For our trailer the camera, editing and lighting has to represent the genre image we are trying to get across. Therefore, we need to think carefully about what we do.
For the camera shots, we wanted to make our main actress seem vulnerable and a victim. This will be shown by using high angles so the character looks smaller and weaker, rather than low angles that make them seem powerful. Here is an example from Harry Potter:
This is done to make him appear weak and defeated, which is how we want Caitlin to appear.
Secondly, another common camera shot is a close up which captures the depth of emotion and fear presented in a protagonists face. This will be helpful as the audience can see how scared Caitlin is. Here is another example from Harry Potter-
Finally, another idea for a camera shot is a panning movement of the camera to represent a sense of stalking and that the character is being followed and some kind of threat is going to occur. Suspense is built up by doing this, along with eerie music.
A hand-held camera movement is also common within this genre so the audience can see the view from the character’s perspective, we will be using this however not during the suspense scenes, only at the beginning when Caitlin is filmed on holiday.
For the Editing ideas we came up with a few:
- Fast paced at the thriller part so the audience can briefly see what’s going on, but suspense is still built up as they anticipate what is coming next.
- Black screens between the thriller element, so that the action is broke up and the audience don’t know what’s coming next.
- Slow motion on some shots so the audience can suspect something will happen unexpectedly and that the focus on the slow motion will be an important and memorable aspect. This slows down the action so the audience will expect another build up of thrills.
Finally, for lighting, it is evident we will need to incorporate darkness within our trailer to fit with the genre, when we film Caitlin it will most likely be in the dark and we will use our flashlights to create a small sense of light so we can see what we’re filming. Another lighting idea is using a candle to stop the music, this lighting will created an old fashioned haunted sense to the trailer and increase the tension. Foe the first half of the trailer the lighting is mainly natural and bright as it was filmed outside and in the daylight therefore cannot be altered.
Jess Stevens' A Level Media blog 