The document describes the various digital technologies used during the research, planning, production and post-production stages of creating a horror film promotional package. These included a Nikon D90 camera for practice shots and ancillaries, an iPhone to record focus groups and notes, Photoshop for editing images, Premiere Pro for editing video, and social media, YouTube and blogs for research, feedback and documentation. Skills with these technologies improved over the process, allowing for more advanced uses like sophisticated camera work, lighting, and merging self-taken images in Photoshop composites. Focus groups provided valuable audience feedback that informed creative decisions.

2. NIKON D90 – For shooting the
trailer and taking the ancillary
shots.
IPHONE 3 – For recording the
focus groups and narration, and
for keeping notes.
PHOTOSHOP – For
editing the ancillary
tasks and for
experimenting with
different conceptual
ideas.
PREMIERE PRO CS6:
For editing the trailer
shots. Also used for a
Youtube video on the
importance of
audience feedback.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Namely
Facebook and Twitter. Used for
gathering audience feedback.
YOUTUBE: Used
for researching
inspirational
horror clips,
analysing trailers,
and uploading my
own trailer.
BLOGGER: For
uploading each
element of the pre-
production and post-
production stages.
WORD AND POWERPOINT: Used to show the stages
of my research and planning and post-production
research

3. During the research and planning stage, various forms of digital technology were used as a means of enhancing my ability to analyse existing
media texts and of improving the quality of my own research. Unlike the previous tasks of Year 12, I was fully engaged and passionate with the
entire genre of horror and the basic concept of what I had to create, thus inspiring me to go further in terms of the depth of research I was
willing to undertake. This can most prominently be seen in my decision to engage with a great number of horror films (through media such as
Netflix, DVDs and the cinema) and horror-related art, imagery, and short movies (through Google Images and little-known Youtube videos),
allowing me to gain a broader knowledge of how the genre inspires and allows other artists to be creative with their own work. Doing this gave
me greater incentive to work harder during the more detailed and refined analysis’, as the process of sitting back and carefully watching horror
films served as both a form of escapism from all the hard work while simultaneously increasing my knowledge and passion for my promotional
package. In regards to this more ‘refined’ research, posters, front covers and trailers were the main subject of analysis but, unlike previous tasks,
I was keen to convey my enthusiasm for what I was doing and therefore used software such as Word and Powerpoint in a more visceral and
colourful way i.e experimenting with downloadable fonts (courtesy of DaFont) and embedding GIFs and Youtube videos as a means of
supporting my points. I ensured that this did not detract from the necessary amounts of detail needed to successfully analyse various pieces of
media, and upon reflection, feel that I achieved the balance between aesthetic appeal and in-depth analysis to great success, particularly in
presentations such as the poster overview where I fused my own images with GIFs taken from Google, in addition to a weighty amount of text in
different colours and fonts relevant to the genre. Furthermore, technology also played a much greater part in the actual planning of ‘The
Basement’, as the role of a good DSLR and video camera was more important than ever, given the fact that a trailer would be required. Because
of the emphasis on there being a trailer, therefore, I was determined to attribute my existing knowledge of conventional settings for horror films
to real-life surroundings, and was always taking pictures of areas I deemed appropriate for my trailer to take place. This was actually one of the
first processes I carried out during the early stages of pre-production, as it taught me both how to compromise and specify what areas would
actually be possible to film in. Indeed, I initially wanted to create a gothic horror and set it in a castle-like mansion, but the lack of nearby castles
and the inability to film in them (due to their protected status) allowed me to hone in my creativity and reassess my project. Using a Nikon D90
for this particular task was also good practice for the ancillaries and trailer to come, as it gave me an early opportunity to experiment with
different camera modes and various types of angle, gradually getting more and more accustomed to the camera and allowing me to take more
sophisticated shots for the poster and front cover.

4. Due to my newfound confidence with this particular
task, I was able to use a range of technology to a
much greater extent in order to provide me with
important ideas in regards to my target audience. In
previous tasks, I feel as though I never fully tapped
into the individual identities of my audience and
generalised their ideas, criticisms, and points so that
it would be easier to follow a ‘framework of
structuring rules’ (Tom Ryall) in regards to what I
was attempting to create. Based on this limitation, I
decided to adopt more thorough, specific methods of
interacting with my target audience. Unlike last
years focus group, which was recorded in writing, I
interviewed people individually and recorded it on
my iPhone. This is because there is more incentive
for an individual to speak when they are being
directly asked questions, as opposed to relying on
others to relay their opinions in a group, and
consequently, it was easier to get a grasp of the
similarities between each member of my focus group
and how they can be applied to my target audience
as a whole. Furthermore, using the camera on my
iPhone to record these individual sessions allowed
me to refer to my audience’s viewpoints consistently,
which came in particularly handy during the actual
filming stages as it ensured that I kept on track with
what my audience wanted and did not get carried
away by own creative vision. This was also why I
chose to film this on my iPhone as opposed to the
Nikon D90 – although it sacrifices image quality, my
iPhone is always at hand and is a much more
convenient referral point, especially in conjunction
with the ‘notes’ section available on the phone. In
addition to this, the audience was also addressed
through a pitch/Q and A session, where I presented the
basic premise of The Basement on a Powerpoint and
filmed audience responses to what I had said. Using a
different group of people within the same target
audience here gave me a much broader range of
opinions that allowed me to understand the most basic
elements that my audience expect from a horror film.
I was able to deduce this by sitting down one evening
and watching the focus groups and pitch responses in
accordance with one another, and picking out
recurring reactions or ideas that essentially formed
the basis of what I would and wouldn’t be doing in
regards to the trailer and ancillaries. One such
example of this is the repeated concern about the final
shot of the devil, at the end of the trailer – without
recording the viewpoints of my audience, I would have
not treated this shot with as much careful precision as
I eventually did, which may have resulted in a less
satisfying final product. Interacting with my audience
in these new, technologically diverse ways therefore
benefitted the quality, range and detail of research
conducted, while simultaneously allowing me to stay
grounded by working within the expectations of the
people that ‘The Basement’ is catered towards.

5. SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

6. This more advanced use of technology came in particularly handy during the creation of my promotional
package. As previously mentioned, practicing with my Nikon D90 through location/practice shots meant that I
was able to gain some idea of where I could realistically and effectively set my ancillaries (as well as
improving my skills with the camera). Setting them both in the basement of ‘Cumberwell house’ itself created
an authentic feel to what I was doing, and also meant that the final image did not need to be Photoshopped to
such an extent that this authenticity may be lost. Moreover, for the in-house filming for the trailer, various
rooms were specially lit and repositioned in order to retain the identity of the film (as outlined in the pitch and
in various plot summaries throughout the research and planning). The gradual darkening progression from
natural light to artificial light was deliberate as it symbolised the change in atmosphere and escalation of
horror, all building up towards the darkness of the final shot, and using a combination of powerful blue LED
torches and red lightbulbs/candles allows audiences to fully immerse themselves in the nightmarish reality of
the characters. Most of the shots used in the trailer are static and vivid in imagery (largely inspired by
Kubrick’s work on ‘The Shining), meaning that a tripod was always in use. No other forms of technology were
needed during the actual production of these pieces – I was keen to limit the use of technology-based effects,
wanting to remind audiences of classic horrors that relied upon set design, costume and practical effects in
order to generate scares.

7. In terms of editing the images for my ancillaries, I was able to use PhotoShop with far greater
skill and confidence than year 12 due to using it regularly as a means of editing my own
photography, and also practicing with some basic conceptual ideas during the research and
planning stages. It is this confidence and ease that also allowed me to lean less heavily on
Photoshop as a means of actually generating effects, instead choosing to create my own and
merge them together in the final product. This is most prominent in the posters for ‘The
Basement’, where I combined the base image (Joel crouched in front of a scarcely illuminated
wall) with pictures I had taken of my own hands at different angles, and black paint dripping
down a sheet of paper. By isolating, replicating, and enhancing certain components of these
images – through advanced use of the ‘magic wand’, ‘burn’ and ‘sponge’ tools, as well as
manipulating the exposure – I was able to successfully combine all three images to make it
appear as though hands were emerging from the darkness of the wall, and that the wall had
some form of dark substance trailing down it and spilling all over Joel. Similarly, I also used this
effect for the front cover, where I took a picture of an old, scratched, dirty Petri dish and faded
it substantially, so it looked like the grain and dirt were part of the magazine front cover.
Regarding the actual cropping and manipulation of the main images, though, my increased
skill at positioning and experimenting with the D90 meant that there was no real need for
extensive adjustments to brightness, contrast etc., making the experience fully enjoyable and
an excellent outlet for my creativity. My increased confidence with PhotoShop meant that, for
the first time, I did not feel the need to compromise or limit my creative endeavours, and
could also directly act upon what audiences like to see in posters, seeing whether or not their
expectations could be met at the cost of originality.

8. In order to edit the film trailer, however, I had to
learn to use an entirely new form of editing
software through Adobe PremierPro. Although
accustomed to the most basic forms of Movie
Maker, this was a highly sought-after,
professionally used editing system that gave me
endless possibilities when it came to the editing
stage and, generally – for my first time using it
– I feel as though I was able to experiment
sufficiently with what I could do and create a
well-edited trailer. After an extensive tutorial of
the basics of the software, I entered into the
editing process with a mixture of trepidation
and determination not to let my free-flowing
creativity be hindered by this new technology.
To ensure this, I watched many Youtube
tutorials and consulted many miscellaneous
forums and assistance websites, and found that
there were many free effects/visual adjustments
that I could download from third-party sites.
Although the process of actually applying them
to my trailer was complicated, I was able to
perfect it by staying after school and repeatedly
trying with various effects, and despite some
being unsuccessful, I applied the ones that
mattered the most in terms of fitting in with the
vision of what the final film would look like.
An example of one such effect is the scratchy
and faltering transitions between the devil’s
workshop (where he is building the dolls) and
the real-life shots of who they represent,
reflecting the nightmarish voodoo-like
connection between the characters and their
doll counterparts. In addition to these add-ons,
I was able to use the more simplistic
editing/cutting tools with relative ease,
although I wish I had more time to experiment
with layering sounds on top of one another and
elongating/shortening the duration of certain
transitions (the use of fades as the trailer
reaches its climax in the basement is too slow
– I wanted more of a Gaussian blur).
Generally, though, the process was time-
consuming but relatively straightforward once
I had familiarised myself with the tools at
hand. Using this editing software has given me
the confidence to create films in my own spare
time and tempted me to buy it for myself, as it
fully allowed my vision of what it should look
like come to life.

9. POST-
PRODUCTION
Media technology played a huge part in the post-production stages.
Social media was utilised to a far greater extent than ever before,
allowing me to connect with a wider audience through sites such as
Youtube, Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook. Moreover, the previous
recipients of my questionnaires and the participants of my focus group
were all called back to be filmed, screenshotted, and acknowledged
through the medium of a Youtube video (for the audience-based part of
my evaluation). This enabled much more detailed feedback that gave me
specific knowledge as to what the audience liked and didn’t like –
particularly from the post-production focus groups, where audience
members were put on the spot and therefore gave a far more honest,
in-depth perspective of how they felt about the promotional package,
which undoubtedly will affect the final draft of the posters, front cover,
and trailer. This would not have been possible without the wide array of
digital technology that was at my fingertips, which allowed me to
interact with audience members on a much more truthful and non-
biased level. For this purpose, I feel as though I utilised technology to its
maximum potential, both as a contributor to the visual aesthetics of my
blog and as a more detailed indicator of my audiences opinions and
feedback. Additionally, the ability to embed inspirational/comparable
clips/videos and existing pieces of media into other areas of my
evaluation not only reminded me of my inspirations but also will allow
the reader to understand what I was attempting to achieve, especially
when placed alongside screenshots from my own trailer and ancillary
tasks.