Task: Brainstorm items or situations that scare people.
Narrative theory Narrative conventions for trailers are similar to films - Todorov's narrative theory.
Stage 1 - the state of equilibrium is defined
Stage 2 - disruption to equilibrium by action or crisis
Stage 3 - character(s) recognise problem and set goals to solve it
Stage 4 - character(s) try to fix problem, but there are obstacles
Stage 5 - equilibrium is re-instated, problem solved, conclusion
Film trailers follow similar patterns - however they can vary in which stages they employ. For example, many trailers will remove stage 5 to build appeal.
Task: Pick ONE idea from the brainstorm - map out a rough 5-stage narrative for that idea.
Horror narrative structures 3 part play:
First act focuses on central characters beginning ventures into strange or new and ultimately threatening settings
Second act focuses on what is unleashed as a result of being in this new and strange environment - violence is rife leaving many/most protagonists dead. Survivors become worn down, fear and tiredness starts to break the group down, people who want to raise the alarm often get laughed off
Third act is the climax, involving dramatic/apocalyptic showdowns with varying outcomes
Task: Now fit in the horror narrative structures into your 5-stage narrative (if you haven't already)
Propp characters
Villain
Hero
Donor
Helper
Princess
Dispatcher
False hero
Task: Now define the characters in your story - you may need only some or all of these. Who are they in your story?
Task: Watch three different trailers from your chosen genre. For each trailer identify the different stages of Todorov's narrative theory - use screenshots and explain how it demonstrates the stage in the narrative theory.
Now link the stages of a horror trailer to your own idea - which elements from your narrative structure would you include in the trailer? Which characters? Which stages and characters would you exclude? Why?
Task 1 - Present your trailers to the class Today is the deadline for presenting your re-worked trailers to the rest of the class. You should:
Upload the original trailer to your blog
Upload your new trailer to your blog
Email your blog address to Miss Ghost and Mrs Hurcombe
Your presentation must include:
How you decided on the trailer you picked and why you picked it
Why you chose to adjust the genre of your trailer to the one you picked
How you assigned roles (if you worked in pairs) and why those people were given their particular role
How you went about the production of your trailer (editing, sound, etc.)
Time management of the production (did you meet deadlines, etc.)
Whether your roles changed, or whether you supported more on task than another
Problems that arose during production and how (or if!) you overcame them
What you have learnt from this process and how you will improve for next time
Task 2 - Written evaluation Once you have presented to the class and have received feedback from your peers and the teacher, you will need to write up the questions from above as an evaluative piece. This is good practise for your production portfolio, which includes marks for evaluation.
As part of your evaluation, you should also answer the following questions:
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
How effective is your media product? Is it good/bad? Why?
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
Post your work on your blog.
Task 3 - Planning and research for your own product You should continue with planning your own idea for your film trailer. If you are stuck for ideas, go to IMDB and watch some existing movie trailers. Or alternatively, use Youtube to watch some A grade media studies trailers like this:
If you have an idea in mind, then your next step is to do some research.
1) Produce a comprehensive guide to your genre. It should include:
