Organisation

Having looked through a number of gangster movie trailers and having drawn up my storyboard I now have in mind the props that are needed for my trailer to be a success. In this blog I will make a list of the props I need as well as listing the importance before going out to get them.

Suits
First of the most important element for my trailer is the costume for my main character. As 'Francesco Poezzi' is the leader of a high prestige gang he will wear a suit just like Vito is wearing here in the God Father. The suit represents the style and authority the leader of the gang has so it is important my main character is wearing one to imply hes the top guy.

Guns
Another key prop I am going to need is a toy gun. The gun is the weapon used most by gangs to strike fear into everyone around them as shown by this scene in Goodfellas. Therefore I am going need some fake weapons to portray 'Poezzi's' gang as dangerous as there reputation.

Other props
I am also going to need a large number of other props such as police/detective clothes for the police chasing the gang. I also need an actual car for Poezzi to pull up in, and a police car with its sirens on. For the police chase scene however and other certain car scenes I am going to purchase toy cars and go for a birds eye view shot with the camera so the cars look real and this way I can portray them how I want. I am also going need some fake money for Poezzi's schemes as well as getting hold of some empty alcohol glasses and 'drugs' (crushed up tic tacs) to place around Poezzi's den. All of these props are what are needed to make an effective gangster trailer in my opinion and they are also very easy to get hold off without damaging my budget so should be very effective.

Target audience

When I am making my movie trailer I will need to distinguish a target audience so that I know what needs to be put into the trailer to pull them in, but also so I know what is appropriate to use for the age range of my target audience.  As my film is based on gangsters I have decided to look at what  Reservoir Dogs and Legend include in their trailers suitable to a target audience.

 Both of these films are an 18 certificate. Straight away this shows me that my target audience should be young adults and adults, because of the props and scenes required in gangster type films. This is shown by the two picture used on the screen as the characters in both images are holding guns. This implies not only violence but the chance of death and gore as well which is not suitable for anyone below the 18 certificate. Also with this certificate I will be able to use swear words for implied humor which will be a key element in me pulling in my target audience as shown by my previous blog, http://lewisglennonmediaa2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/target-audience-ledgend-trailer.html. Also when I analysed both trailers there are signs as violence as shown by here, http://lewisglennonmediaa2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/similar-products-reservoir-dogs.html.

Based on the certificates of these films and the things included in the trailer I will also make my target audience people aged 18 and upwards so that I can include typical gangster esc things such as guns and violence to help pull in my target audience as well as making an effective movie trailer.

Similar Products: Legend trailer

This is the trailer for Tom Hardy's new film 'Legend' which is based on the true story of the Kray twins. The Krays were famous east end gangsters in 1960 and this film is the exact same genre as my film 'Poezzi.' This trailer has a mixture of things used to attract a target audience and this could help me in deciding what I need to include to pull in my target audience.

The trailer straight away pulls in its target audience by showing one of the main characters, and cutting the screen in half to say that Tom Hardy is playing him. This is very clever because trailers rarely show the actors/actresses until the end of the trailer, but because of the hype and fan base surrounding Tom Hardy because of performances in films such as Mad Max it will help pull in a large number of his fans. Also it says the characters name in Reggie Kray which will also pull in more fans as the Krays were such famous gangsters in the 1960's. This is a tactic I could use in my trailer as it gives a clear indication to the fans on who is in the film and this will get them interested at least a little bit in the film.



Also the extract shown from the 30 seconds till 37 seconds also pulls in fans for two reasons. For starters there is a voice over explaining Ronnie Kray's mental health. This gives the audience an insight into one of the problems that could occur in the film, but also gives them a look at the action that takes place as it shows Ron pulling out a gun and smashing someone over the head with a glass.

Later on in the trailer another problem arrives with the police going after the Krays. Once again this pulls in the audience as it gives them an insight into the film, and it also gets them excited as there the prospect of some action as the policemen are all holding weapons and as shown by the quick snippets from 1 minute 7 seconds to 1 minute 21 in the trailer the Krays are violent thus making the audience anxious to see what happens as well as excited.



Finally the trailer has hints of comedy in it despite it being a crime drama genre.This is shown by Ron Kray saying a 'a shootout is a shootout, like a western' 2 minutes into the trailer. This line will make viewers laugh and also make some of them go see the film as it shows it is just not a deadly serious film, thanks to that bit of humor.

This blog has helped me realize key things I can included in my trailer to pull in my target audience and will come in handy when I am making my trailer as I can refer back to it to help me figure out the best things to include.

Similar products: Reservoir Dogs

This is the trailer for the 1992 film 'Reservoir Dogs. This film is a gangster/mafia based film similar to my idea 'Poezzi.' However this trailer takes a very different approach to the GodFather in how it portrays its characters. Firstly it does not really portray the characters as dangerous, but more as a group of lads who think they are as shown in this picture:

By the way they are walking they seem to have a teenage swagger about them. However they have the gangster look about them because of the suits they are wearing. Also as it is a mid shot and the background is a bright colored wall it puts the focus on the gang and their suits letting the audience know that they are the real deal even if they do not look that threatening.

I also like how from the 48 second till 1 minute 10 there are quick snippets of action such as the mid shot above. This allows the audience to clearly see the havoc the gang is causing but as there is still slow paced editing throughout it instead adds a style to the film instead of slowing it down. 

Finally the trailer ends with a straight cut to a close up of each gang member. This is the first time in the trailer that we clearly see the gang members face and the use of sunglasses, the cigarette, and the suit once again shows that the gang pride themselves of appearance more than reputation.

This trailer is very unique in which it sticks to slow paced editing throughout, as well as the same cool, calm music throughout. This adds a cool, calm swagger around the whole gang thus portraying them more as a gang people want to be in then scared of and this is an effect I could use of the 'Poezzi' gang.

Drafting and Planning: More possible ideas

I have come up with another two possible film ideas which are both horror films. In my opinion this film ideas will be the easiest out of my six ideas to make but I still think they will look effective. However despite this I still plan to use 'Poezzi' as my main trailer idea.

My first idea is a horror genre called 'Kabiel.' The premise of the film is that Kabiel is a ledgendary monster (ie sort of a myth) and takes over a little girls body to feed off humans. I plan to have a voice over on the trailer telling the story of Kabiel while filming the little girl getting her victims. For this trailer I will need a lot of low key lightning, some ripped clothes, some toy knifes and daggers, and finally a long black wig for the little girl. As the trailer will be short I will make it a cinematic trailer  release as they are much shorter than teaser trailers.

My second trailer is another horror genre. I have yet to come up with a name for it yet, but it is about four friends who discover a mysterious object which slowly turns them into monsters looking to kill all their friends and family. The trailer will start with the friends finding the object turning on each other and then quick shots of their families talking, running and attacking them before ending with a close up of the object. Also I the movie poster will have a picture of one of the friends holding the object in a mid shot picture. However their face will be covered in low key lighting and the writing will say 'who is really your friend? Just like Kabiel I will need similar props for this film as it is also a horror. If 'Poezzi' doesn't come off as good as I plan this idea will be my second idea as I believe I can make it look effective and am intrigued by the idea.

Both these ideas will come into use in the future, because if I cannot do a good job on my main idea then I have an array of other ideas to choose. I have already started gaining the props need for both of these ideas and I know that they will be good ideas for me to fall back on.

Drafting and planning: Storyboards

A storyboard is crucial for a trailer as I will need to follow it to produce my trailer. Storyboards include each shot I need to use, as well as which props to use and I have already drawn up a storyboard for my main movie trailer idea 'Poezzi':

 I am going to use a teaser trailer so am for it to be roughly 2 minutes long and have opted for slow build up at the start followed by quick shots of action before finishing on a cliffhanger as I believe not only will that attract my target audience but it is also the best approach for this gangster based film.

The trailer will start of with a blank screen for about 5 seconds and then there will be a voice of of the main charterer (Franceso Poezzi) saying this quote. This quote will also be used on my movie poster for this film.

The trailer will quickly switch to the film company that I will use to 'make the film' before changing to the police talking about how dangerous Poezzis gang is. It will then switch to Poezzi giving orders to his gang. I will use low key lighting on Poezzis face to create a mysterious and scary feel to him in this scene. Straight away this allows the audience to get an idea of the main premise of the film.

The trailer will then pick up just a little bit of pace of Poezzis gang causing problems with then a close up of Poezzi smiling as he is enjoying the pride he brings to his family. However it will then cut to a mid shot of Poezzi being informed that there is a problem. Then there will be faced paced editing of a new gang arriving with a voice over briefly explaining them before a number of shots of the police coming for both gangs as well as violence. The final clip of the movie in the trailer will be Poezzi going face to face with the rival gang leader in a slightly low angle shot. The trailer will then end with the movie title and the date it comes out on.

This storyboard has helped me draw out the way I want the trailer to pan out exactley and if I follow this I know that my trailer will be spot on as it will be the exact time length and will have plenty of different things needed in trailers (such as suspense, action,and tension) to pull in my target audience. I still need to find out what music I will use in this trailer but other than that I have the premise for my main idea and will be able to refer back to my storyboard and this blog to help me make this.

Similar products

I have decided to look at different camera shots used in the Batman vs Superman trailer so i can get an idea of what shots are the most effective to use in a movie trailer.

The first shot used in the trailer is a mid shot of a woman talking. This shot is used so you can clearly see her facial expression and the fact that she is giving an interview. Because her facial expression is serious you can tell that she is addressing an issue thus making the audience wonder what the issue is.

This is the next shot in the trailer and  is an establishing shot. This is so you can see Superman's famous cape but it is mostly used to focus on the court house and the protests against Superman. Once again this is used to get the audience curious as Superman is a superhero so they will want to find out the reason why there is a mass protest against Superman. 

Once again another mid shot is used to once again intrigue the audience. Despite the people being blurred out it is clear that he is in court. However because they are blurred out the emphasis is on Superman and as his facial expression is serious it could imply he is in trouble or disagrees with a situation. Once again this is just making the audience wonder what Superman has done wrong as he is clearly worried.

The next shot is another mid shot and this shows that something bad has happened as a building has collapsed. This gives the audience a little hint of why Superman is in trouble as he could have knocked down the building. However it also brings about more curiosity to the audience as they must wonder why the building has fallen down, who the man running into the smoke is, and why he is running. It also excites them as it involves some action taking place.

There is then a jump cut to this article with a message on. This will excite the audience at first because you can clearly see 'Wayne Tower' in big bold letters implying to them it has something to do with Batman. However it will also confuse them as it is not clear who the message is directed to as you cannot see who is holding the message. Also it doesn't show who has sent the message and makes the audience come up for  and ideas on who sent it and why they sent it.

This mid shot will defintiley excite the audience as it emphases on Batman's suit and nothing else due to the low key lightning. This will signal to the audience that action is about to take place and will get them excited and ready for the fight between Batman and Superman.

Finally the trailer ends with this long shot which once again gets fans excited yet curious just like the whole trailer has done. The fact that Batman and Superman are face to face will let the audience know that they are about to fight and will make them eager to see it. However they will also wonder why the Bat-mobile is on fire and whether this was something to do with Superman.

Summary

Overall this blog post has helped learn how different camera shots can not only excite my fans but make them curious. Obviously this trailer uses a lot of mid shots to do this and that is something I will take into consideration for my trailer, but I also know that unless I'm going for a specific genre (such as superhero) then I will need to use other shots such as mid-shot. However I think that this blog post will prove useful when I'm making my movie trailer. 

Similar products: movie posters

I have decided to start looking at movie posters so I can get a flavor of what I need to include when I make my film poster to go with my trailer. A movie poster is usually dominated by the main character with the movie title and little writing. It gives little away about the film but needs to show enough to draw in  the audience and they do this in a number of ways:

This first movie poster is for the film the Great Gatsby. This poster does not give much away about the film but draws in an audience through a number of things. The first thing to draw them is the name and image of Leonardo DiCaprio. As DiCapiro is such a global star his image alone is enough to bring in thousands of fans, and the fact that the background does not contain any explosions or a city as seen in the background of most movie posters, it allows the poster to focus on DiCaprio even more. Also the outfit used can attract fans as the suit suggests that it is going to be a classy film and could maybe feature gangsters. Also because of the dickie bow it implies that the film will be based in the past thus making the audience more curious on what to watch. Finally the tiny bit of writing which says 'can't repeat the past? Of course you can' will intrigue the audience. This is because once again it makes the audience think what the film is on as it is impossible to change the past thus making them more curious and more excited for the film.

This a poster for 'Batman the Dark Night' film which came out in 2008. Straight away this excites the audience because it focuses on the villain instead of the main character. This is because it is clear that it is The Joker possibly the biggest villain every so people will be excited by him facing batman. Also the fact that 'Why so serious' and a smile is painted in blood with the Joker faded out reflects how dangerous and generally messed up the joker is thus making more fans want to see the film to see how Batman deals with this villain. This is a very effective poster as it is different to other as it does not show the main character and could be something I use in my poster.

Overall these two posters have helped me learn different techniques I could use in my poster to make it effective as well as how important things such as writing and costumes can be in drawing in my target audience.

Organisation: Film ideas

I have started to plan a few potential movie ideas which I can use for my trailer. In this blog I will discuss the genre of the film, the premise, and what I would need to make the trailer.


My first film idea is a gangster type film a bit like the GodFather and is called 'Poezzi'. The premise of the film is based on gang leader Francesco Poezzi and his battle against the police and another rival gang. I will need plenty of props for this trailer such as toy guns, toy cars, suits,hats, toy knifes etc. I will also need an array of settings to tie in with a dark background as I will make the trailer mysterious similar to the GodFather trailer as shown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY1S34973zA.

My second film idea is called 'Little Dreams'. It is about a boy name Dexter Little who sturggles at most things thus leading to bullying. However after discovering his talent for football he is scouted by a major football team and has to deal with his new found life of popularity and money. For this trailer I will need a host of football kits, a football, a pitch, and a big room to fill a party scene in my trailer. I will also need some football grounds but I am going to go to at least 3 football matches and film there to use in my trailer.

My third movie trailer idea is based on a real life event. I have not thought of a name for it yet but it is based in the cold war, where a Soviet leader named Stalyvin Petrov nearly destroyed the world because of a computer error. This will be the hardest trailer to make as I will need to find a location which is not to modern to make it look like the Cold War times. I will also need a computer, some weapons and costumes that are army based and similar to the Soviet Union one.

My final film idea is another sports related film and is called fight on. This tells the story of boxer Ryan Mccombe who is knocked down at his peak through injury thus leading to him suffering from depression and alcoholism. The trailer will show how he battles with this. I think that this will be the funniest trailer to make and I will need props such as championship belts, a ring, boxing gloves, beer bottles and a room for his rehab sessions as well as a gym.

Out of these ideas the film I am using as my number one to make is Poezzi as I think it will look the most effective if I can get everything right. However I think I have some very good backup options here in case I can't and I am also thinking of more trailer ideas to use just in case!