The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2009)

Film: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Genre: Crime/Mystery/Thriller

This Crime/Thriller is based around the female heroine Lisbeth Salander - an antisocial but intelligent computer hacker and researcher. Her physical appearance is quite dark and masculine, as she has short black hair with shaved sides and facial piercings, as well as tattoos on her body which is thin and not particularly feminine. I will analyse how this female character is represented in this thriller as we are producing a film trailer with a thriller genre that features a female as the main character.

The trailer starts with ashot of the back of Lisbeth with her hood up, walking down a subway - a lonely and dark figure. This cuts to her sat in front of a computer and typing quickly which links to her job as a computer hacker and researcher. This then cuts to a scene of Lisbeth punching a man in the face and him falling to the ground, highlighting her strength and masculine traits as the heroine of the film. This then cuts to a shot of a large tattoo of a dragon on a female's back with the voice over saying ' I have to warn you, Lisbeth is a kind of special girl'. At this point, the non-diegetic music of the trailer becomes a bit more sinister and fast-paced.

Lisbeth is then shown to be riding a motorcycle which is a typically masculine form of transport. Her dresscode is very dark and unfeminine. She wears mainly black clothing - jeans and leather jackets all the way through the trailer which highlights that her dresscode represents that she is quite an interesting and dark character with a sinister past. Despite appearing quite masculine, Lisbeth is shown to use her sexuality a a couple of point in the trailer, implying that she has quite a feminine and 'sexy' side to her when mainly being quite reserved, serious and at times violent. In the trailer there is a point where an older man is stood over her, stroking her face and talking about her psychological problems and 'violent past'. This is the first point where you see her character as weak and subdued as this man seems to have authority over her. This scene then cuts to her turning round as if she is about to hit the person that is walking towards her, which regains her image as being strong and independent.

It is only at the end of the trailer that you see Lisbeth speak directly, although you hear her voice during the trailer as a non-diegetic voiceover. The last scene of the trailer shows her lying in bed with a male voice saying 'You know everything about me and I know shit about you', to which she replies 'Nope, that's the way it is.' This adds a lot of mystery and suspense to the trailer as you then want to find out more about Lisbeth's past and why she is the way she is as the trailer hints a troubled background.

Overall, the way Lisbeth's character as a female heroine of the film is represented in quite a masculine way. Her dresscode and fairly androgynous look with her piercings, tattoos, short hair and manly clothes portrays her to be a mysterious and haunted character with an interesting back story. As a female protagonist in a thriller film, Lisbeth is quite stereotypically masculine, which may also be a representation of her sexuality as she is a lesbian. She rides a motorcycle, wears dark clothes and is seen to be very strong and violent at times in the trailer which are typically a male's characteristics in films of the same genre. This indicates that as a female main character in an action and thriller film, Lisbeth takes on masculine traits to make her seem more tough and self-supporting. She does not act like a typical representation of a female in an action film which is the 'damsal in distress' role who depends on the male character to help her. This is what we aim to do in our own film trailer, by representing our own female character as strong, independent and aggressive with a masculine appearance and characteristics to highlight her extreme transition from a weak and quiet young girl to a tough and violent thug.

Harry Brown (2009)

Film: Harry Brown
Directed By: Daniel Barber
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller

The trailer for the British Thriller 'Harry Brown' is fast-paced, bold and raw which is effective and intriguing for a viewer. I have chosen it as an example of a successful and exciting trailer as it draws you in and builds suspense and anticipation throughout.

It starts with a shot of city buildings and blocks of flats at night, setting the scene as a dark film based in a city area, adding to the mis-en-scene of the film. The non-diegetic music is ominous and sounds like a ticking clock, therefore adding suspense and a sense of tension from the start. There is a shot of an elder man (Michael Caine - Harry Brown) looking out of a window down on the street where a gang of youths are breaking into a car and beating someone up, with the sound of a car alarm ringing. The dresscodes of the youths are important when creating a realistic representation of real life and the way the youths dress are in tracksuits and hoodies, highlighting the use of common stereotypes and ideologies in the film - youths being antisocial, violent and disrespectful and wearing hooded tops. There is a voice over of an old man's voice saying 'I'm scared Harry, kids on the estate. I'm not gonna take it any more'. The accent of the man is a London 'cockney' accent, reinforcing the audience's understanding of the film's setting. This voice over cuts from the violent scenes to two older men speaking to each other in a dimly lit hallway. The use of lighting and lack of natural light or colour from the beginning acts as a pathetic fallacy to set the scene of a dark and bleak film.

There is a shot of a ignited object being dropped through a letterbox and onto a carpet where smoke starts to rise. The sound of coughing links into a shot of an old man sat in an armchair in a room full of smoke, and then him running outside onto a balcony into the night to escape the smoke. He then yells 'Bastards!' which cuts to a scene of a gang of youths below him jeering, yelling and throwing objects at him. This cuts to a quick shot of a hand holding a mobile phone with a video of the youths attacking the man in a subway. This implies the man's helplessness and lack of authority in his area as youths are disrespectful to the elderly and rule and control the estate. This jump cuts to a shot of a young male smirking with the light dim and unnatural. The mobile phone video is shown, jerky and abrupt, supported by loud jeers and a loud noise that sounds like a metal door slamming.

The first scenes set in the day are then shown, as Harry Brown is visited by a female officer who inform him that his elderly friend had been killed by the youths from the estate who had assaulted him. The dresscodes of the police officers are smart, highlighting their authority and their higher class. From here onwards there is a non-diegetic tick of a clock or bomb which builds tension and acts as a signal that something big is going to happen. Harry is then shown to be sobbing, which cuts to a shot of him walking past the underground pedestrian walkway at night. A quick shot of inside the subway is shown, with the white male who was smirking previously in the trailer is stood with a female who is backed against the graffiti-covered wall with his arm against her, in an aggressive and controlling pose. This quickly cuts to Harry standing in the rain looking upset and distressed and turning away and quickly walking from the subway. The use of graffiti in the pedestrian walkway adds to the theme of youth crime as it is a symbol of vandalism and the youths in the subway are both white and young, dressed in 'chavvy' clothing - hoodies and tracksuits.

The next scenes in the trailer involve the white male being arrested for suspicion of murder followed by another two young, white males sitting in a police interview room, one saying 'I don't know nothing' and the other saying 'No comment'. The accents of these males are again strong London accents, reinforcing the idea of location and class. This cuts to a scene of Harry standing alone against his friends grave which links to a scene of the white male who was arrested speaking defiantly to the police telling them that they have to let him go. This scene fades to black which then fades into a scene of Harry speaking to the female police officer in an irritable way. There is then a dimly-lit shot of the white male standing against a a metal fence with an aggressive and intimidating expression which cuts to a shot of Harry holding a photograph of his friend with Harry's voice saying 'He killed Leonard'. This effectively builds suspense and gives the audience a more developed idea of the plot of the film.

Harry is then shown to be shouting at the police woman, telling her that they have done 'nothing' about the death of his friend Leonard. This cuts to a scene of Harry stood in a dark area with a hooded figure holding a knife emerging from the darkness saying 'Give me your money, man'. This jump cuts to a scene of Harry leaning his head against the tiles of his shower with water running over him, adding mystery to the trailer as you don't know what happened after he was threatened with a knife by the youth. From here, the non-diegtic soundtrack to the trailer picks up and becomes more epic and loud, building more suspense and anticipation among the audience. There are further shots of Harry walking around the flats where he lives and to a black male saying in a South London slang accent 'When someone comes to you, you need to be taller' which implies the youth gang culture of status, violence and authority. This cuts to a scene of Harry standing in a dark doorway saying 'I'd like to do some business...I want a gun'. He is speaking to a thin, white topless male with greasy hair and scars all over his body. This gives connotations to the audience that he is an antagonist of the film, just from his physical appearance and dress code.

The next scenes are inside a dimly lit, untidy flat with a an unconscious young female laid on a sofa, with two rough and dangerous looking white males. Harry says 'Is she ok? Maybe we should take her to the hospital'. It this point the topless male fires a shot out of his gun, implying his higher position and authority in the situation, as well as the fact that he is an untrustworthy and dangerous character. He then whispers 'she's my business', pointing the gun at Harry threateningly. From this point, the ominous non-diegetic soundtrack changes to a modern drum and bass song by Chase and Status, which is the film's main theme music track. This adds to the mis-en-scene of the trailer, with this music representing the elements of youth culture, and the fast drum beat builds suspense along with the past-paced editing towards the climax of the trailer. Michael Caine is formally introduced as 'Harry Brown' at this point in the trailer.

The non-diegetic voice over is of the female police officer saying that Harry Brown is the 'chief suspect', implying that she is suspicious of the man's actions. Her accent is well spoken in contrast to the other characters, implying her higher social class, status and authority. This aligns with scenes of Harry holding a gun and dousing a room in petrol to set it alight. The female officer's voice says 'He was in the Royal Marines, he's killed before.' This links with very dark clips of Harry standing in a dimly lit area and a scene of a parked car and a loud ambient sound of a gunshot. The music stops after this gunshot and goes to a black screen which fades into a scene of Harry stood over a male who is tied to a chair with a bag on his head with Harry saying 'What happened with Leonard? He's the man you and your mates murdered'. He then strikes the young male and you hear a loud yell which signals the music to resume and the fast-paced trailer to continue. This interlude shows the audience that Harry is seeking revenge for his friend's death and is no longer being a victim under the youths and is taking control.

The next scenes lead towards the climax of the trailer, with a wall of riot police with shields fighting a fire riot. Positive reviews of the film flash up along with high action shots, adding to the anticipation and build-up of the film. There is a scene of two cars colliding and Harry looking out of his window at the youth gang, with the male police officer's voice saying 'As far as I'm concerned, Harry Brown's doing us a favour' which shows the audience that Harry's violent actions are only for the greater good and how the film will be a battle of morals and pride. Further reviews flash up with shots of a car windscreen smashing and Harry firing a gun and the gang of youths throwing objects surrounded by burning cars and other objects and Harry saying 'To them out there, it's just entertainment' in a distressed and anguished voice. The next part of the trailer builds towards the end, with very fast-paced shots including a lot of gun fire, explosions, car crashes and shouting, making the film seem very high-action, violent and chaotic. There is then a shot of a barrel of a gun firing which blends into the main credit which has 'Harry Brown' written against a black background. Harry Brown's voice is heard over this, saying 'You failed to maintain your weapon' which links to a shot of his standing over someone with a gun and then firing it.

The use of guns in the trailer imply that it is quite a violent crime thriller and the amount of action scenes make the film look very exciting a fast paced. The use of an older man as the main character challenged common ideologies about elderly people but the use of youths being shown in a negative way uses common stereotypes and ideologies of society. The use of accents and dress codes is important which representing characters effectively and creating a realistic effect. The cut from an ominous piece of music with a ticking sound which bursts into the drum and bass song is effective when building suspense and the use of this music towards the end of the trailer with the fast editing and action shots if very effective and the music also adds to the theme of modern youth culture. I think this trailer is brilliant, as the contrast between old and new generations is shown which is quite a common issue in modern society and the use of a powerful, older character is different and challenges society.

Shank (2010)

Film: Shank

Directed By: Mo Ali

Genre: Action/Thriller

I have chosen this trailer for the British action film Shank (2010), by the makers of Kidulthood and Adulthood which stars young British actors Adam Deacon, Kaya Scodelario and Ashley 'Bashy' Thomas. I have picked this trailer as a successful and effective example of how a trailer draws in an audience and productively informs and advertises the film's contents without giving too much away.

The trailer starts with a man kicking a punchbag in a gym, with non-diegetic sound of overlapping voices shouting which sounds like the beginning to a song, with the scratchy sound of radio tuning. The production companies logos; Revolver, Gateway Films and Gunslinger, flash up quickly on the screen and then a scratchy and blurred screen with 'From The Distributor that bought you Kidulthood' written on it is shown, which would target their audience at an early stage. This then jump-cuts to a shot of legs sprinting down a road and being chased by a motorcycle, to a slow-motion shot of the boy jumping over a ledge. Over the top of this, there is non-diegetic speech of a man speaking which cuts to a scene of the black male holding the back of his young brother's head saying 'I love you right'. The use of accents from the start adds to the mis-en-scene of the film trailer and the accents of the characters are all strong London accents, featuring alot of youth slang. Then there is a shot of the younger boy looking up at his brother. That shot is then blended into a black screen which then cuts to various shots from the film such as a motorcycle hurtling down a street, the boy flipping over a wall in slow motion, the brothers training in a gym, a double decker bus driving down a dirty and abandoned street and a group of young males and a dog walking down a street. The dress codes of the characters are all quite similar too, wearing tracksuits, caps, hoods and casual labelled clothing which is the dress codes of youths and gang members - 'gangsters' and 'chavs' - in British society. This group of males are also different races, two being black, one Asian and two being white, which highlights the racially diverse culture. A high pitched sound is rising and then it stops with the sound of a drum as the beginning of the soundtrack of the trailer kicks in. This sound of the drum is matched to a shot of a group of youth's blacked out silhouettes, with one of them punching another in the face. This, from the start, sets the scene of a fast-paced and violent action film.

The next shot of the trailer sets the scene with another scratchy and blurred screen with 'London 2015' across it in bold letters. At this point the non-diegetic soundtrack kicks in which has a British hip-hop/grime beat, adding to the mis-en-scene of the trailer. This cuts to various shots of tall blocks of flats, youths vandalising and fighting in the streets and the older brother speaking to his little brother saying 'kids are killing kids everywhere now, it's out of control'. There is then a short clip of two gangs of youths blurred out as a silhouettes as a bright light shines between as then collide and start fighting. Two characters are then shown to be walking in slow motion towards the camera, which then cuts to the scratchy screen again with says 'The gangs have taken over' in bold letters. There is then a jerky shot of a huge gang of black, male youths which touches on common stereotypes and ideologies in our society today. The gang are all dressed in black, with their hoods up of with skeleton mask handkerchiefs tied over their mouths so they look intimidating and frightening. The use of these similar dress codes highlights that they are a gang, and the central male in this shot is placed there to indicate his authority, status and control of the gang. The sound of the older brother's voice is over the top of this, saying 'Stay away from the block, blood'. This is a warning and from the beginning of the trailer there are hints to the audience that gang crime and violence is the main theme of the film.

There is then a shot of the young, black male (Junior) sat next to an Indian-looking older male, clutching his hand in a bloody bandage. The older male says 'These guys are reckless, Junior', which then jump cuts to a an older, black youth saying 'What you running for? We just wanna talk to you.' Here there is a a shot of Junior being thrown to the ground by a group of the black-clad gang of youths and there is a focus on a knife being held above the young boy on the floor, then with a shot of the older black youth smiling evilly whilst looking over the younger boy, highlighting his power and authority in the gang. Then there is a shot of Junior's brother running over and punching his brother's captor and yelling for his brother to run, while shouting at the gang of youths. There is then a shot of Junior running away in slow motion which then freezes and turns sepia in colour, his face looking pained and upset, blood all over his top. The next shot is of one of the youths stabbing Junior's brother from behind, with loud slamming and shooting sound effects used to build suspense, with a shot of Junior clasping his hand, crying and banging his back against a garage door.

Then there is a close-up of Junior's angry face, with someone saying 'What you gonna do, huh?' over the top whilst an eerie and shrill sound is rising to build tension, which then cuts to quick shots of Junior and a group behind him walking in slow motion, a shot of his hand dripping with blood and a close up on his face when he says; 'I'm gonna kill them......today.'. From this point, the tempo of the trailer picks up as an epic, past-paced beat kicks in as the soundtrack, with a shot of a motorcycle riding up a set of steps and the scratchy screen cutting in with 'This March' written on it. There are then slow-motion clips of some action scenes in the film, such as a pavement-view shot of someone jumping from a high walkway to the ground, a motorcycle riding out of a building, people dancing in a club, the older brother punching a punch bag, a close up of black man yelling and spitting in a rowdy group of people and youths walking across a dark room with weapons in their hands. The slogan; 'There is one rule, kill or be killed' is slipped into this montage of epic, slow-motion action shots, to add to the suspense of the trailer as it builds and builds towards the climax.

There are then further clips of people dancing at a party, black males rapping and singing into a microphone, a male and female kissing, shots of rival gangs and then them running away. There is then a shot of a male shouting 'Junior!' and then fast paced shots of them opening the doors of a van and two youths fighting. It then introduces the characters, starting with the scratchy, blurred screen with names Adam Deacon, Ashley 'Bashy' Thomas, Kaya Scodelario and Kedar Williams-Stirling followed by a couple of clips of their characters. While the characters are being introduced, the tempo of the music is rising with a shrill sound effect and fast-paced drumming beat. The music then stops on a scene of Junior running in slow motion from a motorcycle, and a loud drum beat sound effect is used as each scene is cut quickly to another, getting quicker and quicker with the beats being used to emphasis punches and kicks, and finally to a clip of Junior running, which goes shaky and blurred and climaxes of the scratchy, jolted screen appearing with the film name and logo -'Shank'. The film slogan 'If you're not one of us, you're a victim' also appears on the blurred and wobbly screen with an ominous and lingering trill of sound dragging out, which jump cuts to a quick clip of a male throwing a punch at the camera with a loud punching sound effect, which then cuts to the scratchy screen with the film's release date and website on it.

I chose this trailer as a successful example of a good trailer as it features a lot of high-action clips which help build suspense and anticipation with out spoiling the main plot line. It gives you and idea of the plot, with the young boy seeking revenge for his brother's death, with the key them of gang violence and rivalry throughout. I think it is clever how they insert the screens which set the scene of London 2015 and give the audience bits of information, as well as slogans to go with the film. I like the use of effective music, and how the beats of the music match the cuts and actions in the film, e.g punches and kicks, especially towards the end as the pace gets faster, building suspense. I think the use of slow-motion for the fast-paced scenes is effective and the use of pathetic fallacy is also present as there is lack of colour and the weather is grey and dull, representing the mood of the characters and the bleak events of the film. The representation of common stereotypes and ideologies is also present in the trailer, for example the representation of youths and gangs, as well as representations of race. The use of dress codes and accents are also strongly important to create authenticity to the trailer and creating a realistic representation of youth culture in London. The way the characters dress and speak is vital to adding the mis-en-scene and the music chosen for the trailer also supports this 'feel' to it. I also like the way the film is promoted to their audience with the use of the young, British actors who are quite well known, as well as the hip-hop/grime/rap music and the theme of youth gangs and violence. These features would all target the teenage/young adult audience intended for the film.

Shutter Island (2010)

Film: Shutter Island
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller

Here is the trailer for the 2010 Drama/Mystery/Psychological Thriller film Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams and Ben Kingsley.

I chose this as a good example of an effective trailer which targets its' audience well and builds suspense throughout which would create interest for a viewer. The way the trailer is edited, along with the general mis-en-scene and the music used creates a very exciting, interesting and extremely watchable trailer which would entice people to go and see it in the cinema.

The trailer starts with an ominous piece of music with a shot of a ship looming out of a grey fog over the sea, which highlights the use of pathetic fallacy to create an eerie atmosphere and it also indicates the general dark, uneasy and gloomy feel of the film. There is then a quick cut to a view of the island which looks bleak, dark and frightening. There is non-diegetic speech over the image which is Leonardo DiCaprio's voice - the main protagonist in the film. The phrase 'mental hospital for the criminally insane' are mentioned right at the start which tells the audience that the film is based at a mental institution and that is what 'Shutter Island' is. There is then a scene with two security officers slowly opening the gates to a bleak-looking building and there is a shrill and scary screech as there is quick clips of images like chains and shackles, a hand running down a dark wall, graveyards, patients being dragged through the grounds and a dimly-lit cell or chamber. These images are supposed to be scary and make you feel uneasy, as well as intrigued about the plot of the film.

Throughout the trailer there is non-diegetic speech as well as music and shrill sound effects to build mystery and suspense. Other images that are cut or faded to each other like a patient hunched in the corner of a dark cell with iron bars and dark windows with rain hammering against them, as well as a birds eye view of the hospital which looks like a prison or concentration camp with heavily-armed guards patrolling around and above it. Other phrases like 'dangerous and damaged patients' are featured and you are introduced to DiCaprio's character, Teddy, who is a policeman (Federal Marshal) who gives the guards of the institution his fire arm, which is shown in slow motion to highlight the severity of this action, and hinting that it was a mistake to surrender it. The dress code of the main character highlights authority as he is in a suit and the close-up of the gun also indicates authority, security and power. You see them enter the grounds of the hospital and a scary-looking female patient is focused on who puts her finger to her lips and says 'shhhh' to the policeman who looks away uneasily.

The music used is dark and ominous, getting louder and more abrupt when each scene skips to another, especially towards the end of the trailer which builds the tempo of the music, with the cuts between shots becoming faster and faster and therefore building suspense towards the climax of the trailer. There is typical features of trailers such as a dark screen coming up through clips of the film which have 'Directed by Martin Scorsese' and 'Leonardo DiCaprio' etc on them, giving the viewer more information on the film, as well as highlighting that Scorcese directed the film and Dicaprio is starring in it which would influence their fans to go and see it.

You are then introduced to the plot of the film, as Teddy meets the main Doctor of the hospital who explains that a female patient had gone missing and that is why they are there. The doctor is asked 'is she considered dangerous?', to which he replies, 'you could say that' which builds tension and mystery and other disturbing images flash onto the screen such as a hand quickly reaching through the bars of a cell and the policemen standing on the edge of a cliff looking over a lighthouse in the sea, the colours bleak and grey. The doctor says that the patient seemed to had 'evaporated through the walls' which is quite a supernatural and unusual phrase which would intrigue an audience. The dotcor's accent is more well-spoken than the policemen's highlighting that he is from an academic and well-educated background as the policeman has a strong New York accent. This highlights how accents add to the mis-en-scene of the trailer and give you an idea of the characters backgrounds as well as touching on class and regional identity.

Throughout the rest of the trailer, the story unfolds as the policeman discovers a note found in the missing patient's room which implies there is a 67th patient at the institution, which triggers him to delve deeper and find out about conspiracy theories and the dark secrets of the hospital. Other disturbing images are shown, such a frightening-looking man with scars on his face and the lonely lighthouse against a bleak sky. This symbolises that the lighthouse is relevant to the dark secrets of the institution as Teddy stands alone on the cliff edge looking at the light house. He is then shown to be speaking to a woman by a fire who asks him if he has been taking any medication from the hospital, which cuts to a clip of him taking pills and looking dazed and confused. The female voice says 'you haven't been seeing any walking nightmares have you, Marshal?' which cuts to him walking through a lounge on fire and reaching out towards a blonde woman stood in front of him, possibly highlighting a dream or hallucination. He is then shown to be stood in the middle of a large room in the institution, looking around quickly looking uneasy and paranoid with the sound of monkeys screeching, implying that things are unusual and wrong and he is possibly going insane. The use of these scenes create a nightmarish feel to the film and implies that the protagonist's mental state deteriorates throughout film, reinforcing the psychological thriller genre.

From this point the pace of the trailer picks up as Teddy is shown to be running through the institution and through the dark chambers and corridors of the institution dressed in a patient's clothes, with images of patients in the depths of the hospital are kept. The use of this dress code implies that Teddy's authority and control of the situation has decreased and now he is demoted from an authoritative figure to a victim.He is then shown to be speaking to a male patient behind bars with a disfigured and bloody face who says 'you're a rat in a maze'. The non-diegetic commentary of DiCaprio's voice sounding suspicious cuts to him speaking to the woman by the fire again who says 'they can't let you leave'. The tempo of the trailer picks up as Dicaprio is shown to be running up black, iron stairs, then holding a shot gun along a corridor which cuts to the image of a dark female silhouette floating in dim waters, to him hanging off the edge of a cliff face and to him holding the blonde woman in his arms as she fades away to leave him standing alone with ash floating down around him. The cutting between clips and images towards the end of the trailer is fast paced, showing clips of the film which do not make sense together but build excitement and suspense with a shrill and elevating soundtrack. The climax of the trailer is a long-shot of the island looking bleak and frightening, with the image fading into what looks like a piece of paper with 'Shutter Island' in bold letters and black ink smudges staining the page and leaking through it. The last thing that is said by a female voice is 'You will never leave this island' and a hand is shown to appear from the edge of the cliff and grab a rock, with a loud and abrupt noise.

I think this is a brilliant and effective trailer as is reveals the general plot of the film without giving too much information away which most trailers do, which therefore spoils the mystery and surprise of films. Throughout the trailer I was hooked, with suspense and tension building throughout and with the use of an ominous but thrilling piece of music, pathetic fallacy and lack of bright colour as well as the fast-paced cuts and editing, it is a very successful trailer which would entice anyone to go and see it, especially fans of mystery thrillers and horror films. The use of locations, accents and dress codes as well as props are key to reinforcing and adding to the mis-en-scene and 'feel' of the film and all these technical codes effectively 'sell' the film to the audience whilst supporting the genre of the film.

This film was promoted with above-the-line promotion as it was advertised through the mall media, with TV and cinematic trailers, billboards, posters and magazine features. The film had a scheduled release for October 2nd 2009, but the release date was pushed back as DiCaprio was not available to promote the film at the time as well as Paramount Pictures not having enough money to promote a big release like 'Shutter Island'. This highlights the significance of DiCaprio as the protagonist of the film and how his international status is important to a production like this and also how important it is to have a significant amount of money behind a film release in order to promote in appropriately.

Evaluation of Media Skills

How has your creativity developed through using digital technology to complete your coursework productions?

Skills acquired over the AS year when producing coursework will be vital to my A2 coursework and the development of these skills to a good standard is very important. The freedom to be creative and individual is there when producing coursework and especially when using digital technology such as editing programmes like Windows Movie Maker and Adobe Premier Pro. It gives the student an opportunity to create a media product that is both professional-looking and successful when reaching its' target audience and following codes and conventions of real media products. When producing coursework it is important to make something creative and different which expresses you're talents to their best. and using digital technology gives you a brilliant opportunity to do this as it gives you an idea of how to edit films in a polished way.

The use of the programme Windows Movie Maker allows you to edit your film creatively, designing how shots will blend together and to ensure continuity issues are addressed. Effects that help shots smoothly run together are very important and it also gives you the chance to create a very well-produced and professional piece of coursework which is edited just the way you want it to look. Adobe Premier Pro is useful when adding credits and opening titles to a film, as well as subtitles and other pieces of test that you may want in different typefaces, sizes and colours. This programme helps you to be extremely creative and original, adding in text where ever you feel it to be necessary, especially if you are producing a trailer or an opening sequence as we did last year.

5 detailed examples of paper-based/research skills acquired/developed for AS coursework that will directly be using in A2 coursework:

My research skills developed strongly when planning my AS coursework as it is key to research films of the same genre as to follow forms and conventions of the genre to create a strong, realistic and successful media product. Researching other films also gives you and idea of what target audience the product will be aimed at and how to reach the audience by researching advertising campaigns and trailers for these films. Following technical codes of these films, establishing representations as well as using common ideologies in society and applying them to your film makes its much stronger. This research process is a skill that will be vital for the A2 coursework as planning and preparation towards filming and editing is the most important stage to get right in order to make the coursework as a whole successful.

Another paper-based skill acquired for AS coursework was health and safety checking filming locations to identify hazards or problems that could disrupt filming. Drawing location recces was also a skill acquired and developed when identifying problems at a potential filming locations. Identifying these problems that may disturb filming is important as making sure the filming process goes smoothly is key to a successful and well-filmed piece of coursework. Considering weather issues, disruption by members of the public or a generally unsafe environment is very important when choosing a location to film and before producing the coursework last year i had no idea so much research about locations was required but then I realised it is and extremely important factor when filming. The locations we chose last year were all suitable for filming and I think that our filming sessions were successful, but learning from a few mistakes last year I can improve this skill to make my A2 coursework the best it can be.

Drawing storyboards for the coursework is a very important planning process as you are drawing each shot and camera angle in a detailed way whilst writing how long the shot will be and what will be visible in each shot. This skill is extremely important towards filming and having a well-drawn and detailed storyboard for filming makes the process a lot easier as all you need to do is follow the storyboard. The use of storyboards gives you a strong idea of how the shots will blend together and it also gives you an idea of continuity issues that may arise and it gives you the opportunity to amend them before filming. Knowing how long each shot will take is also important as you need your coursework to be a specific amount of time, and with the use of storyboards it gives you a strong idea of the length of your film which prevents problems after filming if the product does not meet time/length requirements that are stated on the briefs. This year I aim to create better-drawn pictures of each camera shot and develop my planning skills further in order to create a high standard of coursework as last year the storyboards were not brilliantly drawn or overly detailed, so it is vital to improve them this year.

Writing draft scripts before finalising a script is a hugely important factor as the structure of the coursework depends on having a strong script to follow and so that actors who may be in the film know exactly what they are doing in each shot and what they are saying. Having a few different scripts also give you the chance to analyse and evaluate each script and decide which is the strongest, perhaps putting them together and mixing up ideas and experimenting. The importance of having a well-planed and well-written script is also key for the producers, directors and camera operators during filming as it makes the filming process a lot simpler and makes the experience more simple for everyone. This skill I had already acquired before last year but I developed its strongly over the year and I feel like this year I can help create a very good script for the final coursework as I now know the importance of having a well thought out script.

Research into copyright protection over sound effects and music put into the coursework is vital to the success of the final product as without doing certain paperwork and noting the use of a copyrighted piece of music or a sound effect can harm to final outcome of your piece. I found this last year as we were told that we may have to produce our own music and sound effects if we were not going to use existing tracks which would have been a challenging process as it would have been a lot more work on top of filming and editing the coursework. The importance of noting copyrighted tracks and not using well-known songs or pieces of music is key to producing the coursework, but the use of music and sound effects is also very important to creating a very realistic film as it builds atmosphere and adds to the mis-en-scene of the piece. Last year we used a copyrighted track that we found on a CD in the library which we were allowed to use in pieces of Media coursework. All copyright codes and information had to be added to our blogs as well as in our paperwork folders as without this the use of the music in our opening sequence would have been extremely harmful to our final grade.

5 detailed examples of a practical skill acquired/developed for AS coursework that will directly be used in A2 coursework:

Having a strong idea of how to use the cameras and how to create a successful piece of coursework by using good camera angles is a practical skill I acquired and developed over the AS year. The importance of knowing how to use the cameras is vital to the final outcome of the coursework as visually the film needs to look well-produced and authentic. With a firm grasp on how to use panning, zoom and other types of camera angles and shots the coursework will be successful. Last year we learnt about different camera angles and ways of filming which will be extremely beneficial to this year's coursework and it will also give me the chance to develop my skills using a camera even further. I can learn from a few mistakes when filming last year and how to perfect different kinds of shots to create a good effect and a visually successful film.

My editing skills when using programmes on the computer to finish and perfect the coursework were acquired when editing the AS coursework. This year I have a better knowledge of how to use these programmes but it will also give me the chance to develop my skills further to create a well-edited piece of coursework at the end of the year as last year I did not have the editing role in my group.

Blogging skills were learnt last year to document the progress of the coursework and after last year I know how to create a successful blog and how to improve my blog in comparison to last year. I will need to make it more visually interesting with the use of more examples of researched films and more production shots and editing stills to support what I am writing. I feel that last year I wrote quite a lot in my blog but I did not support it enough with pictures and photographs so I will need to document the progress of the coursework in a more visual way this year in order to make sure I achieve the best that I can.

My confidence as a leader was developed last year as I was put as Director of our opening sequence which meant that I had to be very co operative and organised when focusing the group and directing each shot in the filming process. This is a skill that I only acquired last year and the experience of being a Director last year will help me to produce a good piece of coursework this year as I know my faults and I can improve my leading skills. Organisation is key to being a good leader as planning needs to be completed well before filming, and in order for a smooth filming process you need to be organised with a good idea of what you're doing, and where and when you are filming to keep the shoot structured.

An important practical skill for a media student is to be able to critically analyse a media product whilst remaining detached. Analysing codes and conventions, identifying ideologies and stereotypes as well as picking out aspects of mis-en-scene, camera work, editing and sound are all skills that fall under critical analysis. This enables you to analyse a media product and highlight its' good points as well as its faults and any limitations that you identify that falter the product. Being able to critically analyse films and TV programmes helps you to gain a better idea of how to produce your own successful media product and it is extremely useful to do this during the research and planning process of your own coursework as I found last year. For A2 my critical analysis skills will be developed further as I will need to research and analyse more film trailers which I think are successful which will help me produce my own coursework

3 clear discussions of how theoretical perspectives studied will directly influence you Advanced Production:

I learnt about the 4 technical codes of a film or TV Drama last year, these being camera work, editing, sound and mis-en-scene which are all key when watching and analysing a media product. By picking out specific camera shots, dress codes, accents, editing methods and diegetic/non diegetic sound etc. from a programme or film it opens your eyes to all the aspects of production which are involved to create a certain atmosphere, effect or impression on a viewer. These theoretical perspectives which I studied last year are hugely important when considering how to create an effective and good piece of coursework as you need to follow the conventions of film making to ensure you are making a well-produced piece of coursework. Theses theories which were studied last year will be a huge feature when drawing storyboards, researching films and writing scripts. Specifically choosing the right dress codes for characters, picking suitable locations and choosing the right camera shots and angles to create the right effect will be hugely important in our coursework from a viewer's point of view.

The textual analysis theory of semiotics, co-founded by Saussure and Pierce, will directly influence the coursework as representations and sign systems included in the coursework are an important part from a viewer's perspective as connotation and denotation of these signs is present when viewing a film. Accurate and significant representations of the world as well as common stereotypes and ideologies are always featured in films and it is important to feature and play upon them in our own coursework. The way the characters in our coursework are presented is significant when representing stereotypes in real life that are constructed by the media, and the locations we choose are also key in representing the world we are creating in our film. Considerations of how accurate and 'real' the representations and sign systems in the coursework is vital to making it successful and realistic and analysing and following the theory of semiotics will influence the coursework this year.

Theoretical perspectives of codes and conventions will be extremely influential on the A2 coursework as what is used and how things are used within a media product is important. The 4 technical codes also fall under this, but the use of colour, dress codes, music to create emotion, representations of gender/ethnicity etc and the use of language within the film are all vitally important features of creating a successful piece of coursework. The use of iconic, symbolic and index features adds atmosphere and authenticity to a media product. The representations featured in the coursework, whether they be reflective, intentional or constructionist are also key on producing an authentic and accurate film/trailer.