BEN TRUCKELL
A2 MEDIA STUDIES
EVALUATION – THE DERANGED
1: IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR
CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
The forms and conventions of real media products influenced the production of my own
Media products. The ancillary tasks, a film poster and a double page spread film article,
were quite dependent on the Main task, our short film. Furthermore, our short film
relied heavily on our chosen genre and audience, due to the forms and conventions we
needed to apply to our film.
Genre: The genre of our short film is horror, specifically the hybrid genres Teen Horror
and Slasher. Therefore we decided to adopt the forms and conventions from films of the
Genre. It also engages with a Thriller subgenre as our film explores a sense of tension
throughout, which is a predominant convention from the Thriller genre.
Audience: We intended to target a teen audience, starting around 15 years old, due to
the ages of the characters and the conventional teen audience of the hybrid Horror
genres Teen Horror and Slasher. We thought it should be targeted at a starting age of 15
due to the age certificate we imagined our film would have.
In the following slides I will explore the forms and conventions of the Horror genre which
were implemented into our film, explaining our decisions and how effective they were in
targeting our audience and complying to real media products of the genre. I will also discuss
how we have challenged or developed some forms and conventions; decisions that were
made to set our film different, in ways, from existing films.
1: IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR
CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
The forms and conventions for the narrative of films have certain patters and
trends that have been identified by media theorists. Therefore we researched
these theorists and their conclusions to apply aspects to the forms and
conventions of the narrative in our film.
Vladimir Propp, who developed a ‘character theory’ that indicated that there were
7 broad character types, after analysing 100 fairy tales. These seven types
consisted of the villain, the donor, the helper, the princess, the father, the
dispatcher and the hero/victim.
In some ways, this theory is of some relevance to our short film, however as it is a
short film, we were limited to the amount of characters and therefore reducing the
character theory to only two of the different character types. We included the
‘Villain’ portrayed by Florence and the Hero(es)/Victim(s) portrayed predominantly
by Claire and also by Ben and George.
As this theory was devised from analysing fairy tales, we decided to not focus on
this theorist as much as the theorists Claude Levi-Strauss and Tzvetan Todorov.
1: IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR
CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
Tzvetan Todorov’s narrative theory was a great source for insight into the forms and conventions of the
narrative for our own Horror film. His theory concludes that there are five stages to a narrative. The
stages consist of Equilibrium, Disruption, Recognition, Repair and Restoration.
The relevance is that our film consists of the first four stages. However not necessarily in the same order.
The film begins with the disruption stage as there is initial tension and an indication that something has
happened to disrupt an equilibrium previous to the narrative in the film. This disruption is indicated by
the fast pace and hand-held camera movements showing the Florence is in danger. A change of landscape
to portrait orientation for one shot of Florence represents the disruption within her character that will
further affect the narrative. Further disruption stages involve Florence’s turn of character when she
murders her friends.
There is no significant equilibrium stage as the audience is communicated a sense of disruption and
danger throughout the film. However the characters remain naïve to the situation and therefore to them
there is an equilibrium, for example when Ben and Claire are simply watching television.
The recognition stage is signified by a change in lighting where Claire is left in darkness due to the
conventional ‘power cut’ that exist in many existing horror films. The dimly lit scenes and frantic camera
movements from this point in the film communicate the realisation that the character Claire adopts, that
a disruption stage has occurred. Another Recognition stage is where the character, Claire, fully realises the
disruption stage in the narrative as she comprehends that Florence was the killer. This is signified by the
introduction of non-diegetic ‘spooky’ music at this point.
The repair stage is attempted, as Claire tries to resolve the situation by becoming compassionate to
Florence’s feelings and struggles to calm her down. However this fails as the film ends with Claire’s death.
We felt that the restoration stage was not required due to the forms and conventions of many horror
films’ narratives, as it is typical to conclude the film without a return to equilibrium. This sense of despair
leaves the audience with a heightened sense of fear due to the unsettled story and lack of a happy
ending, resulting in a successful horror film.
1: IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR
CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
Claude Levi-Strauss’s binary oppositions theory suggests that there are opposite sets of
values that reveal the structure of media texts. An example would be GOOD/BAD, as we
understand the concept that GOOD is the opposite of BAD.
We felt this theory was essential for films of the Horror genre. The good/bad opposition
exists in almost all horror films; usually between the characters which adapt the binary
opposition helpless/powerful. Therefore we chose to create this opposition as the base
structure to our film. The bad is seen, at the beginning of the film, to exist between the
characters Claire, George and Ben as they play the prank on the character Florence,
therefore the good is evident to be Florence, due to the sympathetic view that the
audience adopts. However unbeknown to Claire, George and Ben, the prank affects her in
ways unimaginable and so the binary oppositions of the characters switch. Florence
becomes the powerful character, and therefore adopts the ‘bad’ characteristic due to her
actions. Consequently, Claire, George and Ben adapt the ‘good’ in the good/bad binary
opposition due to the characters becoming the ‘helpless’ in the helpless/powerful binary
opposition.
The binary opposition of good/bad and hero/villain for the character Claire is seen to be an
unlikely transformation to the audience, due to her oblivious and ignorant personality. This
is seen in the dialogue when she disregards Florence’s feelings by stating that “she will be
fine in a minute” and so to “leave her”. However, as Florence takes control at the end and
Claire is seen to be the helpless character who attempts to repair the situation, it is seen
that Claire becomes the ‘Hero’ character in the binary opposition hero/villain.
1. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR
CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF KEY SHOTS AND FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
This key shot is from the opening scene to our short
film. In terms of forms and conventions of films from the
horror genre, this key shot challenges real media
product forms and conventions in a certain way, as it
steps outside of the norm for most narratives. This
scene acts as an ambiguous and ominous signal to the
audience about the film’s genre and crudely identifies
the initial antagonists in the film, whilst communicating a
dreamlike appearance to suggest the scene is surreal. It
is quite unconventional to begin a film with a surreal
scene due to the narrative media theory posed by
Todorov as he suggests a film would begin with an
equilibrium stage, such as the representation of a
happy family at the start of The Last Exorcism which
then leads to the disruption stage.
However, In other ways, this shot uses various aesthetic forms and conventions and typical film techniques that directors use in
Horror films. For example, the reduction of saturation, altering the colour scheme to grayscale is a common convention in many
horror films, due to the connotation of colourless scenes to be menacing and scary. Another conventional post-production
technique is the application of blurred edges, communicating the surreal, dreamlike sense. These visual editing techniques are
used often in films for similar scenes of surrealism as the audience understands the intended representation.
Another convention we have used in this shot is the inclusion of the common Horror-related props – masks. These masks often
feature in our film as they represent Florence’s thoughts and communicate to the audience an understanding of what is going on
in her mind. Furthermore, we have used these masked characters to accomplish a slightly infamous convention of a few Horror
films, where the antagonists move in sync with each other in a creepy manner for a sense of fear. We used this abandoned shed
and the broken windows as a way to show protruding masked figures looming out of darkness, which is an idea that has been
carried through many horror films in the past, we had decided to develop it.
1.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF KEY SHOTS AND FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
A common convention in Horror films
is to use settings with negative and
scary connotations, such as haunted
houses, basements, warehouses and
woodland. Therefore we wanted to
conform to this convention about
setting and so we thought a wooded
area would be a great setting to film.
After watching various films which
included a woodland scene, such as
Texas Chainsaw Massacre we
concluded that the primary reason to
film in such a setting was to create
tension and communicate a sense of
fear and the unknown of ‘what’s lurking
in the trees’.
We then decided that it would be a perfect setting to film our opening chase scene, due to the horror connotations and the
expansive areas to run and communicate a distance for the chase.
We also conformed to the audio forms and conventions of woodland scenes, involving the use of diegetic sound effects such as
crows cawing and branches snapping, as it all contributed to the scary atmosphere we wanted to construct for the audience.
Typically, the lighting for wooded scenes are dark, due to the tendency to film at night amongst the woods for added sense of fear.
However we decided to challenge this convention and film close to dusk, where the lighting is light enough for the picture quality to
be good, but also dark enough and overcast to communicate an unwelcoming and gloomy atmosphere. This decision was primarily
for a production reason, due to lack of technology and equipment to shoot effectively at night, however we feel that the fact the
woodland scenes are filmed in daylight suggests the possibility of a scary occurrence happening at any time; a frightening concept.
1.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF KEY SHOTS AND FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
In the opening scene amongst the wooded area we decided to conform to the incredibly common convention of chase scenes,
particularly ones that occur in films of the Horror and the Thriller genre. This convention is the film technique and camera
movement, hand-held camera. We executed this shot by holding the camera and running after the character Florence, to
construct the sense of panic and desperation of escape. During this shot we also conformed to audio forms and conventions of
chase scenes in the Horror genre, including the diegetic sound effects of heavy breathing and footsteps and also the nondiegetic suspenseful music to create a great sense of tension.
All of these forms and conventions of chase scenes have been proven very successful in existing films and so we decided to
achieve similar success for this specific shot in our film and to further match our film to the genre of Horror.
1.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF KEY SHOTS AND FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
This is a key shot taken from the sequence I formulated
in post-production editing that includes cross-cutting,
slow motion and non-diegetic music to create a strong
chase scene which holds a significant sense of tension.
It is a common convention to include a cross-cutting
sequence during a chase scene in a film. However, we
chose to develop this convention further by creating a
rather abstract sequence to communicate the surreal
ideas and distorted mind of the character Florence. This
sense of surrealism in this sequence was created by
slow motion of 50% and the application of non-diegetic
music to play alongside the rest of the chase scene. The
music we had chosen was a song called Seven Devils
by Florence + The Machine, a current indie-rock band.
We felt this song suited the film and this sequence very well due to the spooky and ominous elements to the song such as the continuous
script of piano notes that run throughout the song that work as back-grounding notes.
We also believed that the choice of music would target our teenage audience effectively as the target audience for the band range mainly
from young teenagers to young adults, similar to our film. The extract from the song that I used was carefully clipped and positioned in postproduction to achieve the most effective sound effect that in a way narrates alongside the chase scene. The lyrics include “Holy water
cannot help me now” which could connote to our film and the situation that the character Florence is in at this time as “Holy water” could be
a metaphor for anything that could help help her at the time, such as people or a weapon.
The slow motion by 50% accentuated the suspense of the sequence and reinforces the sense of danger and desire for escape that the
character experiences. This is a common convention for chase scenes to include an element of slow motion for the very reason that it
exaggerates the chase by revealing the movement in such a way that the audience consumes every detail.
We believe that this challenged the forms and conventions of cross-cutting chase scenes due to the typical suspenseful and tension
building non-diegetic sound effects that run alongside the shots in existing films. Instead, we chose to select modern music to create
tension and atmosphere.
1.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF KEY SHOTS AND FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
A common convention for the use of
setting in films of the hybrid genres
Slasher and Teen Horror is to use a large
deserted, detached house with the
absence of parents, for example in Scream
1 and 4. However as this was quite cliché
for similar films, we decided to develop the
idea to create a sense of realism and
believability. We filmed the majority of the
film and the murder scenes in the location
of a detached house in a village, where
surrounding houses are shown in one shot
outside. This shows that the house and the
teenagers were not completely deserted
and separated from civilisation. This adds
to the fearful elements in the film as it fuels
the realistic approach to our film.
This key shot was taken through a serving hatch in the kitchen, which proved to be an excellent and useful production technique that allowed
us to film this unusual and effective camera angle. As most shots including characters conversing or doing something whilst facing a wall can
only be filmed from the side of from behind due to the restriction of the wall, we have challenged this convention of camera angles by filming
through the hatch, facing the characters. This allowed us to capture the facial expressions, specifically Florence’s reactions to what George
says.
The mise en scene used in this shot contributes to the construction of realism we intended to convey in our film. The mise en scene,
predominantly the use of props (kettle, tea, coffee, mugs etc.), set the domestic scene and therefore conveying a sense of normality and
equilibrium in the narrative. This is a convention in all films of any genre, to construct the representation of the setting and the characters, the
props in this shot suggest that the characters are in the kitchen. Instantly we conformed to the convention of props and mise en scene, to
construct representations of the setting and the characters in the film.
1.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF KEY SHOTS AND FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
Similarly to the opening surreal shot of the three masked figures to convey Florence’s mind, we have reinforced this idea and
continued it throughout the film to retain the indication, to the audience, that Florence is seeing things in her mind that aren't
really there. We had developed this idea and continuous theme in these particular shots through the use of video and audio
effects. Both of these shots communicate the way Florence sees these characters in her mind, to the audience. They occur
leading up to the death of each of the characters as it partly justifies why Florence intends to kill them, providing a reason for
the audience instead of mindless killing that could cheapen the film and provide no real depth.
Both shots have the visual effect desaturation and the video effect of blurred edges which was a very effective combination
to display the intended message to the audience. I had applied an audio effect to
the shot on the left that affected the speech of George in the shot, the effect was an echoing sound effect called ‘Cathedral’.
However, I applied a different audio effect t the shot on the right which lowered the pitch of Claire’s speech to create an
ominous and terrifyingly inhuman voice, called ‘Pitch Down 3’. Both of the audio effects work very well in conjunction with the
visual effects and video effects and consequently both of these shots communicate perfectly that the audience is shown
what Florence sees and hears in her mind.
1.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF KEY SHOTS AND FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
We decided to use the convention of having one main villain that would dominate the ‘bad’ of the
binary opposition good/bad during the majority of the film. This is seen in many horror films such as
Halloween with the singular killer Michael Myers. Involving the use of one main villain provides the
audience with a clear sense of direction as to whom to be afraid of and what character invokes the fear
out of them.
We also decided to develop the idea of including a female main villain, which interested us when
researching Scream 4 as they included a female killer. We thought this challenged the common
convention of having male killers and villains, and therefore decided to develop it in our film.
Another convention of films in the horror genre which involve a main villain or killer involves the
audience; whether or not the audience know who the killer is or not. Keeping the audience in the dark
and retaining the mystery of the killer is certainly a way to create tension and anticipation, fitting for a
horror movie. However, we decided to reveal the identity of the main villain. This was partly due to the
restricted length of our film, as we had limited time for character building. Therefore we decided to
shock our audience and create the sense of fear by blatantly displaying the horrific extents of the
character, as we had no time for that sense of mystery of who the killer might be. Although, we had
decided to keep the mystery between the characters in the narrative; therefore for the majority of the
film the characters would not know who was the killer. Similarly to the famous and successful horror
movie director, Alfred Hitchcock and his film Frenzy where he executed the obvious presentation of
the killer to the audience but kept his characters naïve about the villain.
This shot also reflects the forms and convention of a way that characters can be killed in horror films. The main villain/killer is seen to be angry
and screaming as they go ‘in for the kill’ which is common in almost all existing films of the genre. The use of the knife is also a common
convention, as the weapon in films of the hybrid genres Slasher and Teen Horror is predominantly a knife. Here, the character, George, is killed
off shot with the knife, to prevent the imagery of gore. This challenges the convention of many horror films where blood and stab wounds are
displayed throughout, however due to the shortness of our film we decided that we don’t require gore to communicate the sense of fear in our
horror film. Also we imagined our film to have a age certificate of about 15 and many films, particularly older ones, with that specific age
certificate would never involve gore, only a strong psychological aspect which invokes fear amongst its audiences. Another convention which we
had developed in our film.
1.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF KEY SHOTS AND FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
A common convention in films of the Horror genre is to include an element of hopelessness and lack of an essential feature in the narrative. In
many cases this is produced in the form of a power cut, creating a loss of lighting, which instantly creates a hugely frightening atmosphere and a
sense of danger. Therefore we desired to conform to this popular convention to further suit our film comfortably in the genre of horror.
Consequently, we included a power cut scene, where, to make it more convincing, we turned off the lights and the TV at the same time so the
audience can notice two electrical items turning off, making the predictable scene believable. To achieve an effective power cut we knew that we
had to have some light source throughout filming, since the limit on time for our film restricts waste of filming on utter darkness. Therefore we
used a phone to keep Claire’s face illuminated to reveal her reaction to the power cut, to the audience.
I believe this shot worked very well as the power cut was executed convincingly and there was no time wasted on filming darkness due to the
use of a small, yet relevant to the narrative, light source. As teenagers are using there phone the majority of the time, it just simply adds to the
realism and believability of the film and the events that occur throughout.
1.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF KEY SHOTS AND FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
After researching films as well as TV programmes in the Horror-Drama genre such as Supernatural we identified certain film techniques that
would be very effective if we included them in our own film. In Supernatural there are often dimly lit scenes and so the need for a torch becomes
a popular theme in many episodes. As a torch seems to be the obvious source of light for a power cut, it is often a convention amongst TV
programmes and films of the Horror genre to include a torch as a prop, alongside candles. A significant film technique that we identified and were
intrigued by in Supernatural was the way in which they used the torch to create a transition between shots. Therefore in place of a simple cut, the
actor would direct the torch towards the camera and blind the camera with light, creating an opportunity for a manual ‘White Fade’ transition. This
convention that I have only seen in the TV series Supernatural is a creative and effective way to move between shots that is subtle as well, as
the audience could not even notice it due to the tendency for someone to wave a torch around in all directions to see their surroundings. The way
this transition impressed us meant that we too would use the torch in this exact way to create a manual transition. I was very happy with the
result of this technique as it worked very well with subtlety.
1.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF KEY SHOTS AND FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
It is a convention in some Horror films to include a lack of lighting, and so directors use ingenious ideas to increase the limited
lighting from a small source such as a torch or a candle. One popular idea for filmmakers is to use glass or other transparent
materials to reflect the light that is used, creating small areas of bright light in the shot. This is a convention that we developed with
the use of the torch in our scene with Claire’s attempted escape. We decided to film Claire entering a room with a chandelier in it, as
this would be a great addition to the ominous mise en scene and also provide an interesting other light source to the shot, due to the
reflections on the glass. We filmed a still from stationary within the room and began to track Claire’s movement as she entered and
ran through the room. The chandelier acts as a dominant feature in the mise on scene for this shot due to the increased lighting the
reflections made from the torch. Chandeliers are also quite conventional in films of the Horror genre due to their spooky
connotations, as they are a key feature to ‘haunted houses’ in horror films.
1.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF KEY SHOTS AND FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
We decided to conform the forms and conventions of Horror films and the inclusion of doors and their horrific value. Often, directors use doors as
a way to invoke fear from the target audience of a horror film due to the various themes you can apply to filming with doors. It is a standard horror
film convention to include the sound effects of creaking doors and doors slowly opening to suggest to the audience that something is about to
enter a scene and scare them and the character in shot. However we decided this was too much of a cliché to involve in our film and so we
challenged this convention by instead utilizing the door to exaggerate a desperation for escape. We conveyed this idea through a lot of loud and
vicious movement on Claire’s part to open the door and leave the room. This is the key shot of Claire struggling with the conservatory door,
which created a lot of creaking and crashing noises, therefore eliminating the requirement for added diegetic sound effects in post-production.
We used hand-held camera at this point to exaggerate the erratic movement of opening the door, which reflected Claire’s desperation in
escaping from the house. We used the torch for lighting again in this shot as it reflects the realistic approach to opening doors in darkness by
shining the light source on the door to know how to open it. This also acted as a great way to illuminate the shot and show the action in the
frame, with the erratic movement with the torch.
1.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF KEY SHOTS AND FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
We decided to mimic Hitchcock’s convention of not
showing the murder scenes of the characters, but
rather show the action of our main villain attempting
to kill them. We have employed this convention for
each killing throughout our film, as we thought it
was better to leave the gore and the actual killings
to the audience’s imagination. We also decided on
using this convention of Hitchcock’s for production
reasons and lack of resources to produce a
realistic, gory murder scene. We believed that if we
incorporated these scenes into our short film, it
would lower the standard of a convincing horror
film, due to the obvious fake killings we would not
be able to avoid.
Hitchcock’s techniques in his film played a large part in producing ideas for our own film as they were created a long time ago when a lot of the
new technology and equipment that are used today in the film industry were not invented. Therefore we felt we had a similar scenario to when
he produced his films, as we had a lack of equipment and production due to budget. This connection we had made between us and Hitchcock
lead us to the decision to adopt many film techniques and conventions he had incorporated in his horror films to create a successful result. So
we also researched Psycho (1960), specifically the shower scene where Lila is killed by Norman. This scene is famous for its use of horrific
climactic non-diegetic music to exaggerate the impact of a lo-fi death in the film, due to the lack of technology. As this scene was so successful
in its time at creating a strong sense of terror, we decided to incorporate similar climactic and suspenseful music at the time of the killing’s to
exaggerate the content of the scene; reinforcing the intended fear that isn’t shown visually with audio.
This is the final shot of the film and exists in the form of a freeze frame just before the end credits to our film. This is a way of challenging the
forms and conventions of the ways in which films are ended. Due to the length of the film it was difficult to end it on an impact with just the
audience’s knowledge of the final killing, therefore I applied a two-second ‘flash-and-hold’ freeze frame of the last shot in conjunction with the
suspenseful sound effect. This communicated a higher sense of fear as the final shot of Claire about to be murdered is screened for longer,
allowing the audience to consume this concluding shot fully, acknowledging the terrifying elements of it and the horror that is about to occur.
1. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR
CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF FILM POSTER AND THE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
The form and convention of images for film
posters can be fairly varied, however I
chose the convention to include secondary
images which convey more information
about the film and the main villain. I
positioned this portrait shot of the main
villain, Florence top left, surrounding the
main image. The image acts as a hook to
entice people to want to see the film.
Here is the release date for the film, a
convention of almost all film posters of any
genre. It is also conventional to position it at
the bottom of the layout of the poster, as
people tend to read from top downwards
and so the release date is to be the last
thing that a reader will see, after determining
whether or not they are interested in
watching the film.
In my research I found it conventional to
have a black background due to all three of
the existing film posters I looked at had
included it. Therefore I decided I was going
to adopt this convention and place a solid
black colour fill that surrounds the content of
the film poster. It is also conventional for film
posters in the genre of Horror as the colour
black connotes death and despair, fitting for
the genre.
I have used the convention of positioning
all of the actor’s names at the top of the
film poster. This convention was used in
the film poster for The Haunting of Molly
Hartley that I researched previous to my
production. I have enlarged the surname
of the actor underneath the forename in
the similar form from my research of
existing media products.
This is a creative, stylistic convention
that many film posters may use
depending on their photography. I have
edited this main image in such a way
that applies a lens flare filter to
accentuate the knife being held. Lens
flares are popular in film advertising as it
appears professional due to the
reference and relation to the film
industry and camerawork.
I decided to conform to the recent
convention of film posters of positioning the
film title in the lower half of the whole layout,
beneath the main image similarly to the film
posters for Semum and The Haunting of
Molly Hartley from my research.
As part of the convention to include all of
the technical information at the bottom of
the poster layout, I have created my own
production company logo and placed it
underneath all of the information. It is
conventional for film posters to place
copies of logos from production
companies and funding and so I chose to
conform to this particular convention.
1.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF FILM POSTER AND THE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
After observing other film posters than the
3 I had analysed it became apparent to me
that it is a convention for some posters to
include a quote from a review in a
magazine or online. Therefore I have
invented a quote from a review and
sourced it from Total Magazine. This quote
acts as another hook to entice the
audience to watch the film.
Here is the technical information about the
film regarding directors, producers, editors
etc. This information is conventionally
placed near the bottom under all main
imagery and hooks on the film poster. It is
also conventional to have an altered font,
elongated letters and various font sizes for
names and their role in the filmmaking
process. This information provides the
audience with concrete details about the film
that could influence a reader to decide to
see the film due to favourite or known
actors/directors etc.
This is another secondary image which I
have placed top right of the poster, above
the main image and opposite the other
secondary image. It reveals the opening
shot of the three masked figures looming out
of the abandoned shed, as this is such an
abstract shot it invokes interest from the
audience. Therefore it acts as a hook to
entice the audience to watch the film.
It is a common convention amongst film
posters to include a strapline/slogan to the
film, positioned underneath the film title.
Therefore I decided to conform to this to
match real media products. The strapline
invokes interest from the audience as it
conveys a sense of mystery. The use of the
word ‘fear’ connotes to the genre of Horror
very well, thus enticing the audience to see
the film and find out exactly what is to ‘fear’.
1.
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD AND THE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
It is a convention for some
magazines to include a
short sentence or
paragraph to reveal a little
about the film to grab a
reader’s attention at first
glance.
Common convention to
include preliminary
details about the film
previous to the article as
it provides the reader
with interesting facts that
may sell the film more to
the audience by
informing them of
technical details. I have
included these details in
the form of a list that has
been boxed off by thick
red lines which works
well in conjunction with
the colour scheme.
In researching double
page spreads I
concluded that it is a
common convention to
have one side of the
double page spread as
an entire photograph,
consequently making it
the main image. Here I
have decided to arrange
these masks which
feature prominently in
the film, to form the main
image as they take up
the majority of a single
page. I took separate
photos of each mask and
arranged them on
Photoshop.
It is a convention of all
magazine double page
spreads to include the
page number, the date of
issue and the name of the
magazine in the bottom
left-hand corner of the
left-hand single page.
Therefore I decided to
conform to this
convention.
It is also a common convention to include the film’s official
website at the bottom of the double page spread as
reference for readers and so I decided to adopt this
convention into my own double page spread.
Common convention to enlarge the font of the ‘initial
capital’, a ‘drop capital’ to act as a visual cue, indicating
the start of the article and therefore drawing attention to
the text, as this is a common convention for all magazines
I decided I would incoroporate it into the text.
This image is secondary
to the main image as it is
the only image
positioned on the righthand singular page. It
reveals to the audience
the killer and the
weapon, which could be
argued is ‘giving too
much away’ however, I
believe it provides the
audience with enough
mysterious detail to
entice them to see them
film. I have softly erased
the edges of the
photograph to make it
blend in well with the
background and the
callout on top.
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS
– ANALYSIS OF DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD AND THE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
The convention for the title
of the film on double page
spread film articles that I
have chosen to conform to
involves the use of the title
positioned above the article.
I chose this convention
rather than the convention
of not displaying the title of
the film so obviously but
describing the film in a
phrase and using that as a
title, as the latter convention
I feel is not direct enough to
introduce the article.
I have placed two
secondary images to the
main image that is
positioned in the middle
of the page. I Have
softly erased the edges
and unwanted areas of
the photograph so that
the pictures would blend
in well with the
background and fade
into the shadows of the
masks. I have also
adjusted the opacity of
the lower image as I
wanted more of the
background to appear
on the left-hand side
which required reducing
the opacity by about
50% to show enough of
the image and the
background.
It is a convention for some
magazines to include a
short sentence or
paragraph to reveal a little
about the film to grab a
reader’s attention at first In one example from my double page spreads research there seemed to be a decorated page for the single page that
glance. I have conformed contained the text and did not contain the main image. This decoration linked the first page of graphics and the main image
to this convention in this with the second page of the double page spread. This is an intention for all main images that conform to the convention of
form of stating mine and bleeding into the next page – linking the two pages to create a more defined double page spread rather than seeming like
my partner’s roles in the two separate articles. Therefore I needed to create this common feature to form the link to conform to this convention. So, I
filmmaking process of our designed a high resolution A3 image on Photoshop that acted as a background to the article. I created this by layering
multiple ‘fill colour’ layers and using the rubber tool in the form of brushes that I downloaded as a set which consisted of
film.
scratches and blood shaped brushes. I ‘scratched’ through each colour layer to reveal the many colours I had layered. I then
darkened the edges with a darkening brush.
It is a popular convention for
almost all articles to include
a callout from the text that is
integrated between
paragraphs. It existed in two
examples of articles from
my double page spread
research. Due to the
popularity of this convention
I decided to incorporate it
into my own double page
spread.
As the convention for a
single page of a double
page spread is to include
two or three columns I
decided to conform to using
two columns, as it allowed
me to use a larger font than
if I tried to fit it into three
columns in the same space.
2. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT
AND ANCILLARY TEXTS?
I believe the combination of my film and my ancillary texts, the film poster and double page spread, work
very effectively together as a collaboration. I have constructed a clear correlation between each print
production to represent the film and convey the ideas and genre of it to the target audience.
Here is an example of how I have created a continuity
between all three of my productions. I have used
Perpetua Titling MT for the iconic font for my film,
as it communicates a sense of fear and indication to
its genre. I have used this font for the film title on
my double page spread article and my film film
poster, accordingly with the title in the film’s
credits. This continuity was essential in linking
the three productions together as it conforms
to the forms and conventions of real media
products. This is a convention of real media
products primarily for marketing purposes, specifically, advertising for the film.
2. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT
AND ANCILLARY TEXTS?
Another way in which my film and ancillary texts worked together through a creation of continuity was by use of images that d epict scenes
and the characters from the film. The audience can witness these leaks of content in the form of stills on the poster and the double page
spread to invoke the desire to watch the film. The fact they leak content of the film and reveal information about the scenes and content
extends the continuity between all three productions because it is using the same raw content as the film. This is because th ese images were
taken throughout the filming process.
Another branch of continuity between the texts concerns the characters that are depicted from the images. There are reference s to the main
antagonist, Florence, between both the double page spread and the poster and reveals her destructive side with the involvemen t of the knife.
There are also references to Claire, the main protagonist, as the two images on the double page spread show her as a victim, screaming and
defending herself. She is also seen in a mask on the far right of the movie still of the three masked figures – which then references to the
involvement and significance of the masks used on the double page spread as the main image. This continuity between the image s of the two
print texts with the narrative and content of the film proves that all three texts work very well together.
3. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?
Our audience feedback consisted of a preliminary questionnaire to gather ideas and our target
audience’s views on current horror films. We asked relevant questions to how to execute our
production with regards to music, narrative, and characters. The feedback we received was fairly
constructive and allowed us to determine how to go about creating the narrative and fashioning
the shooting and dialogue scripts. We formulated our decision to not include a romantic sub narrative as from our audience research we found it was a feature in horror films they did not like
as it subverts from the genre. We also came to the conclusion that music was vital in
communicating and accentuating the horror elements in our film to convey conventions of the
genre.
As we completed our film we had also designed another questionnaire, this time we distributed it
after the screenings of our film to receive feedback on the real product from our target audience.
We received some very positive feedback from this questionnaire without comments for
improvement, therefore communicating to us that our film was good and didn’t require much
attention to correcting scenes or adjusting certain features of the film. The only criticism we
received was for how two shots were cut in the sequence, which I cleaned up with the use of a
‘dissolve’ transition. After our final screening of the completed film the questionnaire we
distributed gained very positive responses. We learnt how the audience liked the way, for a short
film, the narrative flowed and covered various ideas. We also learnt that the music choices and
sound effects were very effective in communicating the fear in each scene, furthermore we learnt
the creation of tension was executed excellently.
3. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?
We decided a great way to achieve instant feedback was from releasing it onto Facebook, therefore allowing all of my
friends on Facebook to access our film via a link I posted on my status.
Here is a screen shot of the status and the success of 22 likes it had
received at this point. I have also screen shot some of the comments that
my friends had posted on it in response, which is what we intended to
provoke for audience research. These positive comments and number
of likes boosted my confidence in our film and the way I edited the
sequence. From this feedback we learnt that our film was very well
received regardless of the fact it was posted as a status on Facebook,
which requires a Facebook user to take their time to click the link and
watch our film.
Also, as the film was exported to Youtube, other users and viewers have viewed the film since it was uploaded. Here the number of
views is 202 and we have received 5 likes so far and it is still growing on Youtube. We learnt from these views and likes that not only a
friend audience from Facebook, but unknown people, possibly surfing Youtube, had watched the film and enjoyed it. After this
technique of gathering feedback and the previous questionnaire’s I still felt we required final confirmation that our film wo rks well and
applies the forms and conventions of films from the same genre.
3. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?
We decided that to receive concrete, personal feedback from our audience was essential in
learning about the success of the completed film and the changes from the first screenings
of the rough cut sequences. Therefore, we organised a final screening with the same
audience as our previous screenings, in order for them to fully comment on the
development between the rough cut screenings to the final edit.
We received very positive feedback where the issues highlighted by the audience in the
previous screenings were “addressed tentatively” with “care and consideration” to their
ideas and valid points and opinions. This consisted of unclean cuts between frames and
some sound effects and transitions which were not entirely successful. It is always useful to
have outside perspectives of your own work due to the fact you know your film inside out
and so attention to certain details can be missed.
The audience mentioned how the film is believable as a real media product due to its
“professional standard” which was a perfect response for recognising accomplishment and
other’s admiration for our production. It also communicates to me that I executed the
editing and my ancillary texts well as I managed to conform to the forms and conventions
which create a media product and its genre.
4. HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?
I used the program iMovie edit and construct our short film. I had used iMovie previously to our main task in the preliminary task where I learnt
how to edit and craft a sequence with the frames. The preliminary task was a way of getting to grips with the program and its basic features. My
skills in the program then developed as I edited our entire short film, where I learnt various techniques and tricks to make the most out of the
footage we had.
Basic techniques included how to import clips recorded on the Sony Handycam Camera we had used to film and how to select certain clips and
drag them up to the project area, where the film is created. Other techniques included how and when to cut frames and clips in the sequence to
make the narrative flow smoothly, which is witnessed in the preview box to the right.
More advanced techniques involved the alterations of clip, video and audio. Selecting the option to make adjustments to these three things brings
up a box where you can apply a range of changes to the sound, volume, video colour and lighting, as well as apply video or audio effects which
dramatically change the scene. For all the outside shots at the beginning I increased the contrast and saturation slightly just to improve the quality
of the footage slightly. For the shots which depicted Florence’s mind I applied a visual and an audio effect to reflect the surrealism of the scene.
4. HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?
Adobe Photoshop played a huge part in the construction stages of my print pieces. My entire film poster was designed on Photoshop in which I utilized various
techniques and photo editing skils to the best standard I could achieve to present an industry-standard poster. As I had used this program before in AS I was very
comfortable using it again with even more knowledge of the program, which consequently caused my skills in the program to develop. To create the poster I
manipulated the lighting and the colour on three photographs we had taken during the filming process. I also used a soft brush in a black colour to erase the
edges of the subjects in the images to make them blend in with the black background of the poster. I then applied text to areas of the poster for the details about
the film, including the actors, title, slogan, release date etc.
For my double page spread I desired to have a horror related background to convey the genre of the film to the audience as they first looked at the page, this
would hook fans of the horror genre if it were a real media product. Therefore on Photoshop, I had decided I was going to create my own background with high
resolution as large format pictures on the internet were too low quality to include as a background to the article. In production of this self-created background I
applied various colour fill layers, which included the colours black, green-brown, light-brown, dark-brown, grey, red and dark red. After layering each colour fill I
then used the rubber tool on each layer, selecting a range of brushes in the forms of scratches and blood and other horror related shapes, which I had
downloaded for this purpose. This meant I could ‘scratch’ through the layers and reveal all the colours in one large background, showing clearly the horrific
scratches and blood. I then used a smoke brush tool I had also downloaded on the right hand side area for the text to be placed on Adobe InDesign.
4. HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?
Adobe InDesign was the program I used to complete my double page spread. As I had used it in AS level I felt
comfortable using it and utilizing its features which are perfect for double page spreads and articles. What makes it so
perfect for double page spreads is the ability to apply columns as outlines for text boxes to be placed. In the screen shot
above it is clear I have opened my background, created in Photoshop, and applied 6 columns to the page. This is so I
could have three columns on the right hand side of the background where the smoke is, as this was where the text was
inserted. The left hand side of the double page spread was where I then placed the images and callouts. The columns
have another use, which is that there is an ability to use text flow, which means that when typing the article, the text
flows into the other column as soon as the first column runs out of space. I was happy with InDesign and its features to
accomplish my double page spread to the highest standard I could achieve.
4. HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?
In post-production in iMovie I
required the use of iTunes to import
sounds and tracks into iMovie to
then apply them to the clips in the
sequence. These included free sound
effects I had downloaded which
automatically were imported to
iTunes, as well as the track ‘Seven
Devils’ by Florence + The machine
which we used heavily in our film.
The collaboration between iMovie
and iTunes was excellent and made
it very easy to import them.
However, I only required an extract of the track ‘Seven Devils’ by Florence +
The Machine, therefore I had to somehow cut it out of the track, otherwise I
would have had to select the extract from the entire 4 minute track on
iMovie, which proved to be an almost impossible, time consuming task.
Therefore I found another way of cutting down a track to achieve just the
extract I required, through the use of a program called Audacity. I managed
to get a free download of the program (screenshot of it on the right) and got
to grips with its functions immediately, it was pretty straightforward. I
imported the track ‘Seven Devils’ from my music files which brought up the
track-panel and waveform (the blue area). Then I could click and drag to
highlight the areas and sections of the track I required. Once I made my
selection I clicked the crop button which then cut the entire clip down to the
30 second extract I wanted to use. Once this was saved into iTunes I then
imported it into iMovie nice and simply.
4. HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?
In the planning and evaluation stages I used wordpress.com, an online blogging site where all of my research, evaluative conclusions about productions,
and my production developments was posted. It was a great space to upload all of my ideas and work onto neatly and efficiently. Having all of my
documents and ideas on this blog allowed me to refer back to them when filming and producing my print pieces. It acted as a guide for planning each of
my productions. As I used wordpress in AS level I had got to grips with how to use it and all of its functions regarding posts., therefore I felt it was a great
platform to organise all of my thoughts and practical work. I came across a few difficulties regarding posting as the website seemed slightly unreliable
due to the site crashing a few times, however the site worked very well for the majority of the time and I was pretty satisfied with the interaction of it and
ways to upload files and other media, including youtube links which are allowed to be played directly from the blog.