This document provides an analysis of the key influencers and mood boards that will inspire the creator's film trailer project. The mood boards include screenshots from films like Shutter Island and Sixth Sense that showcase tight shots of actors to reveal facial expressions. They also include imagery around serial killers to inspire a film about the topic. The analyses indicate influences on lighting, color palettes, and shot composition from the mood boards. Key influences discussed are the complex narratives and ambiguous endings of Christopher Nolan films, the sense of alien worlds from E.T. and unique settings from Saving Private Ryan. The paranoia and deception in The Departed and Shutter Island are also noted as influences.

1. Initial Plans
Jack Roberts

2. Pre-proposal

3. Skills Audit

4. Skills Audit

5. Mood Board
I have chosen these images to go on my mood board for a number of reasons. The screen shots from the film Shutter Island have been put on
my mood board because I really like the framing of these shots. I like how they are nice tight shots in this film and they way everything is framed
quite symmetrical. I especially like the close up of Leonardo DiCaprio and I will definitely use at least one shot similar to this one in my trailer. I
also like the shot from Sixth Sense which I have a screen shot of in the bottom left hand corner which is very similar to the close up in Shutter
Island. I like these tight shots because they reveal more of the actors facial expressions and make it feel as though you are there and just allows
the viewer to connect or react to the character more. I really like the sots that are tighter on the actor or the object in frame so that the viewer
feels closer to the action and so they can see things clear but it is also hiding a lot in the background. I also really like the gritty colour grading in
Shutter Island and I get a similar sort of feeling from Scorsese’s The Departed. I really like the gritty colour grading in this film as it gives this dark
and gritty feel but it still seems realistic and as if it is still apart of the real world. The images at the bottom of the slide from Interstellar and
Inception are on my mood board because I like the simplistic looking sci-fi elements in them. I really like the falling effect from Get Out with
Daniel Kaluuya it looks so simple but has such a big effect on the viewer. The image of the prisoner running and the crime tape are on my mood
board because I am wanting to make a trailer for a film about a serial killer. I really like the colours in the image in the center at the top of the
page with the pinks and blues. If I decide to make my project more sci-fi I will definitely use these sorts of colours in my trailer and adverts. I
have the two images of two real life serial killers on here as I quite like the idea of making something about a serial killer and think this would be
really interesting to see how I could play around with the mood of each scene with this topic.

6. Mood Board Analysis
This mood board is mostly going to inspire the shots in my trailer. A lot of the shots on this mood
board a quite tight shots and the actors are quite central in the frame and I would really like to
include this sort of shot in my work. I think this will inspire me to try and get the best
performances I can out of my actors as the shots are quite high so the viewer will be able to see
every facial expression the actor pulls so it will have to be convincing so I will have to work hard
to make the acting seem authentic. The other screen shots I have from films are more wide shots
that show off the background more so this will inspire me to get interesting background so that
everything in the frame is there for a meaning and is there to convey something to the audience.
The lighting in the shots I have screen shots of is quite one sided on the actors faces and I want to
try and bring this interesting use of lighting into my own work so that the lighting of each shot
helps to set the mood of the scene and the overall film. The images of the prisoner running and
the crime tape will inspire me and motivate me to do more in depth research on serial killers such
as Ted Bundy and Jeffery Dahmer which are the two serial killers I have images of on my mood
board. I think it would be interesting to make something about a serial killer as I would be able to
play around with the mood of the scenes more and the lighting could be used more interesting to
make the killer look more intimidating and menacing.

7. Mood Board
The colour pallets on this mood board are all from films I like the look of and are
films that are going to inspire the look of my trailer and how I colour grade
everything when editing. I am wanting to use a lot of blues and greens in my trailer
because of the emotions they convey to an audience and the atmosphere they
create. Green will give the sense of darkness and danger and blue will create a cold
and isolated feel. I think this will work well with my film as it is about a serial killer
and the feeling of isolation will allow to viewer to connect with the victim while the
green will just set the tone for the trailer as a whole. I will probably use red in my
trailer also for blood which will create a sense of danger and violence. I could use
pinks and yellows for the victims costumes so that they seem innocent or naïve if
they are a young child. All the films that I have looked at a blue/grey colour pallet
that creates a cold feel that I will carry into my own work.

8. Mood Board Analysis
I think this mood board will inspire and influence product to be much darker as I really like the
emotions that the darker colours on this mood board convey and I generally just really like the
look they give the the film. The other colours on the mood board like the yellow, pink and orange
which are brighter colours I think I will consider using these colours for costumes of the serial
killers victims if I go down that rout. If I do make something about a serial killer think I will make
the victims younger so these brighter colours will show how they are naive and innocent children.
The colour pallets from films that I have o my mood board I think are a good look at what I think I
am wanting my trailer to look like with the darker and more washed out look to the film. I
especially like the colour pallet from interstellar as it comes to the farm house I think this would
wont well for a serial killer film to make it feel creepy and make the viewer uncomfortable but so
that it still feels and looks as though it could be real.

9. Mood Board
These images I feel are really going to
inspire my work as I like the camera shots
and the almost noir theme around it. I also
really like the use of lighting and this is
something I would like to carry into my
work but I will be careful to make sure that
my shots don’t look too fake as I want it to
seem real and as though you are just there
watching something happen in the real
world and so the fake looking lighting or
colours don’t make you viewer remember
it is just a film.
I really like the designs on these film
posters and how they’re quite
simplistic in their designs but they
also give the viewer a good idea of
what the film is going to be about
without giving too much away or
ruining any of the plot.
I really like the simplicity of the Get
Out poster and how it really grabs
your attention and makes you want to
know what it is about.
The colour pallets of the posters I like
the most on this mood board are
quite plain. Like the Get Out poster
and the Green Mile poster. I think this
is because I think a grey and dark
colour pallet would go with my colour
pallet for my trailer well so that all my
products look apart of one film.

10. Mood Board Analysis
For my mood board for my posters I got professional film posters from films that are similar to
what I am going to try and make and that have a similar look to what I am wanting to make. I feel
as though these will help me when I get to making my film posters. I also got some cinematic
photographs and I feel as though these will inspire me when I’m getting my own photographs for
my posters and my also help influence and inspire me when actually filming the trailer. I really like
the sort of noir theme the cinematic photographs have with them and I would love to carry this
into my poster and into my actual trailer as I think a strange use of lighting could be used nicely to
set the tone of the film. My mood board will really influence the look of my posters and the sort
of layout I will use for my post and how the different ones will look to show different parts of the
film but also it is clear what the film is meant to be about. I think I am going to go for more of a
simplistic post like the Get Out one so you as the viewer are really wanting to know what it is all
about. The text that I chose to put on my mood board I am not too sure if I am still wanting to use
these now but I will have a play around with lots of different fonts to see what I think works best
for my product.

11. Key Influences

12. I feel as though Christopher Nolan’s films will influence my trailer and
film idea as I like his high concept films and how the film gets you
thinking and how as the viewer you actually don’t know if the
protagonists of the story will win or not. I also really like cliff hanger sort
of endings like the ending of inception where you have to make up your
own mind on what you think actually happened to the protagonist and if
they won or not. I also really like Interstellar and how it plays with time
and how everything happens at different paces for the characters.
I feel as though director Steven Spielberg’s E.T. will really influence my
work from the Sci-Fi side of things and how you can really feel the sense
of an out of world experience but how the film still isn’t big on visual
effects there isn’t loads of shots of space and space battles there is just
one little alien in a normal town. The film Saving Private Ryan I feel will
inspire me in the completely opposite way and I feel will inspire me to
try and make my film is set in a place or environment you don’t see
everyday making me have to possibly make a small set and make me
concentrate on the setting and overall look of my film trailer.
The film The Departed and Shutter Island both from director Martin
Scorsese both have this sense of mystery about then and that in that
everything could possibly be a lie and you never know if what the
characters are saying is true. In The Departed you don’t know who the
rats are and you don’t know who is working for who so when the main
protagonist becomes overwhelmed by it all you feel it too. Shutter
Island is also very similar as the detectives in the film are trying to solve
how one of the prisoners has escaped so are you and you don’t who is
telling the truth about what is happening at this prison. I feel this sense
of mystery is something I would like to try and put into my trailer.

13. I would say that Alfred Hitchcock’s film are really going to influence my
work because of how he builds tension and really gets the viewer on the
edge of their seat. I want to try and make my trailer build the tension
slowly so when it gets to the end the viewer is really begging for more
and is really wanting to go out and see the full film. The film Psycho also
has quite a simple story and idea behind it and doesn’t have a lot of
locations in the film but is still compelling and engaging for the viewer
and has a nice twist on it at the end of the film.
I feel as though the film Hannibal will really inspire and influence my
work as I am leaning towards making my film about a murderer and I
think this film would help me create my own character that is scary and
makes the viewer uncomfortable when he is present on screen. I feel as
though Ridley Scott’s film The Martian will inspire my work as for a lot of
the film you are only following one character but there is still a lot of
action happening and they still find ways to make it so he is talking but
so it feels natural and not as though he is just talking because it’s a film.
I feel as though Cast Away by Robert Zemeckis is going to inspire my
work I the same way as The Martian as in this film the protagonist is
alone for almost all of it and I might not have accesses to a lot of actors
when making my trailer so I might have to come up with a story with
very few actors needed. I think Back to The Future will also influence my
work a lot as I am wanting to make a sci-fi trailer I just haven't decided if
this is the best option for me at this point in time with the skill set I have.

14. Another key influence for my work will be cinematic photography as I really like the style of
shots that are used in this genre of photography and I like how everything is framed and the
shots and the colour pallets used in the photos is similar to the sort of colour pallet I am wanting
to use in my film trailer.
I feel as though black and white portrait photography will influence my work on my film posters
as it could give my poster this sense of mystery about it making the main character visible but as
though he is still hiding something from you and not all is revealed and is maybe not being
completely honest with the journalist when retelling each murder.