Personal trailer review 2: The Blair Witch Project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpEDDKOHE4k

Name of film: The Blair Witch Project

Year released: 1999

Genre of trailer: Horror, Mystery

Your mark (After viewing): 7/10

What happened in the trailer?

'In October 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary. A year later their footage was found.' Three film students go missing after traveling into the woods of Maryland to make a documentary about the local Blair Witch legend leaving only their footage behind.

Which positive, clever or interesting aspects do you think you could include in your own trailer? What generic features are fulfilled well?

- I liked the handheld aspect, this was the film that started off the handheld craze and has inspired me to want to use it in my trailer
- I liked the simple text at the start, it made the whole trailer feel like it was created by amateur, college students which was the desired effect. The fact that the film was low budget and cost only $60,000 actually helped as if it was a high concept movie with a multi-million dollar budget I don't think it would have worked as well. Another thing I liked about the text at the start was that it provided the audience with a clear idea of the narrative in just a few lines of text. If nothing else was said after this we would still understand what would happen in the movie. I would like to include something like this in my trailer as it is simple but very effective.
- I liked the eerie noise played in the background throughout the trailer, it provided the trailer with a sense of mystery.
- I liked the voice overs from the news reporters or authority figures, it provided the audience with more information on the college students, furthermore helping us to understand the narrative.
- The dramatic noises used on transitions and when things happened added excitement to the trailer. I want to recreate this in my trailer.
- I also liked the fact that the trailer was in black and white, it made the trailer feel once more like it was low budget and that it was made by college students. I want to use this in my trailer as I think it makes the trailer more creepy.
- There was a good use of restricted narration with the screams of the girl in the trailer. This was creepy as we are unaware of what is happening to them which makes us want to find out and watch the full movie. I want to use a dramatic scream at the end of my trailer to scare the audience to leave a scary message in the audiences minds.

Which aspects of the trailer did you think were unsuccessful, and would put off its target audience? How is it disappointing?

- I think that there could maybe be more footage of the students in the trailer, however there were two trailers made and the other one featured them more.
- The trailer could be more exciting. There could be a jumpy element at the end to make the audience want to watch the full movie. The trailer doesn't really draw the audience in.

Conclusion:

I think the trailer provides the audience with a good understanding of the narrative. I think the trailer is creepy, it is short but effective. The use of this trailer and the other one are good examples of how a low budget movie could prove to be very effective in attracting an audience. However they could have made the trailer longer and made it more exciting but overall I think the trailer still deserves a 7/10.