Casey Drewett 1723
Claremont Fan Court School 64680
I worked with Ross Morrison 1748
Our brief was to make a promo package, consisting of at teaser trailer, full trailer, film poster, film website and social media pages for a film. The title of our film is 'His Last Mile'. His Last Mile is a Horror/ Thriller film about a sports rival turned serial killer, who takes revenge on the young athlete, who took everything from him. The films narrative rests on a triad of characters, all of whom we explore: the golden boy athlete (an easily recognisable icon), the damaged rival (the stuff of every black thriller) and the world-weary detective with a rough exterior but a big heart (the anchor in every police procedural).
Camera Work - Due to the pandemic, much of our cast had be changed and both Ross and I starred in the film. When I was not in front of the camera, I was organising and using a Nikon Camera to shoot the shots. For the house scene, I used a Nikon camera, with 4K HD quality, for a crisp and professional shots.
Editing - I participated by creating the fonts for the credits/ title, and I made so that it would suit our film genre. I also created the joint company idents for RFM FILMS and ALEXANDER PRODUCTIONS. Additionally, I imputed and approved the various sound effects and music that we put in our teaser trailer and full trailer.
Directing - Before we shot the scenes, I initiated the various places we could and did shoot our film opening. I felt the locations, in School and in woods/parks, that we filmed at, were necessary because of the ages, jobs and storylines of each of the characters. I directed alongside Ross even when I was acting in different shots.
My Teaser Trailer
My Full Trailer
My Film Poster
FILM POSTER In your 'FILM POSTER' page above, you offer a reflective and articulate post which analyses the development of your poster from creation to consumption. As usual, the careful documentation of your work affords useful insight into the various elements, how you used your initial inspirations and how you integrated visual codes from your film to make the poster unique and powerful. You use the cracked glass concept to create the visual framework that positions the characters in relation to each other whilst also conveying a sense of threat and menace through the splinters of bloodied playing card and fractured glass shards. The black backdrop, the blood spatters, the shaky font and the young victim all give the poster an appealing ‘indie film’ quality. You have effectively engaged your target audience with a convincing film poster that fits in with the promo pack as a whole.
ReplyDeleteYour teaser trailer with its succession of opening murders rapidly establishes the threat of death to the young athlete who may be running his ‘last mile’. The repetition of the serial killer’s calling card builds a sense of foreboding. The heavy beats of the music emphasises the peril and drama which comes to a head with the terrifying attack by a masked assassin on the young runner, which the audience is led to believe is fatal because of the horrified reaction shot of the detective who has struggled to prevent further murders. The teaser trailer is appropriately fast-paced and action-packed; it encapsulates key characters (all engagingly young and attractive to appeal to audiences) and themes within 32 seconds, along with the release date, BBFC advisory certificate and film title. It signals the genre clearly through visual and sound codes, leaving the audience with a ‘hook’ in suspense, underlined in the intertitle.
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ReplyDeleteMAIN TRAILER All genre conventions are convincingly observed (BBFC advisory certificate, production company idents, release date, accolades from critics, institutional information, inter-titles). The crime genre is clearly signalled through a series of murder victims and the enigma of the killer is launched effectively through the ‘calling cards’ left behind at the murder sites, which is used to build tension. The same visual codes appear on the website and poster, creating brand cohesion. Sound codes are effectively used in sophisticated layers (diegetic sound of dialogue offers information about the crimes and the detective; a pulsating, jarring soundtrack unnerves the viewer; diegetic sounds of owls, disturbed barking dogs). Casting is effectively handled with all the young, attractive actors engaging the audience’s sympathy and the killer disguised in a horrifying mask – stereotype tropes used to good effect here. Settings are well handled, especially considering the restrictions posed by the pandemic: startled deer in the park staring straight at the runner, lonely rain-washed streets at nights, the killer’s cabin in the woods
ReplyDeleteEffective camerawork includes the low angle shot from the victim’s POV up into the worried detective’s face, the transition created by the jacket thrown over the camera, the over-the-shoulder attack by the masked killer, the mid shots of the trapped victim and the horror of the final scene.
The trailer creates real fear and insecurity, unfolding the enigma and leading the audience to the point of suspense without resolving the tension.
Outstandingly thorough research.
ReplyDeleteYOUR WEBSITE: A sophisticated and successful product. Your website has an arresting landing page with its looped image of the engaging young victim in fear for his life, with a masked assassin approaching from behind, an image that instantly signals the film’s genre. As a key image, the protagonist’s terrified face also features in your poster and trailers, creating brand cohesion. The website’s home page declares the film's name boldly with a clear layout making it easy to navigate, with scroll-down pages, eight individual tabs and two convergent links to social media.
Your website is very engaging for audiences: a clip of an axe swings threateningly behind the ‘About’ page; the ‘Cast’ page is a particular favourite of mine as it looks like a police bulletin board with red string and the cast photos open to reveal their bios – genius! A battery of other convincing features (social media links; reviews set against a key film clip; screenings; and even specially created merchandise) make this a very creative and richly textured production.