Applying media theories to the Times Up campaign

As part of the research for our psychological thriller campaign assignment, we decided to apply  theories from media studies to the ideas we have produced for our trailer.

Uses and Gratifications Theory:
Personal relationships can be obtained from our film trailer, as the audience could see the trailer and use it to form relationships with friends, and then make plans to see the film with their peers. Personal identity can also be found, as our film is based on a fear of the unknown. Most people are afraid of this, and therefore will be able to relate to the characters in the film.

Maslow's hierachy of needs:
According to Maslow's theory, we all have a need to be secure and free from danger. Our trailer will attack this need by allowing the antagonist to enter the home of our main character. This is used as a home is usually shown as a safe place, where you don't have to worry about any form of danger. By having the antagonist inside the girl's house, the "safe zone" will be removed, therefore creating more fear in the audience.

Stuart Hall's Readings:
The preferred reading of our film would be that the audience would become fearful of the antagonist, and feel the same way towards him as the protagonist does. The negotiated/oppositional readings would be that the film isn't scary, and that there are sections of the film that are too unrealistic to be believed enough to provoke fear.

Barthes' Coding:
We decided to use Barthes' theory of enigma coding within our campaign to attract the audience. This theory says that media texts use coding to give hints to the narrative that is yet to come. We planned this within for our magazine cover as we want to use an image of the main antagonist behind the protagonist, looking at her willingly. This give hints to the narrative of our film, as it suggests that the antagonist will be hunting or stalking the protagonist.

Times Up - Risk Assessment

Risk: The mask that we used had the eyes blacked out to show no emotion in the face of the murderer. This meant that the actor behind the mask could not see where they were walking, and therefore they could trip and injure themselves.
Solution: We avoided this risk by ensuring that the actor only had the mask on while they were being filmed, and also that while the mask was on, that they did not have to move from the spot.

Risk:  We also filmed some of our scenes in a pitch black room. This causes a hazard as any of our cast member could have tripped and fallen, causing injury.

Solution: We avoided this by always having a flashlight on on each of our phones, meaning that we could see what was in front of us. We also ensured that almost everyone was in position before turning off the lights, leaving only one person to move to position.

Risk: The equipment could have been damaged

Solution: We made sure that each person carried each piece of equipment when transferring between locations, meaning that the risk of dropping them was reduced.

Times Up Planning: Costume

I was given the role of costume designer in our planning. This meant that I had to consider the characteristics of each character, as well as how we wished them to be represented to the audience, and then convey this in their clothing.

The first character that I had to consider was the antagonist of our film. I thought that whoever was playing this character should be wearing all black, as this makes them seem more mysterious. The idea was to originally have the antagonist wearing a white wolf mask. This would relate to the game that children play, called "What's the time Mr Wolf?" This creates a link between the name of our film and the main character. However, we were unable to purchase a wolf mask, and so instead we got a plain white human face mask, which we then decided to paint ourselves to make it less cliché.

When we were casting the trailer, we decided that the main protagonist should be female. This is stereotypical of the psychological thriller genre. Females are often shown as weak, and damsels in distress who need to be rescued. Gabrielle fits this stereotype of the psychological thriller genre, as she goes to the male detective to help her and give her advice. To show her femininity and vulnerability, we decided that she should be shown wearing a dress, with her hair down and nice shoes.

Times Up Planning: Shot list

Mid shot:                             Gabrielle and her mother talking

Long shot:                           Gabrielle’s mum leaving

Close up:                             Gabrielle looking out of the window

Close up:                             Antagonist at the window, staring in from the outside

Close up:                             Phone ringing on the counter

Mid shot:                             Gabrielle picking up the phone and answering

Mid shot:                             Gabrielle and Emma sitting on the bed

Over shoulder shot:             Detective looking at images and notes on the case

Long shot:                           Victim standing up from the bed

High angle shot:                  Victim laying dead on the floor

Long shot:                           Gabrielle stood against the wall with shadow moving across her

Close up:                             Timer starting on phone

Mid shot:                             Gabrielle and Emma pushing a door shut

Extreme long shot:              Killer outside house

Tracking shot:                     Gabrielle running

Close up:                             Phone timer

Panning shot:                      Detective’s desk

Close up:                             Gabrielle walking in house

Close up:                             Killer grabbing Gabrielle’s ankle

Tracking shot:                     Gabrielle running

POV shot:                            Gabrielle at window, killer enters room

Mid shot:                             Gabrielle at wall

Mid shot:                             Gabrielle under table, scared

Close up:                             Phone timer

Mid shot:                             Gabrielle in dark, scared

Tracking shot:                     Gabrielle runs, pulls back curtain and antagonist is there

Long shot:                           Antagonist looking straight at camera

Times Up Planning: Script

Times Up: Script

Cast (in order of appearance)
Mum                     Michelle Bigg
Gabrielle              Rhiannon Bigg
Killer                      Elizabeth Stroud
Emma                   Rachel Patterson
Detective            John Bigg

Mum:    (with hands on Gabrielle’s shoulders) I’m only going away for a week

(She leaves, leaving Gabrielle in the house alone. She moves to the window and sees a shadowy, mysterious figure outside her house, staring straight at her. Gabrielle’s phone rings, it is a call from an unknown number. Gabrielle answers)

Killer: (in a distorted voice) you have twelve hours until you will die.

(Scared, Gabrielle texts her friend Emma to come over and explains the situation)

Emma: We need to go to the police

Detective: (as voiceover) this killer is killing people in their own homes. If he calls you, he will hunt you, and he will kill you. All we know is that after the phonecall the victims only have twelve hours left.

(A montage of Gabrielle trying to escape the killer)

Gabrielle: (whispered, after the titles and montage) I’m scared.