Costume and props Research & planning

My GOV.uk research showed me that my target audience are males who take in their appearance, but aren't necessarily vain. Teenage and young adult males have a good social life and care about having status and attracting girls. A lot of them have a keen interest in expensive shoes, while others like trendy jeans and jackets. Studies suggest that males are getting vainer; they spend more time looking in the mirror, buying skincare/perfume products, working out and styling their hair. This could be due to an increase in male magazines, social changes and a wider range of male cosmetic products.
My research told me that the males in my target audience were middle class citizens. They therefore buy clothes from high-street bands, such as George and M&S.
This outfit is a good example of the type of clothes and colours, that a typical teen/young adult would buy. (Source: http://www.marksandspencer.com/).
Since my main character represents the majority of my target audience, he should wear middle class clothes - which show him as a casual, average looking young male. Such outfits include; hoodies, jeans, tracksuits, shirts, smart jackets, chinos and trainers. Ordinarily, a guy might choose clothes with a splash of colour or a funky design. But I want the visuals in my trailer to look drab and dreary - so the clothes have to grey, blue and/or black to fit into the miserable setting and work well with the filters.
Examples of clothing in movies

Movie: warm bodies. The (teenage) male in this film is wearing a simple grey top with a red hoodie. The colour grey suits him because he is a zombie, but the red suggests warmth to show that there is still a human element to him.
It is a realistic choice of costume for the character, as he is just a regular teen.

Film: House at the end of the street. This character wears a blue, checked flannel shirt over casual denim jeans. The colour blue connotes calmness, which represents his vulnerable and reclusive personality.
This is the kind of minimal, stylish (but understated) look that I want for my trailer. I believe that the costume the character is wearing at any given time, represents their physical and emotional state.







Film: The purge: Anarchy. I like the black jacket and shoes on this character, as it makes him look mysterious yet confident and ready in the face of danger. The jacket is also there for practical use, since this character is outside for the night. My main character is outside for a lot of scenes, so he'll need a light jacket or hoodie. If I decide to add in some rain, it would make sense that he'd wear a coat - depending on the context of the scene.
This character's boots look comfortable - making them easy for him to run in. My character will wear walking shoes or boots for this reason, during a running away scene. Since this guy is a sergeant, the belt and weapons relate to his profession and tell us more about him. But my character will wear no such accessories, since he doesn't have any special authority or status.

Other examples

Here's some variations of different styles. my choice of trousers will mainly be dark jeans/trousers, since they go with any top. The jacket (right) is a good choice for outdoor wear and the colour suggests hostility, for the paranoia scenes.

He is going to wear tracksuits in a few scenes; to show that he is mentally breaking down and is therefore in a deteriorating physical condition as a result. Tracksuits usually mean lazy, unmotivated behaviour - which is a side effect of my character's sleep deprivation.
I chose the colour grey because I think it's miserable and physically draining. If I use pathetic fallacy - (like a rainy day), it will blend in with the sickly atmosphere.

One of the secondary characters is a mysterious figure (we don't see their face) who wears a black hoodie. I have chosen outfit because it completely conceals his identity and brings an unsettling feeling which will signify dark things to come.

I am including a psychiatrist scene in my trailer. If the character is shown, she will wear something like the items above. I have chosen floral print trousers, because I think they look mature and professional. The role of the white cardigan is to make her look like a clean, sterile professional figure. The pure colouring also paints her as a figure of hope - who could provide a brighter future. I can use some stereotypical props - like glasses and a clipboard, to further the professional, intelligent appearance. She will wear appropriate, plain black flat shoes.

I'll be using an actor (wearing fx makeup) for at least one of my horror creatures. This means I need an old top, which I don't mind getting covered in fake blood. It should be light in colour (preferably white) so that the gory effect really shows up on camera.
Almost every single scary girl in a horror movie, wears a white dress.




 Getting the costume


I have access to all of the clothing I need, because I can find the outfits in my brother's wardrobe. He has a range of hoodies (including grey and black), plain shirts, trousers for all occasions and a mass of shoes. This is because luckily, he fits into my target audience. As for the female psychiatrist character, I have clothing which can pass as smart and professional. We are both willing to lend our clothes to the actors. I also have props - like some old glasses, a clipboard and some old clothes in the loft (that we can cover in fake blood).
There is no need to buy or order anything; which is good for my budget.