie from the film 'Trust'

In the film 'trust', Annie is also a vulnurable character who also struggles with the theme of insecurity, her character also contributed to the development of our protagonist Anna.  






Rachael Carter
Age: 53
Character status: Mother of Anna.
Personality: Used to be loving and caring of Anna, but since her abusive husband left her, she has been ignorant and addicted to substances such as alcohol and drugs.
Costume: Lazy clothes, jeans/top.

How we were influence to incorporate character: In 'Cyberbully', from the user rating statistics in 'imdb', it revealed that older women also enjoyed consuming the film. This shows that the target audience was widened beyond a younger age, but was more inclusive of the older generation. This is because the film is educational even for mothers, so that they can understand and get an insight into the problems that teenagers daily face. Furthermore, within the film, the mother plays an important contribution in the storyline and is also highly effected by the problems her daughter faces. 

Taylor's mum in the film 'cyberbully'

The combination of these two elements consequently influenced us to adopt a mother, but instead of the encouraging supporting mother like in 'cyberbully', this mother would be conveyed to be a problematic mother contributing to the hardship her daughter upholds.  





Lottie Smith
Age: 17

Character status: Best friend of Anna
Personality: Always been the one to make Anna laugh, but as things start to change, so does she. She turns on Anna and becomes her worst nightmare.
Costume: Pretty dresses/outfits.

How we were influenced to incorporate character: 

Friends of the Cady in the film 'mean girls'

Almost all teen dramas, consists of friends of the protagonist(s). Even more comedic ones such as 'Mean Girls' or 'Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging'. In these films, the friends are conveyed to be of betrayal and backstabbing friends, though there is usually one or two who remain loyal. Consequently  we acknowledged that it would be almost absurd to have absent, a friend(s) of the character. Anna's distance from her friends would leave her even more alone and will contribute to the dramatic element of the storyline. 

Georgia's friends in the film 'Angos thongs..'

Jane Moore
Age: 45Character status: Anna's psychiatrist
Personality: Helpful, polite, well-mannered.

Costume: Smart suit/trousers with name badge to identify role as Doctor.

How we were influenced to incorporate character: In the film Trust, the protagonist's (Anna) councillor, was a key figure in the film. Even though Anna initially, deluded herself and compress her problems. However, through her councillor, Anna was able to slowly pour out her emotions and admit the problems that she faced. The significance of Anna's mother was minimised and the councillor played a more motherly figure. This is what inspired us included such a key figure. Having Jane as a psychiatrists to guide and help Anna; replacing the actions her mother was inadequate in doing and would help enhance the narrative of the story and make the storyline more powerful.
After looking up the meaning behind the name Jane, we discovered that it is name known as a 'gift from God'. This is useful to us because Jane acts as a friend to Anna in other words is her guardian angel. She guides her and helps her throughout the course of the storyline, therefore her name meaning is very relevant to her character.

Synopsis

Through My Eyes

Anna is 17 years old. She was happy and had friends. However, her abusive dad left her mother, causing her mother to become addicted to alcohol and drugs. Anna distanced herself from everyone, including her friends, thinking it would make everything better. But things took a turn for the worse. Her friends turned against her and started bullying her online and in school. Anna resorts to hating herself and others around her. She seeks help from a counsellor  who becomes a significant figure and friend to her. She slowly starts to rebuild her life, but will it ever be the same as before? 

Time Lapse Experimentation

Clare:
For one of our scenes we would like to use the time-lapse technique to display clearly to the audience the location of our film by showing students walking into school and also to set a pace. Prior to filming, I thought it would be necessary to test this idea before we actually took it to our shooting. I placed a cloth on a table in my garden and set my Nikon Coolpix P510 camera facing upwards so that there was a clear view of the sky. It was quite a grey day so the clouds weren't moving an awful lot, but I decided to experiment this element anyway and tested for how long I should film in order to create the look and feel we desired. I decided to stop filming after 15 minutes and then imported the video to Windows Live Movie Maker on my laptop. I used the video editing tools to increase the speed of the video 64x. The video below demonstrates my attempt. I think this technique will work really well for our piece as it is a much more interesting way of exhibiting the location to an audience. 

Amanda: Also, the time lapse is a good definition of showing time passing, we want to contrast this with Anna walking alone. We also think having people rush past shows loneliness and not a chance to get to know people, or even ask for help. 

25 Word Pitch

Anna was an ordinary girl who had it all, now troubled with bullying and an alcoholic mother. Will things ever be as they were before? 

Influences

Ade:
We were influenced to produce a drama trailer, because it is current, relatable and powerful to convey. We were inspired to incorporate emotional, real life themes such as "mental illness" and "bullying", because of the experiences we as teenagers have experienced and have witnessed in other people, not only does it evoke emotion, it is also educational. 

The film "Cyberbully" is one that displays this; it focuses on a female protagonist who experiences some of these issues and almost commits suicide, another powerful theme that we considered. Aside from the themes, this film influenced our ideas, because firstly, the character is female and so would attract that audience, and make it relatable to them, our target audience includes the female gender; also the fact that she is a teenager would attract that specific audience group and make it seem more realistic and further relatable. Even though  it is not teaser trailer, it is an effective trailer because of some of the elements it consists of, for example the voice over which keeps the audience attentive, but it also seems distant from the character, misleading the audience to think the opposite of whats going on. It briefly touched onto some of the emotional themes which we discussed, e.g neglect and separation of parents. The music alters when the situation has an abrupt dramatic increase and there is good use of dynamics that adds suspense or emotion. The voice over is effective because its a narrative tool that tells the story of her life. However, having the girl narrating her own life might be more effective and emotional. 



Waterloo road has some aspects that we want to include in our teaser trailer. Again, its overpowering element is the themes that are involved. Even though it is not a film and is a TV series, it is very useful because even though it doesn't involve one prominent protagonist, its predominant characters are teenagers, who experience "real life issues". The young people, usually teens, reflect on some of the serious events that may occur in someone else's lifestyle. The 'mise en scene' within this trailer is effective. We are able to identify the heirachy within the school. For example, the students in the school all wear uniform, most importantly in an unconventional way, showing individualism that conveys a school sub-culture. The teachers are given a figure of authority, particularly the head teacher who has a smart look, compared to some of the class teachers who can 'tone-down' their dress codes.
 



Amanda:
The novel 'Oddly Normal' is very similar to what we want to produce. It is based on a boy having to reveal to his parents and school friends that he is homosexual. It shows how popular and happy he is. However, the novel takes a sudden turn for the worse when he reveals he is gay and he gets bullied. His parents struggle to keep him happy and safe at school. This touches on the pressing issues of sexuality and bullying, also neglect at home. 

Dustbin Baby is an excellent example of what we want to achieve. The opening shot seperates April (main character) from the other two girls, making her seem isolated and alone. The voiceover adds a sombre tone to the trailer. 

In this shot, we again see April distanced from other characters. The dark lighting shadows April, making the atmosphere more sombre. The busy lady and child talking overshadow April's voice and what she is trying to talk about. 

Clare:

The 'Perks of Being A Wallflower' roots back to childhood family experiences that have affected the life of a teenage boy called Charlie. Both the film and book display the troubles of teenage life, with starting a new school, making new friends, being involved with drugs, and it also includes the sensitive subjects of death and mental illness. This story is influential to us because we want to focus on the theme of teenage drama and the complications of being a teenager, including such sensitive areas that people can relate to and feel emotionally evoked by. In the trailer for the film, there is a voice over from the main character whilst he writes in his diary that he refers to as his 'friend'. This is effective because we immediately know he is the protagonist and we will be following his particular story, and it is also an interesting form of direct address and it is as if he is speaking to the audience. Since he is referring to his diary as his friend, it also suggests that he is possibly lonely and lacking real life companionship, hinting to us he is an outcast.

Throughout the course of the trailer there are opening titles which briefly demonstrate the storyline. There is a strict theme with a green background and black typewriter font. The typewriter font also connects to the storyline where Charlie is given a typewriter in which he writes to his 'friend' or diary. The letters appear in time to the beat of the music giving the trailer a good pace. In between takes the titles also show the names of the main characters followed by short clips of them taken from the film. This is a clever way of immediately introducing the audience to the characters in which you would be following when you watched the film. Near the end of the trailer, the clips become fast pace in time to a recognisable song by the band 'Imagine Dragons', drawing in the target audience with well known music and creating a sense of anticipation. These sound aspects that I picked up on in my analysis all fit the genre well and target the audience effectively. The diegetic sound/dialogue that continues throughout the entirety of the trailer was especially important in establishing the relationships between characters, especially as it is from the drama genre. 

The mid-shots are effective in displaying emotions between characters as they emphasise emotion and body language. This is very relevant within a drama genre and it is something we could take note of in producing our own teaser trailer as relationships are crucial and conventional to display clearly in dramas. Finally, the lighting switches from dark to light in the trailer, suggesting there are both low and high points in the film.



In terms of structure, I believe that the trailer 'Trust' is very influential. My Prezi demonstrates why:




The book 'The Fault in Our Stars' also focuses on the heavy subject of illness. Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, and this book depicts her story upon recovery. This storyline is influential because it is based on sensitive issues which many people would find touching and appealing in a drama about a teenager. The book, made famously by John Green, is being produced as a film, proving the powerfulness and emotional grasp the book had on so many individuals. I think that focusing on a teenage issue such as this would be a good idea because it is relatable and fascinating to many people in that age group (15-19 year olds).

Production Company Name/Logo - Influences and Ideas

We are planning on creating a drama trailer. We realised plenty of drama films are made by companies with short, snappy titles which stand for different things. For example, 'NBC', 'BBC', 'ITV' and 'ABC'. For this reason, we thought we would join up the letters in our given names. This forms the title 'ACA' (Amanda/Clare/Adeola). We think 'ACA Films'  is the most appropriate as it sounds professional for a drama production company. This then shows all of our work is a joint effort. The use of 3 letters/numbers is very common in production companies. We decided this snappy idea would be great for us as there is three of us in the group, so we all get credit in our production company logo. Also it is snappy like other production companies. Here are some examples of our main influences below:

We don't have a specific genre (e.g. horror/thriller) for our teaser trailer. This made it difficult for us to find broad production company logos. The ones we found are simple, block colours. or a range of several colours. 

We are thinking because the logo will be quite plain we want to use a small animation movement as well. We have considered the idea of the letters 'ACA' being enlarged and moving back to their normal size. We also like the idea of using a fade transition to add a sense of drama.

We don't like the idea of using a simple shape for our logo. However, using a complex idea like a 3d shape would draw attention away from our Production Company name (ACA Films). However, the use of colours will be effective and not make our logo so boring. It will also show we appeal to wide audiences, due to our use of colours.

Clare: I drew out some initial ideas for our production company logo, having firstly gained influence from the examples displayed above. We knew we wanted to use basic shapes to show our name 'ACA/ACA films' and a block colour (such as orange) with white font. To the right are some small sketches I did to show our various designs. We are particularly attracted to the ones with triangular or diamond shapes as we think they add edge to our logo and make it appear sharp and professional. The colour is there to also make it more presentable and to catch the attention of a viewer, but we stuck to one simple colour so that it isn't too bright or colourful, otherwise it would contrast the theme of a serious drama film/programme.

Clare:
Using Adobe Fireworks, I created a few of the logos which were displayed in our previous example and which were our favourites. These examples demonstrate how we want our logo to look, then we will work on the animation and transitions afterwards.

This logo is good because it has a strict theme using triangular shapes to spell out our logo name. The design is modern and unique. However, it may be too complex for the audience to grasp due to the unusual shapes.

The second logo is too similar to the 'ABC' logo, which influenced our ideas. The font is effective and matches well with the overall shape. Due to copyright issues, we are unable to use this design.

Ade:
Once again, we utilised shapes to enhance the logo. Not only does the shape display creativity and intelligence it also  looks professional and is something the audience can be familiar with. However,  the shapes might be too contradictory and clash, confusing the audience. 

This logo is effective. It has a 'clean-cut' shape and its simplicity, makes it efficient, and able to incorporate effects into it, so that we can manipulate it to suit our 'drama' genre. Nevertheless, it's simplicity, may be interpreted as boring and basic; unappealing to an audience.

The logo is symmetric, it is one of the ideas we highly favour. The design's is once again composed through good use of the triangular shape, and sticks to a theme. The colours contrast are most evident in this logo, making it appear more professional. However, including transitions could prove to be difficult. 

Mood Board

Clare:
Before we started our mood board, we decided to mind map any genre ideas that we had to begin with. This meant that we could discuss possible options for our practical and consider our favourable routes. From mind mapping, we decided that the idea of using the romance or comedy genre would prove too complex for our taste. This is because we believe they are too risky and we didn't want to produce anything too cliché or cheesy. Horror is also an option that we are avoiding in this practical unit as Amanda and I used this for our opening sequence genre and found that whilst it appealed to some people, it didn't appeal to absolutely everyone. We thought we'd take a different path as we wanted to attempt a genre that would be attractive to a wider audience. From this, we are considering the mystery/drama concept.

Amanda:

The idea of portraying a teenage girl opened up many doors for ideas. The idea of using current issues we. and other girls face in every day life is relatable and powerful. Inspiration for these ideas came from the best-seller book 'The Fault In Our Stars' and the film 'Cyberbully'. The book shows a girls struggle with teenage love and terminal illness. Cyberbully is about a girl victimised by other girls on the internet. Another strong influence I found was the novel 'Oddly Normal', about a boy coming to terms with his sexuality. All three of these deal with current trending issues teens face with at home and in school. The idea of insecurity and bullying is very drama related and easy to portray yet powerful to give an effect. 

Clare:

After a group discussion, we knew that we wanted to focus on the subject of teenage drama. I gained inspiration from this idea through films such as Cyber-bully, which focuses on a girl being victimised by her "friends" over the internet. The subjects of self image, illness and insecurities are other ideas that we may concentrate on. My mood board implies a person suffering through a sad situation and that is something we want to incorporate into our story and trailer.

Ade:

Me Clare and Amanda discussed that the theme would be a significant aspect of the trailer. The ideas of themes that emerged within our conversation were mainly "bullying'", "mental illness" and "insecurity". By emphasising the theme, we will then be able to use a single prominent main character who is affected by one of these themes to create a poignant feel, that would almost certainly move the audience to tears. My mood board reflects this. It consists of films which have these similar themes such as the film "cyberbully" which focuses on bullying, "waterloo road", which although is not a film is a school based drama that deals which such themes, the film "the perks of being a wall flower" focus' mainly on mental illness and insecurities. These are the main ones that influenced my mood board.

What is a Trailer? What is a Teaser Trailer?

Clare:
The first trailer I will be looking at is "The Master" (2012)



Throughout this trailer, there is a continuous voice over from one of the characters. This is effective because it grasps the audience in a way that makes them feel connected to the storyline. The tone of the voice is also very deep and dark, setting the mood quite serious. The narration gives no clue as to what the storyline holds, therefore encouraging them to watch it and find out.


Another connection is made during the trailer from the beginning and onwards with a sound bridge. The sound bridge consists of a beating sound effect against a table and then a window and we witness a close up of these actions in between takes. This continues throughout the majority of the trailer and the pace increases to match the length of the scenes shown. I think that this is effective as it really joins up the trailer and the noise is powerful creating suspense and tension. 

Many of the clips have high-key lighting which is a type of lighting that illuminates a scene evenly and emphasises bright colours. This is often used to create a happy, positive atmosphere. This could suggest to us that it isn't a sad type of film, and could focus on a different kind of emotion.

The trailer contains no opening credits, which is beneficial as it avoids any concentration being drawn away from the main footage. The only credit is presented at the end of the trailer which shows the main title of the film in very simple black and white and then it shows a few of the actors names that are present in the film. I think that the style of the font is very professional and leaves the audience wanting to find out more.

Overall, I believe that the trailer didn't give away too much about the film, and it leaves the audience on edge. This is effective as it widens your curiosity and appeals to those who like mystery. Also, we see a close up shot of a well known actress, Amy Adams. Having a recognisable actor or actress present in a film will also draw in a lot of attention, which is a final benefit. On one hand, it is an advantage that we are left in suspense by this trailer as it doesn't reveal too much of the storyline. However, this is a disadvantage to some individuals because it doesn't fully uncover the genre, meaning people may be afraid to watch it in case it wasn't what they expected. 

The next trailer that I will be looking at is "The Human Centipede II" (2011)

Having seen the first of "The Human Centipede" films, I recognised the footage from the first film being used in the first half of the trailer. In a way, I thought this was a creative idea as it demonstrated the storyline to those who had perhaps not heard of or seen the first movie. It also meant that it wasn't revealing too much from the newer film. This was similar to "The Master" as it left you on edge but only slightly knowing what to expect. 

There are credits displayed in between short takes of footage, using words such as "shocking" and "horror" to immediately suggest the genre. The large, bold font increases the power and suspense of the trailer, as it is revealed alongside an eerie non-diegetic soundtrack. There are also violent transitions between takes with the screen shaking, setting a distressing mood. There are demoniac screams and shrieks, implying unsafe territory. 

Finally, there is chiaroscuro lighting used throughout the entire trailer, with high contrasts showing deep shadows and bright highlights. This arouses a sense of suspicion, fear or concern in the viewer and therefore is very well suited to this trailer. 




In comparison to "The Master", the genre is made a lot clearer due to the sound and mise-en-scene. Also, the general theme of the trailer contributes to the evidence. I enjoyed both trailers as they both gave a sense of mystery in their separate ways and didn't reveal too much of the storyline in both. 


Amanda:
The first trailer I studied is "Robocop" (2014)




There is a constant voiceover throughout the teaser trailer. The advert is actually an advertisement for the products involved in the film. This is effective because you feel like you're part of the film. The tone of voice is monotonous and futuristic.

The layout of the 'advert' in the advert is very futuristic and effective to display the genre of the film. The city divides the people and technology, revealing it as separate worlds combined together. The harsh lines used as dividers again reveal the modern, futuristic genre of the film. 

The clip of the protest and policemen fighting back shows an insight to our present life. The clip is almost shown as a flashback to the past. The use of the clip though makes it feel more personal to the audience; again making them relate to the film. The fast pace action shots reveal slightly the genre of the film. 

This clip again reveals the futuristic genre. It also advertises the products (props) involved in the film but in a very effective way. You only see the products in action once (see below for reference) so the genre and content of the film is once again hidden. 

This clip is at the end of the teaser trailer. The use of the word 'your' makes the advert more personal and once again shows the advertisement element of it. The use of the colour silver and red throughout the trailer reveal the future element with a hint of danger/action involved. 



Overall, this teaser trailer is brilliant because it reveals nothing about the content of the film. It only reveals the genre and names of the machines in the film. The advert left us all more curious to find out more about the film. 

The next trailer is "Pompeii" (2014)



This advert mainly reveals fossils of the humans that were killed in Pompeii by the volcano. The genre is not revealed throughout the teaser trailer. Only two characters are revealed; a male and a female. They don't say anything so  nothing is revealed about them. The genre is not revealed. The voiceover is a deep mans voice, adding mystery and suspense. 

 The dark lighting adds a sombre atmosphere and gives the audience an idea of a pace. It also tells the audience it is a true story and serious film. 

The ariel shot gives the idea of loneliness and abandonment  It leaves the audience curious. However, when watching the trailer, after the shots of the human fossils, people realise it is based on the volcano eruption of Pompeii. 

There is only one screen of credits saying 'THIS FEBRUARY'. This again, like 'Robocop' reveals nothing about the content of the film, and only when it is being released into cinemas. 

It is only in the last 30 seconds of the trailer that the pace of the film is released. The fast pace action shots reveal a little bit of the content of the film and what it is about. No genre is revealed. 





Overall, these two teaser trailers are very similar. Neither reveal genre and both only show a bit of action towards the end of the trailer. I think this style of teaser trailer is excellent and it isn't boring but leaves you in suspense as to what the film is about. However, you are given an idea of what the film will contain. 'Robocop' is robots and 'Pompeii' is a volcano erupting 


Adeola:
"Pacific Rim" (2013) was the first trailer I looked at.



This trailer is highly unconventional of a teaser trailer, mainly because the storyline is already made apparent within the mere 2:32 minutes. The action shots repeatedly used leaves the audience in no suspense because they can easily form a full judgement based on the teaser trailer, which normally shouldn’t be the case.

For example the action shot on the right is clearly taken from the movie itself and reveals too much action that should be left within the movie when the audience sees the full thing. We can already see that the city or town will be disrupted and there will be catastrophic action; elements which shouldn't be revealed until watching the full film.

There is a voice over which is highly effective because it keeps the audience gripped and allows a presence which the audience can connect to and follow without feeling lost. The non diagetic sound is dramatic and alternates frequently, in dynamics and beat depending on the scene. The faster the action, the louder and the faster the beat, this creates more anticipation within the audience and enables a fast moving pace. 


The lighting is creative and works very well with the sci-fi genre because its mainly dark but with streaks of blue and red lighting which may actually foreshadow the danger which continues to re-emerge. A screen shot of it on the left, It also enhances the genre of the movie and gives the film the same vibrance as the colours. 

At the end, actor, Idris Elba says a minor dialogue which enhances the appeal of the movie. 






The titles at the end allow the audience to be well informed about the actual movie. For example, the date and actors and directors which may be elements that persuade the audience to watch the movie.


The second trailer that I've looked at is "Man Of Steel" (2013)



Again, the audience are informed about the film, through titles which give background info, such as release year “2013” and directors. This teaser trailer is highly in contrast to its actual genre nature. Man of steel is a sequel to ‘superman’ which is usually packed full of action and violence as it is an action film. However, the teaser trailer is solemn. The non diagetic music is slow and sombre. 

The layers of the images are like a montage and the pace of action is slow. The lighting is mainly grey, but with minor bright and daily life colours which often emerge. The image in the above shows parts of it dark and greyish. This allows the audience to suggest that the film may be very tragic and poignant. 

The solemn nature of the teaser trailer which is highly in contest to the genre and even more the name ‘man of steel’, makes it an effective trailer because it withdraws the actual storyline and allows the audience to yearn for more insight into the actual film; persuading and teasing not being too insightful. This is once again done through the lack of allowing the characters to not speak,; withdrawing dialogue. 

The explosion at the end is like a clif hanger which makes the film more intriguing and different to the previous parts of the trailer. The explosion, which is shown on the left is a special effect which helps add even more suspense to the film.


Again, in this trailer,  the audience are informed about the film, through titles which give background info, such as release year “2013” and directors. And showing that its from "directors of 'The Dark Knight triology' It gives the audience a sense of what the actual film will be like. 

Clare:
Afterwards, we discussed the similarities and differences within each film. We discovered that overall most films used voice-overs, dialogue, special effects and credits. Only two represented the genre and only three used actors that our group recognised. This table was useful in demonstrating what is effective in a trailer.