IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR

CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA

PRODUCTSCHARLES HARRIS

• IN MAKING MY MEDIA PRODUCTS I MAINLY LOOKED AT THE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS FOR THE FILMS “INSIDIOUS,” “THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT,” AND “THE WOMAN IN BLACK,” SO THAT I COULD GET THE CONVENTIONS OF A HORROR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN. I ALSO LOOKED AT THE FILMS “DEMONIC,” “THE PACT,” “THE PURGE,” “YOUR NEXT,” “AFFLICTED,” “ANIMAL,” “DARK WAS THE NIGHT,” AND “THE RING.” FROM THIS I WAS ABLE TO CREATE A LIST OF CONVENTIONS FROM WHICH I COULD USE, DEVELOP AND CHALLENGE THEM IN ORDER TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE PRODUCT.

THE STRUCTURE

• IN MY TRAILER, THE 1ST SCENE IS SCARY TO GRIP THE AUDIENCE AND TO GET THEM HOOKED

• THIS DEFIES CONVENTIONS AS IN THE TRAILERS I’VE LOOKED AT THEY NORMALLY START BY INTRODUCING THE CHARACTERS THEN GET SCARY TOWARDS THE END OF THE TRAILER

• THIS MEANS THAT I’VE DEVELOPED THE CONVENTION BY ADDING AN INITIAL SCARE

TICKING

• I HAVE USED THE CONVENTION OF SOMETHING TICKING TO GIVE PACE TO THE TRAILER

• IN INSIDIOUS THEY USE A METRONOME BUT I DEVELOPED THIS AND USED A CLOCK WITH IS MORE EVERYDAY AND RELATABLE

INDUSTRY LOGOS

• I’VE FOLLOWED THE CONVENTION OF HAVING INDUSTRY LOGOS AT THE START OF THE TRAILER

• THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO BUILD A TRUST WITH A VIEWER IF THEY RECOGNISE THE LOGO FROM OTHER FILMS THAT THEY’VE LIKE

•

BACK STORY AND ALCOHOL/ DRUGS

• I FOLLOWED THE CONVENTIONS OF SHOWING THE CHARACTERS BACK STORY TOWARDS THE START OF THE TRAILER, THIS MEANS THAT THE VIEWER FEELS INVESTED IN THE CHARACTERS LIFE'S AND CARES ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM

• I ALSO FOLLOWED THE CONVENTION OF SUPPLYING YOUTHS WITH ALCOHOL, THIS CONVEYS THE MORALS OF IF YOU DRINK AND ACT IRRESPONSIBLE… BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU – WHICH IS A POSITIVE MESSAGE TO PUT OUT

SEX APPEAL

• I CHALLENGE THE CONVENTION OF HAVING THE FEMALE CHARACTER BE REPRESENTED IN A SLUTTY FASHION BECAUSE MY QUESTIONNAIRE SAID THAT OVER 40% OF THE PEOPLE WATCHING WERE WOMAN AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN’T LIKE THE NEGATIVE REPRESENTATION AND STEREOTYPES.

• TO COMBAT THIS, I PUT THE MALE ACTOR IN ONLY A TOWEL IN ORDER TO ADD SEX APPEAL TO LADY VIEWERS AND PORTRAY THE MALE AS BEING SLUTTY

CHILDISH

• I ADDED THE MINION TOY TO THE BACKGROUND OF THE SHOT TO MAKE THE PROTAGONIST SEEM CHILDISH. I FOLLOWED THE CONVENTION OF A NAIVE PROTAGONIST AS IT MAKES THE VIEWER PITY HER – MAKING THEM ENGAGE WITH THE FILM

CHILD ENDANGERMENT

• A HORROR FILM CONVENTION IS TO PUT CHILDREN AT RISK OR IN DANGER, I DEVELOP THIS CONVENTION IN ‘WILL’ BY PUTTING AN UNBORN CHILD IN DANGER

LOW KEY LIGHTING

• I FOLLOW THE CONVENTION OF USING LOW KEY LIGHTING, THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO CREATE MYSTERY AS THE VIEWER CAN ALWAYS SEE EVERYTHING THAT’S GOING ON AND PLAYS ON THEIR FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN

FEMALE EMPLOYMENT

• AS PART OF MY QUESTIONNAIRE, I FOUND OUT THAT PEOPLE DON’T LIKE THE NORMAL REPRESENTATIONS IN HORROR FILMS, THIS IS WHY I CHALLENGED THE CONVENTION OF FEMALE PROFESSIONALS AND HAD A FEMALE LAWYER – A VERY WELL EDUCATED AND RESPECTABLE JOB

JUMP CUTS

• I FOLLOWED THE CONVENTION OF USING JUMP CUTS TO DISORIENTATE THE VIEWER, I FEEL LIKE ITS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO MAKE THEM CONFUSE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND THEREFORE MAKE SCARES MORE SCARY.

SYMBOLS AND RELIGION

• I USE RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS OF PESTA TO FORSHADOW THE DEATHS OF THE CAST MEMBERS, THIS IS DEVELOPING THE CONVENTION OF RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM BECAUSE ALTHOUGH MANY HORROR FILMS USE RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM – VERY FEW USE SCANDINAVIAN

THE AUTHORITIES CAN’T HELP

• I FOLLOWED THE CONVENTION OF HAVING THE AUTHORITIES BE UNABLE TO HELP THE SITUATION, I DID THIS BECAUSE HAVING THE PEOPLE WHO’S JOB IT IS IT PROTECT US, UNABLE TO PROTECT US SHOULD STRIKE FEAR INTO THE VIEWER

DIRECTORS VANITY

• I FOLLOWED THE CONVENTION OF PUTTING THE DIRECTORS NAME BY THE TITLE, I FEEL LIKE IT MAKES THE PRODUCTION COME ACROSS MORE PROFESSIONAL

THE POSTER

I followed the convention of putting a slogan onto

the poster

I followed the convention of putting reviews on the

poster

I challenged conventions as I putt social media

links on the poster

THE COVERI followed the conventions of

putting a masterhead, cover

lines, pull quotes lure and a pug on the

cover

I challenged conventions by having a grey colour

scheme in order to have a contrast of black and white without adding too much

colour