Changes In Exposure Magazine Cover

I have made a few changes to my magazine cover, Exposure -

Undead Nightmare - Trailer Analysis

Since finding so many links between the genre of my film trailer and the Undead Nightmare game, I have chosen to analyse the trailer in more depth. I felt it carries many conventions of a Horror film trailer, even being a video game.

• The title of the game gives an immediate feel of a Horror style narrative. However, other than the title there are many classic Horror genre conventions you would possibly find in a film trailer. The opening setting shows a man in a cemetery digging graves, not an every day action  you would expect. The weather is dark combined with rain and lightning, adding to the negative and scary feel. This also sets up for the viewers to expect something evil or fearful to appear.
• The opening is followed by the introduction of new characters. It's unclear who or what they are, as quite typical of a Horror genre, they are just quick moving sillouhettes. However, the audience know that they aren't human by the way some of them crawl and others move in strange/not-human ways. This adds to the suspense, with the audience unknown to what these characters are.
• Throughout the trailer, most the scenes are in dark settings. They look to be either at night or in dark and dingy weather, adding to the Horror effect.
• A lot of the settings are in a deserted and alone, which are really typical conventions of a Horror genre. Eg. Many Horror film settings are in places such as abandoned houses.
• The shots used in the trailer are quickly cut together, creating a fast paced, adrenaline rushed feel. 
• Spooky music builds up the suspense through the use of stringed instruments and slightly atonal. 
• The music builds up to the scream sound effect.
• Throughout the trailer there is a Green/Yellow colour scheme. The title's are in this colour and perhaps give it a sense of rotting and nature.
• The close up shots on humans emphasise their fear of the undead, while on the zombies, it shows more details (Blood and decay).
• The trailer adds extras such as bats, animal bones, blood and graves which adds to the typical Horror conventions and themes.

Cross Media Link - Undead Nightmare

In my spare time I have been playing Playstation 3 game - Undead Nightmare. I feel this has really linked in well with my own project, based around a Zombie-Horror genre. The game follows a narrative set in the early 1900's in Western America. It follows around the corner from the story of the original game "Red Dead Redemption". However, this one isn't just a sequel to RDR, but a completely different story line. In UN, main  character John Marston follows clues in which he finds a zombie/undead outbreak along the American border and into Mexico. I like the fact that most Zombie films and games are set in a modern time while UN is set over 100 years ago, in a wild west/cowboy feel environment. The narrative isn't unrealistic like some Zombie films and games. The game requires you to follow clues and enigma codes, unrevealing possible causes of the outbreak. With the zombies being the main villain/threat in the game, Rockstar have had to build their characteristics with a huge amount of choice. Rather than having all the zombies being the classic slow movement based and dragging feet, they have ranged it by having different types of the undead characters. The usual undead move at a normal quick walk pace, while other zombies such as "Retchers" will spit liquid at you. Other variations of characteristics include "Brutes" who are a lot stronger and larger, and some zombies who will crawl in zig-zag lines, making them harder to kill. The characteristics of both characters and zombies have given me more ideas in how I will construct the characteristics of my own. I also like the narrative basis a lot more in comparisson to other Zombie/Horror films I have watched recently.

Opening Scene Trailer Story Board

I have made a rough sketch of what I will be filming in the opening scene of my trailer -

New Storyboard Scene 1 Trailer on Prezi

Media Film Magazine Feedback

When creating media related projects, I always feel it is necessary to receive as much feedback and opinions on my work as possible to allow me to improve and remove mistakes. Such suggestions have been made to my film magazine cover, which I didn't notice. Improvements I'd like to make include -

 

• On the left cover line I didn't notice that "adrenaline" was separated into 2 words by not making the text box large enough. I want to edit it so the word will all fit on one line.
• I also feel that the website at the bottom left of the cover could be moved slightly more central.
• Lastly the box with "Exclusive First Look" in, could possibly be slightly re-positioned. 

Trailer Setting

Now that the season/weather is creating more of a dreary and grey effect I feel it will make a good setting for my trailer. I plan to shoot parts of my trailer in the woods next week. The setting will be St. Helen's Woods in Hastings. Although some of the woods is a public area, I feel I can turn it into a deserted setting by the camera shots I will use.

For the woods scenes I will upload a story board plan tonight. I also have a story board plan for the previous scenes of my trailer which will be set around the college (Parkwood) and my home.