Planning- Representation in Trailer

Stereotypes
Our four main characters are all teenagers, consequently they have a stereotypical representation of being vulnerable and weak. This is an important stereotype we wanted to incorporate into our film as it allows us to create a sense of danger as the audience will emphasise with the characters dangers. Further to this as we have decided to use a horror sub-genre of thriller, we  wanted to use a physiological element to our trailer to conform to an element of the genre. To achieve this we used a stereotypical antagonist which is typical ghost figure, (tall and dark) which is stereotypically intimidating allowing for us to give the inference that the protagonists are in danger.

Present
As we have a target audience between the ages of 15-25 we wanted to have characters that fit into this age group, allowing us to create a sense of realism. Having 4 teenage main characters allowed us to achieve this as the only character outside this age group is the woman who offers Hayley help. However having an adult in there allowed us to offer the audience a sense of reassurance, although maintaining an element of fear as females are still seen as vulnerable in horror films.

Absent

In our films we have decided to have adult males as absent because stereotypically they connote a sense of reassurance. Therefore if we decided to subvert the convention to heighten the fear of danger, as a younger will find the film more scary if we are to get our preferred reading.

World Created

After our research we know that thrillers stereotypically create a world of danger and violence and we have conformed to this convention in D.O.B. To achieve this we are using our ghost character in the film as the audience never fully get to see it up close and personal, allowing us to tap into the audiences fear of the unknown. After our research we know that a fear of the unknown is an element that creates suspense for the audience, particularly for our younger generation as a target audience.

What is Valued

A main element that is valued in our film is relationships. This is established early on in the film between the 4 main characters as they are all strangers in a foreign location therefore you would expect them to have a hostile relationship. However we focus on a friendly style of relationship which is seen very early on in the our trailer in the shot reverse shots between the characters as they try to figure out what is happening. This importance of which quickly developed friendships is important when stranded in a barn like in ours, as they need to work together to overcome the situation. Therefore good relationships and quick thinking are the main assets we value in the world of our trailer.