“If you want to wait to hear details about J.J. Abrams' new secret sci-fi project Super 8 until everyone sees this trailer in front of Iron Man 2 tomorrow night, then stop reading. Otherwise (and for everyone who has seen the trailer), it's time to begin speculating, because it's Cloverfield all over again as details have emerged on what his secret new trailer shows and it's creepy, it's awesome, and it's still a mystery. I absolutely love this kind of stuff and I'm so excited to get into this again. I can't believe Abrams and Steven Spielberg could pull off something like this again, but bring it on. So what is Super 8?”
Looking at these two trailers to see other horror techniques used other then the three trailers I have looked at. These two share the element of one-continuous shot or one-action shot which continues throughout which adds tension because you are follow a mini storyline within the couple of minutes. This technique I believe to be better then the other trailers I have seen as it brings the audience more involved in the trailer almost imitating the actual films role in 1-2 minutes. I will keep this idea in mind when I storyboard.
In further, the style of production is referred to as Cinéma vérité. This is a "style ofdocumentary filmmaking, combining naturalistic techniques with stylized cinematic devices of editing and camerawork, staged set-ups, and the use of the camera to provoke subjects. It is also known for taking a provocative stance toward its topics." (wikipedia) This technique is becoming popular due to the making of Blair Witch Project and the more recent Paranormal Activity which is about "a couple becoming increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence." The film follows them almost day to day seeing home recordings of the events happening to them - much like Blair Witch Project.
As seen here the demographic for paranormal activity are males aged between 15 and 24 and the demographic for Cloverfield (also the compatable profile for Super 8) shows a clear demographic of 15-24 and a gender slant towards males.
This audience research helps me gain knowledge of my demographic for my trailer, poster and magazine front cover - hence the film, thus the demographic is 15-24 males.
This idea is also translated in films like the masterpiece 'The Shining' legendary in horror. All three films share the ideas of Cinema Verite and also succeed through popularity. The poster for the Shining is a lot subtle and breaks the conventions of normal horror posters as there is no blood or weaponry in the poster.
In a small rustic village in the modern world contains a horrific secret. The children within the community are ill-fated, their lives are fortuned on the spiritual Gods the cult believes in. Each year four children are chosen and these four children are sacrificed for their Gods and each of these children are branded with a pattern, this ritual is called ‘Sors Numerus’ ('fate numbers'). .
Narrative
The story begins with a father and his new-born child living within the cult. The disequilibrium begins when four children are announced to be sacrificed and his child is one of them. The four are needed but the father is far too attached to his child and fighting his morals he attempts successfully to get his child out of the cult and frees himself from the cult. However the cult need the child to complete the chain and the father has lot his child in desperate attempts to save them both. Will the cult find them and complete the chain? Will the father be reunited with his daughter? What does the brand on her neck mean?
Title for product
To name the product I thought of all aspect of the film to find something unique. I thought about the branding of each child and the love each child must have gotten before the sacrifices - but this love also means the love between the protagonist and his daughter. The branding reminded me of a chain reaction or a pattern so i though of 'Chain', however I wanted the love to also pierce through the title so I though instead of the pattern/brand being the focus change the meaning to 'Hearts' so that each child and their love and sense of home is disrupted by the chain; hence 'Chain of Hearts'. The symbolism for chain is also conventionally fitting for a horror.
