Research and planning is crucial for creating a successful media product. It involves analyzing existing similar products to understand what appeals to target audiences. When creating a horror film trailer, extensive research must be done on the purpose of trailers, horror trailer conventions, existing horror trailers, cinematography, editing, sound, visual style, the target audience, production companies, budgets, and marketing techniques. Careful planning is then required for the plot, locations, lighting, casting, filming, editing, sound, visuals, marketing, and budgets.

1. Research And Planning
Investigation

2. Research and planning considers all aspects such as developing, producing and selling the
product to the consumer in order to create a successful product/media text. Research and
planning will help us to understand the media text and its target audience by analysing
existing products in order to find out what sells well. This information will be taken into
consideration when creating a professional look on our media text.

3. When creating a horror film trailer there are many different stages to consider when
researching and planning:
Research:
- Researching the purpose of film trailers
- Researching conventions of a horror trailer
- Researching existing horror trailers
- Researching cinematography
- Research editing
- Research sounds and music
- Researching mise-en-scene
- Researching the target audience
- Researching production and distribution
companies
- Researching budgeting
- Researching marketing and advertising
techniques.
Planning:
- Planning plot and storyboards
- Planning location
- Planning lighting
- Planning casts
- Planning cinematography/editing/sound and
mise-en-scene
- Planning marketing and advertising
- Planning budgets