2. Conventions of genre
When producing a certain type of product, research into the genre of the product
needs to be done. This will help you obtain knowledge of what is conventional to
use for the product within that genre, and what is not. An example of this would
be to use the colour red in a horror film, as it connotes blood/violence. Or to use
the colour pink within a girly film, as this is commonly linked toward that gender.
This research will also help you to appeal to the target audience as the conventions
you discover from your research will be what they expect to see, so will want to
watch the film/trailer.
Aspects of conventions of genre
- Colours to connote certain things (red = blood = violence)
- Shot types and angles (close ups, mid shots, low angles)
- Lighting used (low key for horror)
- Type of music used to create the correct atmosphere for the genre
- Costumes/make up worn by the characters, whom also need to be chosen to fit
the genre
- Props (weapons for horror, toys if children are used as characters)
- Editing techniques used (jump cuts, fast paced or slow paced depending on the
storyline and the genre) (Fast paced – horror and younger characters, slow
paced – older characters and more emotional storylines)
3. Camerawork
In your product, the shot types and the footage you record is key to creating
the right atmosphere in your story for your trailer, and also for the way in
which the audience feel about the characters. This could include close ups to
encourage the audience to feel sympathy for the characters, or different angles
so the characters know who is the inferior character. Also, by using point of
view shots the audience could feel more into the story as they are looking at
the surroundings from the characters point of view, so may be more intrigued
or interested in the story. To ensure your product is effective and appealing to
the audience, a variety of shot types should be used to keep the audience
interested and to also give them details on the storyline by showing aspects
like the mise-en-scene, or an establishing shot to show the setting. Aspects of
camerawork such as the rule of thirds or focus pull could be used to show that
the surroundings have been taken into consideration when filming a scene,
which would make your production look more professional and conventional.
4. Editing
When editing your footage the techniques you use are key to ensuring
that the film/trailer fits in with the genre which you have chosen, and is
also appealing to your target audience. This could be from the pace of
editing, which in horror needs to be quicker, and romance could be
slower. This is due to the atmosphere which you are trying to create, as in
horror it needs to be a rush and panicked atmosphere, but for romance
films it does not. The pace of editing could also be related to the age of
the characters that you use in your product. Younger aged characters
could have fast paced editing, and older could have slower paced. Fast
paced editing would make the audience more interested in what is
happening, as a lot is happening at one time, meaning they are more
focused on the trailer rather than one which uses slower paced editing, as
this could make them quite bored and less focused.
Editing can also make your story and the scenes in your product flow
together better, making it more understandable and appealing for your
audience. This could be through the use of fade to black, which allows
the scenes to fit together but also shows the change of scene well.
5. Sound
The type of sound you use in your product can be key to creating the correct
atmosphere within your film/trailer. Non-diegetic sound creates a atmosphere for the
audience which the characters cannot hear, so would be key to ensuring that the
audience fully understand the tension within the story. The sound effects used could
also create a panic or could be used as jump scares to show the audience what genre
the film is and also the atmosphere within the story. The dialogue used by characters
would be key to creating an atmosphere as what they say should link directly to the
genre and to the full storyline, which could cause the audience to feel worried/scared
or happy depending on what has been said.
To ensure that the sound used has been effective there should be no other sounds
from the background interrupting, as this would distract the audience and also make
your product seem less professional, and people would not take it seriously. Also, to
ensure that the sound you want to use is correct for the genre, research should be
done into similar products.
6. Mise-en-scene
Costume – the costume worn by characters would represent the genre, storyline and
also the age of the character, which could be key to the story. This would mean
research into other products would need to be done to ensure the costume is
conventional to the genre, and should be thought out rather than quickly chosen
before filming. Conventional costumes for the horror genre include dark coloured
clothing which is ripped/worn.
Lighting – the type of lighting used could show the genre of the film well and also
show which characters are more important. Lighting should be used effectively, and a
range of lighting should be used rather than just using natural lighting. Also, when
filming, you should ensure that the lighting is not to dark otherwise it may be
difficult to see the footage.
Props – props used would need to be conventional to the genre from previous
research. This could include weapons, toys, or essential items for the storyline.
Without these the film/trailer could be boring, or the storyline may not make sense.
To ensure production is effective all of the aspects above should be considered, but
also applied to the genre of the film correctly, as this will make it conventional and
also appeal to the audience, as it will be what the expect to see.
7. What to avoid
Camerawork
- Leaving too much head room or nose room
- Same shot types
- Using one/two pieces of footage instead of changing scenes of using
cuts.
- Shaky camerawork
- Footage which is not in focus.
Editing
- Slow paced editing, as this can appear dull.
- Scenes/shots which are too long.
- Using too many cuts
- Not using transitions between scenes
Sound
- interfering background noise
- Unconventional sound effects/music
- Lack of dialogue or sound
Mise-en-scene
- Unconventional props or
costume
- Lack of lighting
- Unconventional lighting
