To create a different style of genre we replaced normal vampire conventions , such as the vampire into a chav. The bite replaced with sex, and the vampire infection with an STI.

The only music or sound we used was a track specially made for Chavampire by Frankie Seabrook. Its slow with a heavy beat which is stereotypically listened to by chav’s. At the same time its quite rhythmic and creepy at times. It creates a sence of atmosphere and the audience are able to sence tension where something is going to happen.

In terms of mise-en-scene there was very little props used. It emphasises the fact that the characters are college students. It didn’t need to be shot in anywhere posh or far away because we were already in the perfect location. Also the only costumes we used was at the end, when Alexandra turned into a chavampire. She is wearing a hat, trackie bottoms, and she has a fag in her hand.

The editing brought the whole movie together. We were able to cut pieces we didn’t like out and replace it with better footage that worked better in its place. We used a few transitions from scene to scene to break it up and make it clearer when the scene had changed. Such as the transition from scene 1 in the little park, to scene 2 which is  in Grove Road park instead. This transition worked really well, we also had to use a piece of text from scene 2 to scene 3, to inform the audience of the transition from one to the next.

We used a range of shots, to make it slightly more interesting to watch. For example in a conversation, when one person was talking the camera would be focused on that person in a close up shot. This makes it clearer to the audience who is talking, and it would be boring to put a camera on a table and film the conversation from a mid/long shot. However I do believe if we had properly thought about it, then we might have had a wider range of shots, to make it more interesting to watch, and possibly more professional looking.

Translymania is recognised as a vampire film thanks to iconography. Many things such as the “old spooky house” and “full moon” on halloween are just a few things stereotypically linked to vampires. There’s also the pale face, aristocratic clothes and no reflection in the mirror, which are all characteristics directly linked to vampire movies.

In almost any  genre of film, there are stock characters, (a good guy- trying to restore law and order). This character will probably have similar roles, personal qualities, motivations, goals, and behaviour, and will re-occur as a new identity in most films. In Translymania there is the vampire, (the bad guy who wants to kill people), the vampire slayers, (the good guys) and the victims, (who in this case are college students, which are not typically innocent, so this is a slight change to the virginal, pure and innocent girls, who are usually preyed on by the vampire).

Within Translymania there are several themes, sex, and social and cultural issues. Sex is heavily included within all vampire movies, with the biting of the neck and all the characters who engage in sexual activities out of wedlock, become victims themselves. The film features sex in a more modern way, as its college students on holiday together, and it is targeted to a younger audience.  Films are able to approach difficult social issues, and offer solutions to problems which can’t be solved in real life.  By offering the solution over and over again it teaches the audience how to feel and react to that subject. It teaches that life after death,  flying, extream wealth, and foreigners are something to be afraid of, not envied.

As is predictable, the film is set in Translyvania (where Dracula was set), in a spooky old castle in the hills, and its isolated from most of civilisation. Its important that it is set in Translyvania because “Translymania” is a micky take of the scary vampire capital of the world.

To create the atmosphere in the film, they use low-key lighting, which makes shadows, and makes it look as though its night time. There’s not a lot of bright colours used, because this defeats everything vampires, the storyline, and the setting stands for.

Translymania is at the self-referential stage of the vampire genre. There are so many films of this genre that its made impossible to take it serious any more, and actually mocks everything iconically linked to vampires.

I would say that its probably hard to tell what the binary oppositions are from the trailer, but it probably has the same as most other vampire films.

Good V Evil

Life V Death

Purity V Non-purity/ infection

Natural beauty  V Glamour

Restraint/ repsoncibilty V Hedonism/ parties

Health V Disease

Newspapers:  Don’t ever read them, I’ll watch the news if I want to catch up on what the world is up to.

Magazines: MORE magazine. My girlfriends got me into this magazine, we get together over a bowl of ice-cream and laugh at all the stupid things guys say in men overheard.

Books: Gok Wan- how to dress. I love Gok, and his book is every bit as good as his programmes are. But I also love Cecelia Ahern- If you could see me now. Its one of my favourite books, about how an imaginary friend manages to change someone’s life.

TV: I watch television in the evenings, so i mainly watch soaps, to help me relax before bed.

Radio: I love the radio, its always on in our house, especially galaxy fm, or radio 1.

Ads: I love the cadbury’s adverts, it never has anything to do with chocolate, but they are so random, and stupid that are they are so lovable and memorable.