1. Evaluation of my preliminary task:
How have you employed the four technical elements?
Camerawork:
From the start of my preliminary task, I have used a camera pan to show the main building
and setting of the trailer from the outside. This works to help the audience be able to
visualise and create an idea of what could happen in the trailer from the start.
Close-ups and mid-shots are used throughout the task to show the characters interacting
and exploring the storyline, whilst also offering their emotions and reactions to certain
scenes. Close-ups are heavily used in horror films and are very conventional because they
can show fear and connote danger for certain characters. I have decided to use more close-ups
in my final film trailer to give off a more professional vibe.
An over the shoulder shot offers the scene from a characters perspective. In my trailer I
have used it when Michaela is looking at a party invitation on her phone. This helps to give
the trailer context as to why the characters are setting up a room in the school.
Editing:
In my preliminary task, I used a fade out to link the different scenes. This can be clearly seen
at the beginning when I moved from a pan of the outside of the school building, a fade is
used to then show inside the building a close-up of the door to the room that the majority
of the scenes will be filmed in. This is effective because it allows for a flawless transition
from the outside to the inside, whilst also introducing the main location for the film. I chose
to use fade outs throughout my film clip, however, even though this was successful for my
final piece I want to include more types of visible editing such as fade to blacks and a
montage of scenes.
Next, a feature that was overshadowed in my preliminary task was the inclusion of title
scenes. As I have found from looking at other trailer, title scenes are neces sary and offer a
more professional finished look for the trailer. I will ensure that this is included in my actual
trailer because it is effective at putting more of the films production enough and is
conventional for the form of a trailer.
Sound:
I included background music in my clip to build the tension in the trailer. But, the
compatibility of the score I chose with the genre and the events in the scene could be
questioned because personally I feel that the score does not build in its pace fast enough for
the build-up of tension in the scenes. To improve this I could research a wider range of
different musical scores that are conventional both for the genre and the form before
adding one to the final film trailer piece.
The dialogue in between the characters helps to offer more of the storyline whilst showing
the characters relationships as a group of friends. To improve, I need to include more

2. dialogue between the characters in my official trailer to make the storyline clearer to the
audience.
The diegetic sounds of a door slamming and someone screaming is conventional for the
genre because both features work to keep the audience’s attention and build tension as to
what has happened to the character that has just screamed out in pain. I aim to include
more diegetic sounds similar to this in my final production because this is conventional for
the horror genre and will appeal to the target audience well who will enjoy being scared.
Mise-en-scene:
Mise-en-scene is the area in which I focused the least amount of attention for the
preliminary task. As the preliminary task was filmed quickly and without a large amount of
planning beforehand, this meant that the costumes and location was not as conventional as
it could have been and as it will be for my final piece.
The clothing choices were smart/casual which is conventional for the characters who are
being portrayed as students, however, with more time and organisation I would want to
ensure that the clothing choices heavily include either black or white because this
conventional for the film genre and for the themes the colours promote.
As the preliminary task was filmed in the daytime, natural high key lighting has been used,
however, low key lighting is more conventional for the genre and is what would be expected
by the audience who enjoy and have watched previous successful horror films.
What Production techniques have you employed?
I have employed successfully the 4 technical elements that would be expected when filming
and producing a film trailer. This has assisted me to also be able to meet the conventions of
the horror genre and the conventions of form matching professional products, and also to
build tension and suspense within the trailer as to what will happen next.
Conventions of genre such as; close-ups, mid-shots, wide shots, low angled shots,
shot/reverse shot, fast paced editing, visible editing, tense background music, dialogue
between the characters. Also, Mise-en-scene has been effectively implemented in the form
of a conventional house and both low key and high key lighting.
Using the rule of thirds, I have made my production more effective because the most
important features of the scene/shot have been placed on the two vertical lines to the left
and right of the centre. This works to focus the audience’s attention on these areas whilst
also introducing the background setting behind the characters due to the composition of
the shot being well managed. The setting of a ‘normal house’ is conventional and relatable
for the audience, adding a sense of realism to the storyline and the setting making it more
believable that the events could occur in ordinary everyday life.
What improvements could you make from your preliminary task?
To improve my preliminary task I should include title scenes. When comparing my
preliminary tasks to professional promotional trailers a clear feature that is missing is title

3. scenes that can be used to offer more of the storyline to the audience, the name of the
actors, previous productions by the director and possibly a review of the film. This will help
to encourage the audience to see the film, if they think they can relate to the actors or that
they are fans of the director’s previous works.
Also, the range of camera shots could be improved. In my preliminary task I relied heavily on
group shots, however, individual close-ups and mid shots are conventional for the horror
genre so these could be included more regularly in my final product.
More planning into the lighting and setting could have taken place after watching my
preliminary task back and looking at other trailers. Low-key lighting is the most conventional
for horror films – this is something that I need to implement even minimally in my final
product.
The non-diegetic background music in the task could be vastly improved. Currently the track
I used takes too long to build in tension to match that of the actions in the scenes.
What have you learnt from the preliminary task to help with your main task?
Through completing my preliminary task, I have gained a much stronger understanding of
how to use a video camera to film and also the range of camera shots that can be employed
to offer different effects or to build tension in a scene e.g. using a close up of a weapon and
then moving to focus on the victim in the compilation of the shot.
I have also improved my ability to edit footage to a professional level, now also being able
to add title scenes, transitions between scenes and to add backing sound to the different
scenes.
The background music is vital for a trailer and needs to be conventional so that builds
tension successfully and at the same pace that the scenes also promote tension and fear for
the audience. I need to do more research into music that I can use in my trailer, something
that I have found out since making my preliminary task. I was rushed to complete my
preliminary task, rather than having enough time to ensure that I was completely happy
with each technical element of my film clip. I will make sure that I leave enough time to
research different features of my trailer so that I am happy with every feature.
A consideration of how to employ the technical elements has been achieved. I know how to
follow the rule of thirds and to place important features of the scene such as main
protagonists on the vertical lines on the scene, either side of the middle of the shot. I will
ensure this is employed within my final product to give the trailer a more professional edge,
so that it is similar to professional products that have been successful in the past.
Also the Mise-en-scene needs to be more thought out than that of my preliminary task, but
after time to research I have decided to use black and white heavily for the clothing that the
main characters will wear; black to connote death and fear, white to connote innocence and
purity.
Finally, I am aware of what is conventional for the genre of horror films and also what is
conventional for the trailer format. So that my final product meets the conventions, I will

4. push to use more low-key lighting in my trailer, something that I neglected to focus on in my
preliminary task. Also I didn’t use title scenes in my preliminary task but after analysing a
range of professional trailers, I have found this to be an important feature to include.