Trailers of Chosen Genres

As a group we have decided that the genre that we have chosen to do is a documentary thriller, we have decided to do some secondary research into this and view trailers that have documentary and thriller aspects towards it. Although some of the trailers we have research does not specifically fit into our genre we have decided that it would still benefit us to look at it because it would still be a documentary, it will give us an idea of the different shots and angles used by the director to make the movie seem as if it is a documentary. The trailers will also give us an insight of the location that most thrillers are used and the type of actor/ actress, prop and lighting used to make these thriller documentary successful. I will then compare and contrast these and use the conventions and apply it to our movie trailer.

Movie 1: The Blair Witch Project

The Blair Witch Project is a American Thriller Movie created in 1999. It is a non- fiction movie depicted as a documentary. Three film students go missing after travelling into the woods in Maryland to make a documentary about the local Blair Witch legend only leaving the footage behind as evidence of their journey within the woods whilst still missing a year later.

The beginning of the trailer starts off with the independent institution that has created the movie, this allows the audience to acknowledge who had produced the movie, often in most trailer an institution would not be followed or the the institution will be well known and will come out with sound effect however this one does not, considering our trailer will be independent we will now take into consideration whether our movie should have an institution too so it will allow our audience to know who had created it before the billing block. The footage and scene afterwards is just black however there is a voice over in the background of muffled crying and hushed voices the beginning of the voice over starts with 'I would like to apoligise to my mum and...'this often happens in movies when a character is about to die, listening to this in the beginning  immediately allows us to know that the genre of the movie will not be Comedy or Romance but one of horror and thrill. A text post comes up giving us the date, location and information that they have found the camera from a group of friends that are missing from Maryland. This is a good idea for any movie because it is essential information that the audience will have to know but the actors cannot say it also makes it scarier because it is not a voice over so you would have to concentrate, read it and acknowledge it. Footage of the woman speaking allows us to now see that the filming that has been found it starting at the beginning. Already she had given us an introduction of why she is leaving the 'comfort of her home' and with whom. We can also see that it is in style of a documentary due to the amateurish like filming, the shaking of the hand and the voice over from the man taking the video. This makes it even more effective because it is showing the convention and idealistic way of how the video had been taken to make it look like a documentary from the group. It then gives the audience an idea of what the Blair Witch Project is from Strangers willing to talk to the camera. The trailer then shows reviews from different companies showing the viewer how professional companies have watched it and gave them a positive review towards the movie that they should watch, something that we could do for our own trailer too. During the end of the film there are quick cuts of the scene of the group arguing and lost, then running and screaming. The camera then allows us to see the woman at the beginning filming herself with the following dialogue 'It is all because of me that I am here, hungry, cold and hunted' before the camera falls to the floor only allowing us to see mud as the end footage. This leaves it to a cliffhanger making the audience wanting to see the movie from the powerful footage.

     Movie 2: Paranormal Activity - The Marked Ones

Paranormal Activity: The Marked ones is a sequel from a documentary supernatural thriller following the life of a young man Jesse experiencing a number of disturbing and unexplained things after the death of his neighbor. When Jesse and a group of friend decide to investigate it does not take long for him to be marked as a possession by a demonic entity and soon becomes out of control from everyone.


The beginning of the trailer

Movie 3: Chronicle

Movie 4: Project X

Movie 5: Catfish