Blog 9 – Analysis Of 2 Film Posters

This is the poster for 'Jennifer's Body', the purpose of a poster for a new realised DVD is to promote it and to try and get as many people to watch it as possible. The language used on this poster is mostly informal, they have used the blackboard behind Jennifer for the quotes. Words such as 'Slick, sexy and very twisted' and 'Smart, sassy and sexy as hell' are used to appeal to their target audience of 18-29 year olds. They have also put 'FILM OF THE YEAR' in capitals, this makes it stand out so it is the first quote you would read when you look at this poster. This would have been done to try and get as many viewers as possible, as film of the year would make many teenagers want to watch it. Just like on the DVD cover for 'Jennifer's Body' the colours for the poster are very dark. The title of the film 'Jennifer's Body' is in a deep red colour, this looks just like the colour of blood and indicates danger. Behind the 'Y' in 'Jennifer's Body' there is blood that looks like it is dripping down to make a puddle on the floor, this suggests that Jennifer may be the antagonist in this film. Another reason may be because they have put Jennifer in a red top and shoes. The background for this poster is the same colour as the DVD cover background, black and dark green. This makes the writing more readable because they are contrasting and also adds mystery to the film. The quotes on the blackboard Jennifer is sitting in front of are in white, they look as if they have written on with chalk. This shows that the film is connected to a school, and Jennifer is still in school and her targets are her male classmates. The font they used for the title is a big bold font that's easy to read and looks 3D, the writing on the blackboard looks like free hand writing not a font. There is only one image used on the poster for 'Jennifer's Body' and this is of the main character Jennifer. It's the same picture used for the DVD cover where Jennifer is sitting in a very relaxed layed back position holding her school books and showing off a lot of skin. She is sitting on a school table but underneath where she is sitting is a hand. The fact she is holding her school books makes her look innocent and showing off her skin is sexy to appeal to the target audience of males aged 18-29. When you see the hand hanging out the table underneath Jennifer it shows that she may be the antagonist in the film. There isn't much lighting used in this poster because it is meant to be very dark. The lightest part of the poster is under the table Jennifer is sitting on and the black board behind her, most of the poster is very shaded to make it dark and mysterious. The layout is very simple with the image on the left, actresses names at the top, quotes for the film on the blackboard next to the main image and the title of the film on the right hand side under the blackboard and credits at the bottom. You can tell that this is going to be a teen horror film because of the use of blood and the quotes they used. Putting blood on the poster for a film makes it obvious that there is going to be danger and possibly death. The quotes that they put on the blackboard such as 'Sick, sexy and very twisted' also gives it away that it is going to be a teen horror film. This poster appeals to its target audience because it is very sexy and easy for the target audience to connect to because young actresses such as Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried have been used.

This is a picture of the poster for 'Sorority Row' this poster was realised to promote the film and try to gain as many viewers as possible. The language used for this poster is quite formal, there are only basic details given. There aren't any any quotes from reviews people have made, just a slogan saying 'SISTERS FOR LIFE.. AND DEATH'. The poster for 'Sorority Row' is basically the same as the DVD cover. It is very dark using only black and orange for the background colours which makes it very mysterious. The title of the film 'Sorority Row' is in white, this could be because it is on a black background so its contrasting and the public can automatically see what film the poster is for when they see it. The title is underlined in a deep red colour, this could indicate blood and danger. There is also deep red blood on the axes that are in between the two words 'Sorority' and 'Row'. Just above the title is the slogan of the film, this is also in white so it is easy to red. The main characters are all in dark coloured dresses, such as black, green, blue and gold. The font that has been used on this poster is a serif font in block capitals. The font is also slightly eroded, this could be because when the body is left in the well it will slowly rot away. The images that has been used is the same one as what was on the DVD cover for 'Sorority Row'. It is the 6 main girl characters all lined up with their sorority house being burnt down behind them. This tells the public that during this film something bad is going to happen either to the girls and their sorority house or they could do something bad to the sorority house. The only light that is on this poster is the light coming from the fire, the main source is from the door of the sorority house in between the two sets of three girls. This means that the poster is very dark, this adds mystery to the film because you cant see anything very well. This poster has been layed out in a very simple way, the main picture as the background with a title and slogan just above the details that are at the bottom. You could tell from this poster that the film 'Sorority Row' is going to be a teen horror because of the little amount of lighting there is, the sorority house is up in flames and because the axes in the title are covered in blood.

Blog 8 - Analysis Of 2 DVD Covers



Jennifer's Body Cover

This is the DVD cover for Jennifer's Body, the language used for this cover is mainly informal so that it appeals to it's target audience of 18-29 year olds. However in the synopsis the language is quite formal, this could be because they still want there film to appeal to all ages. The majority of colours they have used for this DVD cover are very dark. They have used deep red to indicate blood and danger for the word 'body' and the quote's 'She's got a taste for bad boys' and 'Smart, Sassy and sexy as hell'. Just below the title of the film there are two bloody hand prints smeared down the black board as if they were trying to hang on to save their life. Right underneath there is also a puddle of dried blood, and a hand hanging out the front of the desk Jennifer is sitting on. They have drawn attention to Jennifer being a danger by her wearing a red top, red shoes and red nails, this could also be seen as quite sexy and could draw males attention to the DVD cover. Another colour used in the main title is white, this is for the word 'Jennifer's' this could be because when Jennifer is first introduced in the film she seems vulnerable and innocent. The main background colours used for this cover are black and green, this is because they're very dark and can convey a lot of mystery. The font they have used is a bold block letter font, this stands out and is very easy to read. The bottom of the title has started to erode mainly on the word 'body'. This could be because when Jennifer has killed her targets they are left to rot away. The main image underneath this title is a big picture of the main character, Jennifer. She is sitting in a very seductive way, leaning back holding some books and showing of her legs, arms and chest whilst looking straight into the camera. She has blood dripping out the side of her mouth which could indicate that she might be the bad one in the film. The lighting isn't very obvious for this cover as it is mainly very dark, but there is some light in the bottom left hand corner which fades out as it gets towards the top. The layout for this is very simple, the title is centred at the top with a main picture underneath. The two main characters names 'Megan Fox' and 'Amanda Seyfried' look like they're sitting on top the title and just below is a quote 'She's got a taste for bad boys' this tells us a bit about the film. The back cover is split in two halves. The top half has 3 pictures on the left hand side that are from the film, the top one is blended into the background whilst the other two are more bordered. Next to the pictures is the synopsis, this is started with a drop capital in red. There is also the other quote 'Smart, Sassy and sexy as hell' this is also red and has been taken from Total Film. This is a good teen horror cover because it keeps its colours to a minimum using mostly dark colours like red, green and black but when white is used it really stands out. Having blood on the cover was important to show that it is a horror film and the two quotes picked help you to understand what the film may be about. The blood coming out of Jennifer's mouth and that she is sitting on a hand makes you realise that she could be the killer, this could make people want to know why she did it and how. Using Megan Fox for this part was a good way to get more male viewers, she is a attractive young girl that would attract their attention.

Sorority Row Cover

This is the DVD cover for Sorority Row, the language used is quite formal on both the front and back of the cover. This could be because they don't only want to appeal to their target audience of 18-29 year olds they want to get as many people viewing their film as possible.

On the cover for Sorority Row the colours are mainly very dark again, they have used black, orange and red. The orange has been used for fire, the house behind the main characters was their sorority house. This was where they all lived and now they are all being hunted down by a serial killer their house is up in flames. Red has been used for the star ratings, the line under the title and the blood on the axes. This is because when people see red the think of danger. Most of the background for this cover is black which makes the whole cover dark apart from the glowing fire. The characters on the front have even been dressed in dark colours such as black, deep greens and blues. They are all wearing short, low cut dresses which could draw male attention to their cover. They have also used some white for the title, quotes and synopsis. This could be because white and black are contrasting colours and these are all important parts of the cover that need to catch the public's attention. The font used for the Sorority Row cover is in capitals but a lot thinner than the title on the Jennifer's body cover. This title has also eroded but not just on the bottom, it has eroded more evenly. The main picture on this cover is of all 6 of the main characters standing in front of their sorority house. They are all looking down into the camera almost expressionless, not worrying about what is going on behind them. The light on this cover is only coming from the fire that has been set off inside the house, the main section of bright light is coming from the house in between the main characters which slowly fades off. The layout used is very different to Jennifer's body, the main difference is the title. On the cover for Jennifers Body they placed their title in the centre up the top, but on Sorority Row they placed the title in the centre but in the middle of the cover they have also underlined it. They have a quote at the top 'The best horror since scream' and a quote at the bottom 'Sisters for life...... and death'. The back cover for this DVD has four pictures, one on the top right and three underneath. The bottom picture is blended into the background whilst the others are bordered. On the top left hand side is another quote 'Blackly comic gore-laden shocker' with the title above and the synopsis which doesnt start with a drop capital. This is a good cover for a teen horror film because it is again very dark using orange, red and black with minimum light which adds mystery. Using blood on the axes behind the title shows that this is going to be a teen horror film, the quotes also show this and give you clues what it might be about. There is no clue to who the bad person may be in this film as there aren't any indications such as one of the characters having blood on them. Having all 6 of the main characters as girls is likely to attract male attention, it also helps that they are young because they can relate to them much easier. 

Blog 7 - Introduction - Production

The production task we have been set is to make a DVD cover and poster for our script.

Blog 6 - The Script

When looking at the target audiences for 'Jennifers Body' and 'Sorority Row' I realised they had the same target audience this is shown in my tables in blog 2. The age they were both aimed at was 18-29 but they had more males then females watching these films. So I decided to target my film at males in the age group 18-29. The type of viewers both 'Jennifers Body' and 'Sorority Row' were aimed at were mainstreamers so I decided to aim my script at the same people. The reason mainstreamers are such a popular category for the media is because this is majority of teenagers, when one person watches a film and talks to their friends about it they will all immediately want to see the film so they can get involved in the conversation. I will also be aiming my film at the same socio-economic class as 'Jennifers Body' and 'Sorority Row', this will be 'B-C2'.
My film genre is teen horror, my script shows this because there are a few events that happen that cause the characters to be scared and curious which lead the audience to want to know why and how they happened. The character that is in trouble in the film is the same age as the viewers and very vulnerable, this helps them to care and relate to her. The film is set at night so it is dark which gives it mystery and adds effect to make it scarier. It is set on Halloween, this is a good day to set it on because people associate Halloween with ghosts and monsters so the horror scene is already set before anything happens. My film is similar to 'Jennifers Body' and 'Sorority Row' because the main characters are girl best friends that are very good looking and wear revealing clothes. The opening scene for 'Sorority Row' was a house party with lots of teenagers, this is the same as my opening scene. The beginning of 'Jennifers Body' shows that Jennifer and 'Needy' have a close friendship, this is always shown at the beginning of my film. There are also some differences between my film, 'Jennifers Body' and 'Sorority Row'. My film is set on Halloween neither 'Jennifers Body' or 'Sorority Row' are set on special occasions like Halloween so this gives the film some originality. My script also raises questions towards of the end, this is called enigma.

Blog 5 - Evidence Of Wider Reading

I decided I would research 'Teen Horror' to help me come up with some good ideas for my own teen horror movie. The first film I decided to look at was 'Sorority Row' this is a slasher movie, the reason viewers liked this film was because they were kept in suspense always wanting to know who would get it next (and how), and who is doing it. One review liked the idea of not knowing who the murderer was as it started '..who is the murderer guessing game'. This shows that they like a sense of mystery in the film so keeping the antagonist a secret in my film would be a good idea. The second film I decided to look at was 'Jennifer's Body' this is about a possessed teenage serial killer specializing in killing her male classmates. Viewers liked this film because it was sexy and flirty 'The fact they used megan fox gained them a lot more male viewers because she's very attractive'. This shows that the type of target audience I am aiming at like to have young attractive women in the films, so this would be a good idea for me to use them. The film 'Sorority Row' is shown in the order that it happens, where as in 'Jennifers Body' the film begins at the end leading viewers wanting to know why the ending happened. Both of these 'Teen horrors' have the same setting in there opening sequence, a big house surrounded by woods and its night time. Setting my opening sequence at night would be a good idea because it adds mystery and fear the the film before you even learn anything about the plot and characters. The music used in both 'Teen Horrors' is a low beat that gets faster and louder without any words in, this makes you get worked up thinking that the music is leading you to a big event that could happen. This can also give away when something is about happen because the viewers would be expecting it and so it wouldn't be as scary or thrilling to them. Making sure that the cast I use in my film are teenagers is important because my target audience is going the be for 18-29 years olds. They prefer to have teenagers/young adults as the cast because they find it easier to relate and connect to them. My research showed that more males watched 'Sorority Row' and 'Jennifers Body' than females, so having young attractive women in the film could also be an important factor.

Blog 4 - Analysis Of Opening Sequences

Looking at the opening sequence of 'Jennifer's Body' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCSzYioSeT0 you can see there is a typical 'Teen Horror' setting, a house in the middle of the woods at night time. It was very dark and mysterious with lots of shodows, you then you find a young girl in the house by herself with her windows wide open leaving her very vulnerable. It was set in a little town called Devil's Kettle Falls, Minnesota, USA not many people know of the town and they don't usually get many outsiders. Jennifer was a very pretty, popular cheerleader who was liked by everyone all the girls wanted to be her best friend and the guys wanted to date her. Jennifer usually wore very girly clothing that was very revealing and sexy, but her bestfriend 'Needy' was the opposite. 'Needy' was a geek, she wasn't as pretty as Jennifer and she didn't dress as well as either, she was seen more 'cute' than 'sexy'. Jennifer would also wear alot of make up so she would have big black eyes and deep red lips, 'Needy' on the other hand wore no make up but had big round glasses on, a complete contrast. 'Jennifers Body' appeals to its target audience of males aged 18-29 because the cast are teenagers around the same age so there easier to relate to. It's also the perfect film to get away from reality, the events in the film are never going to happen in the veiwers lives. The type of language used in the film was more 'teen speak' than formal language, they used words such as 'salty' rather than good looking. This would appeal to the viewers because its language that they may use when there with there friends. Using young teenagers in my film would be a good idea to attract more male viewers to watch my film. Starting it off at night with a dark surrounding and a single house would be a good idea because it shows they are excluded from any interaction with others if they need help. Using girls as the main characters is popular with teen horrors because they are easily vulnerable, both male and females like to watch films with a female cast but boys are less likely to want to watch a film with a majority male cast. Having a few scenes that are unrealistic in my movie could also be a good idea because people like to get away from reality sometimes but it shouldn't be to unrealistic otherwise it may not be scary any more and become cheesy.
I also looked at the opening sequence of 'Sorority Row' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXhea0Y1pQ8 there is a very simular setting, a lonley house in the middle of the woods at night time. There is a college Sorority party going on with lots of screaming/shouting and glass being broken. The college girls weren't wearing much clothing dancing around on the tables and doing cheer leading routines. Pillows are being thrown around and feathers are flying everywhere making it hard to see. The mother of the Sorority house is in the dark kitchen by herself with scary music playing like it was building up to an event when two boys burst through the door drunk. Then there is the scene when Megan, one of the Sorority girls, tricks her ex boyfriend into thinking he killed her with 'Roofies' which backfires when they take the prank to far and he ends up stabbing her with a tyre iron 'to let the air out her lungs' they have to dispose of the body and tyre iron in a mineshaft. The film was set in Pennsylvania, USA so there locations aren't very far apart. All the Sorority sisters are young, slim and pretty girls, they wore short shorts and little vest tops, they all wore make up. 'Sorority Row' appeals to it's target audience of males aged 18-29 because they would like lots of girls running around the house without much clothing on and the storyline is again not very believable so they can have a sense of getting away from reality. The language used in this film isn't as much 'teen speak' as 'Jennifer's Body' they haven't made any words up in the dialogue. A party is a good setting for this target audience as it is something most teenagers this age would do on a regular basis. Girls wearing little clothing is also a good idea because a majority of boys like seeing girls in revealing clothes and girls usually resent them. Pranks are also a good idea as teenagers are often pulling them on their friends in real life, taking a prank and turning it into the plot is a very good idea. 

Blog 3 - Institutional Contexts

To find out which companies create films in the teen horror genre I decided to research two films, these were 'Jennifers body and 'Sorority Row'. There were 3 companies involved in the production of 'Jennifers Body'. They were 'Fox Atomic', 'Dune Entertainment' and 'Hard C'. The companies that produced 'Sorority Row' were Karz Entertainment and Summit Entertainment. These companies are some examples of the type of companies who produce films in the teen genre.
The estimated budget for 'Jennifers Body' was around $16,000,000, the same budget was estimated for 'Sorority Row'. This shows that teen horrors cost about the same amount to make. I would use this budget for the special effects in the film to add drama. I would also make sure the character was someone people could relate to all over the world.

Blog 2 - Target Audience

We watched the opening scenes of two teen horrors, these were 'Jennifer's Body' and 'Sorority Row'. To find out the target audience these films are aimed at I went onto imdb.com to get the actual film ratings.
The picture below shows that more males rated 'Jennifer's Body', but they didnt rate as high as females. The age group that rated the film the most was 18-29 year olds. So this means that the main target audience for 'Jennifers Body' would be males aged 18-29. Again the same happened for 'Sorority Row', more males rated this film but it was the females who rated it higher. The age bracket that rated this film the most was also the same, 18-29 year olds. So the main target audience for 'Sorority Row' would again be males between the age of 18-29, this is shown in the picture for 'Sorority Row' below.
The type of viewers that these teen horror movies would be targeted at would be mainstreamers. This would be the majority of teenagers as when one person watches the film all of their friends would then want to watch it so they don't feel like the odd one out. This would be the best audience to target at so you get as many teenagers buy the DVD as possible. The socio-economic class these DVD's may be aimed at would be 'B-C2'. The reason for this is because many people in this class have enough money to buy the DVD and they also have the time as well, other classes may have a job which is to time consuming or a job which doesnt earn them enough money for luxuries.

Jennifer's Body

Sorority Row









Blog 1 - Intorduction - Pre-producion

Our pre-production coursework is to write the opening scene for a teen horror.