Props // Pre-Production

In current drama tragedy films, regular day-to-day objects (e.g. books) tend to be used as they are objects that people can relate to. From recognising this I have also decided to use regular props so that my target audience can see objects they recognise and as they recognise them feel more familiar and comfortable watching the trailer. These props include:

 1. Various records (vinyl)

2. A record player

3. A clock

 4. A key

5. A bike

6. An axe


















The main reason I chose the props above are because I feel they fit the genre of drama well with a small aspect of horror because of the axe. The axe itself is the only aspect of another genre (cross genre) that will feature in my prop list. I personally believe it adds to the drama of the trailer as the audience will be unsure of whether depression will lead Emily to be reckless with this prop.

All of my other props add another element of drama to my trailer in terms of audio and the cinematography of my shots. In the past couple of years records have made a large comeback in the teenager/young adults audience as the 'indie' market has boomed. My target audience is almost exactly the same market although not necessarily everyone will like 'indie' music. Despite that, by including a record player along with lots of records (old and new) in my trailer will definitely entice more of an audience to watch the trailer and then want to see the film. It may also increase the desire some people have to own a record player, which could make them a little envious of Emily. This would be an interesting emotion to feel as she suffers from depression so you would think that no one would be envious of her, however through props themselves (that she owns in the trailer) the audience will judge her and possibly want to own some of her possessions (props). In addition to this the record player and records allow me to incorporate the sound from a record (used as incidental music) and the crackling diegetic sound you here once a record has finished (if you haven't removed it from the player).

The clock and key are two of my most recognizable props. They both make diegetic sounds when in use (the clock ticking and the key unlocking a door) so these sounds can be used (along with the visual) to help increase the drama of the trailer.

Finally, I chose to use a bike in one of my shots to show Emily cycling away. This emphasizes the tragedy aspect of my genre as Emily's situation is so sad (and tragic) that her only option is to cycle away. It is also an interesting alternative to walking so that I make sure my trailer does not consist of shots of Emily walking around.