Planning: Props

What props will I need?

At this stage of the process I have a rough shot list and as such I can estimate the props I will need for the shooting day. As can be seen from the script there is little in the way of extravagant props (sticking to comedy-horror conventions), however some of the props that are used will be very important in order for the trailer to work. Some of the props that I will need include:

-Two realistic looking toy guns
-Two torches
-A villain mask (which looks comical but still professional)
-A stick (used when one of the victims tries to fight the villain)
-A mobile phone

Over the next few weeks I will take pictures of these props and upload them to my blog. I will analyse each prop in detail, stating why I chose that particular prop and why I think it is suitable for the final trailer.


Analysing specific props

Prop 1: Stick
The first prop is the stick, that will be used when one of the characters attempts to knock down the villain. I thought having a stick as a prop would be quite comical, as it is not usually the sort of thing that one would associate with a defensive weapon. In horror movies, characters often try and fight back in really stupid ways such as hitting the villain with a small rock or hitting them with the butt of a gun instead of actually shooting them. For this reason I am going to try to parody this within the trailer, and I think a stick would be a comical prop to help portray this idea.
The stick will be long and narrow, with a pointy bit at the end that would possibly be used as a stabbing source for the victims.

Prop 2: Mobile phone
The second prop that I am analysing is the mobile phone. The mobile phone features near the start of the trailer, when one of the boys realises that they are out of "cell reception." The phone will be quite small and not very colourful, to ensure that the audience are not distracted by it and are instead focusing on the action.
I think the phone plays a crucial part to the trailer as even though it does not particularly add to the story, it is representing one of the key horror movie cliches which is characters not receiving a mobile network, essentially meaning they can not contact the outside world. In essence this makes the movie more tense and frightening, which I think is mainly why it is used so often in horror films. However it has been so over used now that it can almost be seen as comedic, which is why I am using it as one of my cliches within the trailer.
As can be seen in the picture below, the phone is small and does not particularly stand out. Another reason for this, besides not distracting the audience, is the phone only being in one scene near the start of the trailer, meaning the audience will probably not pay much attention to it.

Prop 3: Two realistic looking toy guns
The third prop that I am analysing is the pair of fake guns that will be used within the trailer. These feature towards the end of the trailer when the victims aim towards the camera and one of them shouts "Shoot his legs!" The villain will also have a gun, which may be visible in one or two shots. To save money and resources, I think I will give the villain one of the victim's guns as they both handle the weapons in different shots anyway. I think this may actually be effective, as it may suggest to the audience that the victims manage to steal the villains gun or vice versa.
As can be seen, the guns will be fairly small and will not stand out too much in terms of colour. They are also fairly realistic looking. This is something I found difficult last year, as whilst making my thriller piece "Unresolved," I made use of a red spud gun, which lost me marks on mise-en-scene and of course did not look realistic in the slightest. For this reason, I have invested in some more expensive fake guns to make the trailer more effective and realistic looking. Below, one of the guns can be seen.

Prop 4: Two torches
The fourth prop is the two torches, that the victims will have within the trailer. As can be seen from the picture these torches will be fairly small and will be silver in colour. Like the props that I have analysed previously, I do not want them to be really colourful or to stand out too much so the audience can instead concentrate on the story and the action that is taking place. I think the torches that I use will be effective however, as it makes the trailer seem somewhat more eerie and dramatic, as torches show that darkness is looming and that the victims will need to watch out for what is happening around them.

Prop 5: A villain mask
The fifth prop that will feature in the trailer is the villain mask. The mask that I have chosen clearly belongs to the horror genre and I think it looks quite frightening and intimidating, however I also think it does not look like a really serious mask and could be seen as belonging to the comedy genre as well as the horror genre. This is because it is a pig mask, and as such many should be able to see the comedy elements that this entails.
The villain mask is important within the trailer as the villain needs to be able to be clearly identified by the audience as well as the victims themselves, and I think simply giving the villain a mask helps with this clear identification. It will also be a crucial part to the slapstick ending of the trailer, in which one of the victims pulls off the villain's mask to reveal a rather half-baked looking person underneath who proceeds to comically punch them in the face.