Synopsis

Three friends decide to go on a camping trip to a woods that they have heard has strange things happening inside. They have been told it is haunted and that people disappear in there. The three friends, thinking that these tales are a load of rubbish decide to go and explore for themselves, having a laugh and not taking anything seriously.

They set up camp and then go off with their hand held camera to explore this supposedly haunted woods. However, whilst they are filming and making fun of the stories they hear noises and strange things in the woods and instantly start to worry, although they try to cover up their feelings and shake it off.

As night falls, more strange things start to happen and they begin to actually panic. Trying to dodge this 'thing' that is following and haunting them, they become trapped and don't know what to do.

The film ends with them seeing whats been haunting them and them dropping the camera to run away. The end shot is of their feet running away and screaming.

Production Meeting

Today my group held a production meeting with out lecturer to make sure that we had everything planned okay and that the idea for our film fitted the specification.

We discussed;

Locations - Foxes Forest in Hilsea

Actors - Beccy, Alice and Jenna

Shooting schedule - All filming to be done during half term, ready for first week back.

Synopsis - Discussed background to the movie and basically what is going to happen.

Dialogue/Sound - Agreed on minimal improvised dialogue and some music to help create tension.

This production meeting has been productive because it gave us the opportunity to sit down and go through all the elements of the film that we are planning to make and make sure we know what we want to have achieved - trailer wise- by the end of it.

Indication of narrative in a trailer

As you can see from my previous blog entries, I have been deconstructing scary movies - in particular Paranormal Activity. I have been doing this to get an idea of what existing products, movie wise, are already out in the public. Looking at these will give me and my group ideas for our own movie trailer we will be making in the near future.

I have been looking at the trailer for paranormal activity again to see what features it uses to give an indication of its narrative and what it uses to make us know that it is a film about the paranormal.

The most obvious thing about the film is the title. It is

named 'Paranormal Activity' which is pretty much telling us straight away it's a film about the paranormal and things such as ghosts and spirits. If it had a different title, I think it would be harder to identify what the film was about.

Towards the beginning of the clip, Micah says how he is setting up the camera because his girlfriend thinks there is something in the house.

This is a screen grab of Micah preparing his camera ready for filming. This clip of him saying how Katie thinks there is something in the house gives a strong idea for the narrative as well because we know that the film is going to be about the paranormal but now we know the two characters and how the paranormal activity is taking place in

side their house.

This screen grab shows footprints and marks in the talcum powder which give us an idea of the narrative because it shows that something does actually happen in the house while they are sleeping and they didn't even know it.

Events in the trailer

I have picked out 5 events that are shown in the trailer and am going to write what questions arise when I see these events. The main idea of a trailer is to give you hints aboutthe film and leave you asking questions so that you will want to go and see the full feature film.

1. The audiences reaction

This is a screen grab from the trailer of the audiences reaction. It shows the audience in fear like something has just made them jump. Looking at this image, I want to know; what has made them react in this way? Will I react in the same way when watching the film? Why has this been used in the trailer? (as it is not footage of the film).

2. The presence in the bed

This image shows a presence in the bed as there is something that comes under the sheets like a burst of air blowing it up. When looking at this image, I ask myself; again, what is doing this to the couple? Is it just an illusion? Will we actually find out what it is? Why can't the couple feel it?

3. The bite mark

This screen grab shows how Katie from the film has woken up to find she has a huge bruise on her side as if she has been bitten. Looking at the screen grab, it makes me think; has she been bitten? who has she been bitten by? did she not feel anything when it happened?

4. Quija board

Despite the bad screen grab, this shows a ouija board with a message written on for Katie and Micah in the film. In the trailer, it is a quick shot of the board so it is not given away. When I see this, I asked myself; What does it say? Who left them this message? Where did it come from?

5. Screen throw

This screen grab shows something flying towards the screen as if it has been harshly thrown. This happens right towards the end of the trailer to sort of top it off. It makes me think; Who has been thrown? Is it Katie or Micah? Who has thrown them? Are they alive?

Paranormal Activity grace the cover of 'Entertainment Weekly'

Paranormal activity graces the cover of 'Entertainment Weekly' in 2009 with the stars of the film - Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat.

The text on the magazine cover says, 'How the $11,000 movie became a big scary smash.' This shows how the magazine is highlighting that the film had such a small budget but has become a huge box office success-similar to 'The Blair Witch Project' in 1999.

However, I don't think that the image on the front cover relates to the film very much. Although it includes a photograph of the two stars in a bed - which is where most of the film takes place - I don't think it is a consistent theme when looking at the trailer and the official movie poster. The trailer and movie poser are shown in night vision to give it a more eerie feel which definitely matches the narrative and genre of the film. However, the magazine cover is done in bright studio lighting and I just feel it doesn't follow that same scary theme.

Although having the night-vision style photograph on the front page might not fit with the magazine's usual style, I think for promotion of the film, doing this would be beneficial because the readers will be able to get the feel of what the film is about and might potentially look like. For example, Empire magazine usually make their magazine covers look like part of the film which really gives you a taste of the visuals and feel for the film.

I have uploaded images of both the paranormal activity cover for Entertainment Weekly and an example of an Empire magazine cover to show you the difference and enhance my point written above.