Trailer Inspiration

The Watchmen trailer uses a different technique to most and rather than having continuous dialogue it instead uses music to set the mood and create the feel of the film. I would like to use this idea for my trailer as feel it doesn't give away to much but at the same time emphasizes the key ideas of the film. I want for there to be an ongoing soundtrack throughout my trailer that changes with what's going on at that specific time. I just want to use a small amount of dialogue to make certain parts seem more dramatic and highlight the key ideas. The music will give away the ideas behind what is happening in the trailer; therefore some bits will be joyful and cheerful whereas other will be very dark and eerie to fit the feel of the film.

For example I want when Chloe shouts "I can't do it anymore" to Grant, her fiancé at the time, to be heard as I feel it is a key part of my story that needs to stand out. There is a scene where Chloe is telling Darren, her new boyfriend, about what has happened to her in the past and the fact she thinks she is being stalked. I feel this also needs to be heard as it gives away key parts of the film and will hopefully draw the audience in, without giving too much away.

Alfred Hitchcock - Strangers On A Train

In Alfred Hitchcock's trailer 'Stranger's On a Train' we see that the audience know what is going on in the film whereas the characters have no idea. This is shown by the plans for the murder being openly discussed on the train and although at first it just seems like one big joke, in the end it comes true. The wife of one man is killed by the other man and the audience know exactly who killed her and why she is killed whereas the women herself had no idea this was coming.

In my trailer I want to use this idea of the audience being 'in the know' yet the characters having no idea. I also want for tension to be built and for the audience to get frustrated that they know what is going on but the character to have no idea and to simply think everything is normal. I think this will make the audience want to learn more about the film and to want to find out what happens when she realises she is being stalked.

Also Alfred Hitchcock makes films that are mainly thrillers and again my film fits under this convention. He uses the idea of the camera moving in a way to mimic a person's gaze and I may use some shots like this for my trailer as I think it gives the audience a different perspective of the film and what's really going on. I don't want my entire trailer to be filmed from one person's perspective, instead I would prefer for things to be seen through the eyes of both the girlfriend and ex fiancé.

My Thriller Genre and Ideas

The thriller genre uses tension and excitement as its main elements to draw the audience into the film and make them want to watch on. In my trailer I want to use this genre as I want to draw my audience in and make them wonder what's really going on. Another convention of the thriller genre is that it creates and eerie atmosphere which is usually shown through darkness and dingy lighting, I'm going to use each of these aspects in my film as I want to portray one of my characters and having both a normal, happy side and a slightly darker feel to him. I'm going to show this by at the beginning of the trailer when everything is normal filming him in daylight and sunshine but when he turns against everyone I'll portray him in darkness and also I'll use pathetic fallacy to show his two different personalities and make them clear to the audience.

Also in most thrillers you find that there is a twist to the story, I am again going to use this idea for my film. The twist to my story is the fiancé who at the beginning of the film seems like the perfect man suddenly turns once his girlfriend leaves him and develops a kind of split personality without even realising. There is also a climax in most thrillers and I'm going to portray this in my film by allowing the audience to know what's going on and that the ex fiancé is hunting down his ex girlfriend he's still in love with but the girlfriend herself has no idea and is just living what she believes to be a happy and normal life with no trouble from anyone. She has managed to block out her past relationship until one day he finds her and yet she still has no idea, she's simply being stalked from afar and yet is oblivious to it all.

Thrillers are known for taking place in suburbs or cities and I want to film my film in two different locations. I want my film to begin in a town area but not too large a town where it seems like the perfect location for two childhood sweethearts to be in a young relationship and living the ideal life and once the girlfriend runs away I want my location to move to a bigger town or city where it seems to the audience she has more of a chance of being able to simply blend in and hide from her past. I also want there to be some elements of mystery in my film such as why the ex fiancé was so in love with her and turned into a different person once she left her, why she left him in the first place, what made her fall out of love with him and also how she managed to simply block it out of her life.

I want to introduce the ex fiancé back into my film in a scene with the girlfriend sitting on the sofa with her new boyfriend having a nice romantic evening in and simply enjoy herself. I want them to be cuddled up on the sofa and for there to be a storm going on outside with thunder and lightning. I want for the camera angle to be looking towards the couple however also facing towards the window and I then want for there to be a flash of lightning and you to just see her ex fiancé just standing at the window staring and watching them and then on the next flash of lightning for him to be gone. This will start to create a panic for the audience as they can see what's going on however she will still be enjoying her evening unaware of the events that are about to unravel around her.