Certification

I have been for a while at a point where I have been unable to decide which age certification my trailer would fall under. If I were to take reference from existing media texts that my project has been inspired by (Super and Kickass) I would be aiming for an age 15 and over audience.
This is the requirements for a film to achieve a 15 certification.

Any of the following:

•   strong violence
•  frequent strong language (e.g. 'f***').
•   portrayals of sexual activity
•   strong verbal references to sex
•   sexual nudity
•   brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
•   discriminatory language or behaviour
•   drug taking

Out of these points especially considering the age of the actors being used, the only points I would consider including from this list is the frequent strong language and possibly verbal references to sex. Although in my opinion due to the fact that film trailers appear frequently on TV and in cinema screens very little, if not any of these can be included as to avoid offending and being inappropriate as an advertisement. I also don't want my trailer to be considered 'red band' which would not allow anyone under the age of 18 to be able to view it online.

Due to this I have decided to make my trailer a 12a. This means my product will be able to reach a far larger audience while still being able to include more mature themes and humour.

This is the requirements for a film to achieve a 12a certification.

Any of the following:

- Misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised.

- There may be moderate language. Strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used.

- There may be nudity, but in a sexual context it must be brief and discreet.

- There may be moderate violence but it should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood.

I believe that my trailer would be far for successful in appealing to a larger audience as a 12a while being able to keep the same intended plot 

Genre Research

Before deciding on the genre of my trailer I decided to create a survey listing the most popular and well renown of the film genre's. After giving out the survey to a group varying in age and interests to avoid any biased results.

From the results of the survey shown in this Pie chart comedy seemed to be the most popular of the film genre's followed closely by action. Comedy also could be considered one of the most accessible film genre's. Any person no matter their interests are able to find a topic amusing or funny to their particular sense of humour and unlike the other very plot specific genre's such as Science fiction and fantasy comedy is able to fit alongside nearly every other genre making an incredibly large effect on the films mood and plot.

With this alongside the results for the survey I have decided to make my trailer a combination of comedy alongside the runner up genre, Action.

Below is a quick definition of the two genre's followed by my thoughts in relation to my practical work.
Action.

"Action film is a film genre in which one or more heroes are thrust into a series of challenges that typically include physical feats, extended fight scenes, violence, and frantic chases. Action films tend to feature a resourceful character struggling against incredible odds, which include life-threatening situations, a villain, or a pursuit which generally concludes in victory for the hero"

- Wikipedia definition

Although the lesser of the two genres that I want to include in my trailer I really want to use this genre to support the other genre of Comedy. The action much like that of Kick Ass and Super is comical and slightly pathetic, these are real people who are attempting to fight crime. The characters I want to base my trailer around are barely adults and definitely not the most physically active of people. This will be a way in which I can combine both genres much like the films that have inspired my work.

Action movie poster examples:

 

Comedy.

"Comedy is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. These films are designed to entertain the audience through amusement, and most often work by exaggerating characteristics of real life for humorous effect. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending. One of the oldest genres in film, some of the very first silent movies were comedies, as slapstick comedy often relies on visual depictions, without requiring sound.While many comic films are lighthearted stories with no intent other than to amuse, others contain political or social commentary."

- Wikipedia definition

The comedy genre is the main basis of my intended plot. The majority of the comedic material in the trailer comes from the interaction between the films leads and their incredibly feeble attempts at crime fighting to escape their tedious ritualistic school life. I also am considering due to the location being based in the Bristol centre and countryside an emphasis on the "Bristolian" slang and dialect may prove humorous. Although there is the possibility that the humour may only apply to that who live in Bristol and others may not understand the fairly specific type of humour.

Comedy movie poster examples: