1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Our media product is seen to have used many forms and conventions of real media products through aspects such as the general codes and conventions of horror, which leads to the very specific codes and conventions of our specific horror genre, the carefully constructed narrative structure and the editing of the overall product.
Firstly our group decided to create a supernatural horror. In order to make our product effective we conformed to the codes and conventions founded in very many supernatural horror movies. We thought it be best if we conformed to many of the codes and conventions rather than challenge them as our target audience would already be familiar with them from real media products. This therefore heightens their fear as they are already aware of the symbolisms within our product, making the audience create tension for themselves. However, one way in which we have decided to challenge the forms and conventions of horror is through alternating our scenes from steady shots to hand-held.
This not only works to incorporate our target audience within our media product as it makes the events seem more realistic, but it also follows the style of horror movies in the present day. These are movies such as Cloverfield , directed by Matt Reeves and Paranormal Activity directed by Oren Peli, a supernatural horror which our product can be seen to follow.
An example of using the codes and conventions of horror can be seen through our conventional characters of the Promiscuous girl and her Boyfriend, Ava and Jared, the fashionable but not so promiscuous friend, Michelle and the intellectual, mature student, Sam, who we have made to be the Final girl, following Carol Clover’s final girl theory of the innocent, pure virginal girl who always survives, supposedly to tell the story. As a group we decided to have these specific personas for the characters as they are all symbols of failure and doom. One of the 5 golden rules of the horror genre is that of sex=death. We have incorporated this into our media product were we have a mid-shot of Ava on her boyfriends lap. This instantly suggests to the audience that Ava is the promiscuous character; therefore she is doomed to ill-fate, similarly to Jared.
The specific costumes worn by the characters in our trailer also add to how are group had used the forms and conventions of real media products. As the promiscuous character, Ava is wearing a mini skirt with a cropped top. This increases her promiscuous status and clearly portrays to the audience her personality. In contrast to Ava’s costume, Sam is wearing a chequered shirt and stone-washed jeans which indicates she is not into fashion as the other characters as well as portraying her intellectual nature. The connotations put to the costumes relate to the characters personality and therefore present to the audience the typical characters in real media products which we intend to present.
Our choice of names for the characters also adds to the codes and conventions of horror movies because they also represent the characters selected personality. We decided to name the promiscuous character Ava because it embraces the characters femininity. Similarly we chose to use the name Michelle for the other female character because it to embraces the femininity of the character as well as presents them to be average teenagers. Conforming to the codes and conventions of real media products, we named the only male character Jared as it is a very masculine name, similar to many other horror movies. Some examples of horror movies having masculine names for the male characters are Trent and Clay in Friday the 13th and Rob and Jason in Cloverfield. We agreed to name the final girl Sam as it is common for the final girl character to have a unisex name to portray both the characters strengths and weaknesses. An example of this would be Laurie in Halloween. This shows that we have incorporated the codes and conventions of characters in the horror genre within our trailer as we have carefully constructed our characters to be similar to many characters in real media products. This also allows our media product to seem real as our target audience would be able to identify the similarities between our media products and real media products.
One other way in which we have used the codes and conventions of horror is through the props we have used. A close up of Ava lighting a cigarette presents her wild side to our target audience as she is committing what is known to be a moral sin amongst society, which again highlights her character’s flaw and therefore presents to the audience her downfall as those who sin are always punished. In addition to this, we have included alcohol bottles within our media product to present underage drinking which our target audience can easily relate to. As well as alternating our scenes from steady shots to hand-held shots, we have also used a hand-held camera as a prop for the character Sam. This adds to her character of being a film student as well as making the trailer seem more realistic for our target audience.
Todorov’s theory of the narrative structure is another way which our media product uses the forms and conventions of real media products. Todorov argued every plot consists of the following elements in the following order, period of equilibrium, moment of disequilibrium, period of disequilibrium and finally the new equilibrium established after the characters have overcome the danger and torture of the villains. However, real media products only present up to the period of disequilibrium which leaves the target audience on edge as they are unaware of what is going to happen, thus creating suspense and tension amongst the intended audience. For this reason we have also followed Todorov’s narrative structure therefore using the forms and conventions of real media products.
Our period of equilibrium is established through the group of teenagers sitting around in their lesson, having a good time. This presents all the characters to be in a carefree and relaxed as teenagers would be. It also establishes the scene and the setting of the overall trailer. As we have started our period of equilibrium with an establishing shot of a school it allows our target audience to relate to our media product as it is a very familiar place to everyone. This will make the target audience feel uncomfortable and afraid as it will make them consider whether they are really safe, therefore proving we have used the forms and convention of real media products because we are playing on the fears of our target audience.
Following this, the moment of disequilibrium is established through the slow motion editing of a flame being blown out. This scene is symbolic as it signifies the end of the period of equilibrium through the darkness in which the characters descend into. The following scene of the Ouija game being carried out enhances the moment of disequilibrium as the darkness creates fear amongst the audience. In addition to this, Ava’s startled action in the toilets indicates further disequilibrium as it clearly starts of the period of disequilibrium, presenting the use of the forms and conventions of real media products.
The final stage of a horror trailer, concerning Todorov’s narrative structure, is portrayed through the chase sequence, which lasts till the end of our trailer, as it does in real media products. Similarly to real media products we have made the chasing sequence fast paced as it will build up tension and suspense for the audience. For this reason it is easily depicted that we have used the forms and conventions of real media products due to the fact that we have imitated the suspenseful and eerie atmosphere real media products intend to create.
Our choice of editing also enhances how our media product has used the forms and conventions of real media products. We filmed a variety of shots for every scene because we can then edit them to be several shots per second similar to all real media products of the horror genre. In comparison to other real media products we made use of many fade to blacks in our media product. This acted as technique to pass time in our trailer and therefore created synthesis within our media product.
One way in which our media product can be seen to have challenged the forms and conventions of real media products is that of using the visual “noise” effect to change scenes; however the Paranormal Activity trailer also uses the “noise” effect in order to follow the style of the film, which is found-footage. We have also used this technique to portray the same style and to add a sense of realism to our media product.
During the period of equilibrium, we edited the shots to be at a normal pace as it emphasises the normality and peacefulness at the beginning of our trailer. However as the moment of disequilibrium is established, through the blowing out of the candle, we slowed down the shot to create uneasiness for our target audience and to signify the arrival of disequilibrium in the characters lives. Throughout the period of disequilibrium we used many quick shots and jump cuts to create an uncomfortable atmosphere as well as mirror the heartbeat of our target audience similar to many other real media products such as the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Skeleton Key.
The music we used within our trailer was original music which we asked a friend to compose professionally after we had described the exact type of non-diegetic sound we wanted. We felt having original music would have a great impact on our trailer, compared to others, as our target audience would not have been familiar with it. This is because our target audience would have already known the effect an existing soundtrack has on the trailer, therefore if we use something new and unheard it will create even more uneasiness and surprise amongst our target audience.
Whilst doing research on the types of sound used in horror movies I found many horror genre trailers use a variety of sounds in the fields of orchestral music, this includes slow piano’s, and heavy metal music. Our group agreed to have orchestral, eerie music as the sound for our trailer as it would heighten the atmosphere created. It would also make our media product conform to real media products as many other supernatural horrors also use slow non-diegetic sound to add to the atmosphere. An example of this would be Drag me to Hell, where the orchestral music develops the suspense and fear created by the editing and other features. We experimented with a variety of sounds and instrumental music before we agreed to have original music. One instrumental piece we decided to have as a second choice was Kanye West’s Runaway as an instrumental. This is because it consists of a slow eerie piano being played consistently throughout the track adding a ghostly element to our trailer. However, as it was one consistent beat throughout, it did not really emphasise the different narrative structures. For this reason we decided to stick with the original sound made as it emphasised the different narrative structures and clearly added suspense to our trailer.
Overall our media product has used more than challenged the forms and conventions of real media products to create a similar affect of fear and suspense for our target audience. We have achieved this by incorporating many of the paradigms of our specific horror genre, following the narrative structure theory of Todorov and through similar editing of real media products along with creating original music which emphasised the events within our trailer.
2. How effective is the combination of your media product and ancillary texts?
I decided to do a magazine cover for Empire magazine as it is the most famous movie magazine around. For this reason I tried to incorporate many of Empire magazines house styles for my magazine because then the audience would be able to identify with the magazine. I thought the font Futura was the closest to the actual font of Empire magazine so I decided to use this. In my research of movie magazine covers I found that empire tended to use a lot of red and white font for their covers, this is why I have also done so. As our media product consists of more than one character, I also researched into movie magazine covers where there is more than one figure in the composition of shot. As a result I found The A-Team cover of Empire the best inspiration for my magazine cover.
Similarly to The A-team Empire cover, I decided to place all my characters together for the central image. I thought this was effective as it presents to the audience the main characters within out media product as well as informing them of the codes and conventions of horror we have used (a group of teenagers). Like many other Empire magazines I had a colour code of red and white. However, I specifically chose these colours as I feel they serve a purpose towards the horror genre. The colour red in horror iconography implied to the audience danger, blood and death, for this reason i have decided to use on my front cover as it will define my media product further. In addition to this, the use of white links with supernatural and afterlife as it bring across the idea ‘light’. This also defines our media product as it is the genre we have chosen. The white can also symbolise the final girl as white has the connotations of purity; this is enhanced by the final girl, Sam, being in the middle of the composition of shot, to emphasise her importance above the rest. I also thought it would be significant if I included a hand-held camera within the mise-en-scene of the image because it highlights to the audience the style of our product as well as prepares them for the realistic effect of the handheld. I decided to keep the background of my magazine black as it suggests the characters downfall. The horror genre is also portrayed through the black background because it connotes to the darkness, an aspect everyone has a fear of referred to as the fear of the unknown; an aspect which is addressed with our media product.
I have challenged many horror movie posters as the image I have used for my film poster is that of an Ouija board game. This challenges the paradigms of horror film posters as they tend to have a picture of their villain. Examples of this would be the Texas chainsaw massacre, Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street where the villains of all three slashers are presented in the film poster. However, as our media product is a supernatural horror, based on an Ouija board, were we have not included a human figure to be our villain; instead we have an unknown supernatural element after the characters. For this reason I have decided to use the Ouija board as the main image to represent our media product as it suggest that there is an unknown force within our media product, born from the Ouija board game, thus creating a similar effect as a film poster which has presented an image of a villain or a character.
After having screened our final product to many participants between the ages of 16-18years, our intended target audience, we had got much positive feedback. Some comments consisted of our media product having good synthesis as a trailer and refrained successfully from being a short film, others were how the editing was really effective and clearly created suspense and fear as well as the music emphasising the eerie atmosphere created. However, some participants suggested we should add a few narrative tone cards in our media product to present what was happening a bit more clearer. Despite this constructive criticism of improving our trailer, our group decided not to change the trailer as more participants believed the trailer was self-explanatory, and if there was to be narrative tone cards added to the trailer, it would take away some of the suspense and eeriness created. For this reason we have decided to bear this feedback in mind the nest time we create a similar media product.
4. How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Throughout the construction of our media product a variety of new media technologies were used in all the stages of research, planning and evaluation. Throughout the research stages, I made use of the internet and search engines such as Google and Bing in order to look up theories of horror and research horror movies in general.
I also used a variety of websites to obtain this information, for example I used the Wikipedia website to get information on theories to do with the horror genre such as Todorov’s theory of narrative structure and Carol Clover’s theory of the final. Whilst looking into the horror genre and the specific sub-genres, I used websites such as flickchart.com and Best-horror-movies.com, which listed a number of horror movies of a specific sub-genre and directed it them. These websites was useful to use, alongside with Wikipedia and actual horror movie sites, as all horror movies of different sub-genres were altogether with relevant information. I also made use of imdb.com (internet movie database) which not only gave me relevant information on the film but also clips and the trailer for the horror movies. I used YouTube in order to search for appropriate music for our trailer. The millions of uploads on YouTube gave me a variety of soundtracks to listen to.
Throughout the planning stages I continued to use search engines and similar websites to those above to continue to obtain information on real media products. I also used continued to use YouTube to looks at existing trailers to give me inspiration for my media product and to see how the codes and conventions of horror genre was addressed along with other aspects such as editing and sound.
During the construction of my media product, I used advanced technological hardware such as Apple Mac computers, canon cameras and digital cameras. The Apple Mac computers were used as it contained the advanced software needed to construct both our media product and the ancillary task of a magazine cover and poster. The software used was Final Cut Express and Photoshop which at first were complicated to use, however, after having some time to adjust to the layout and exploring the different functions within the programmes, it became a lot more easier to use the more I used the programme. The cameras and the digital cameras were used to film our media product and to take still shot images which we used for our magazine and poster.
Also throughout the production of our media product we used social networking sites such as Facebook to advertise our media. This is effective as a majority of our target audience tend to use social networking sites; therefore it is an easy way to be inform them of our media product.
Throughout all the stages of constructing and research, planning and evaluation, I was constantly using the new media technology of blogger. I used this to upload all my planning paperwork as well as the research I had done for horror movies. This includes PowerPoint presentations on sub-genres of horrors to existing trailers. I have also used slideshare to help upload some of my planning paperwork in a format which I can then embed into my blogger.
I have also used my blogger to shows the progression of our media product by uploading raw footage of scenes, edited scenes and the several drafts before the final draft of our media product. Uploading the different stages of my media product created a connection between our target audience and our media product as our target audience were shown the changes and additions to the final product, making it a different experience for the audience as they would be following the very many stages of the production and then witnessing the final, complete product. For my evaluation I have also decided to upload it to my blogger as it can then be viewed publically and therefore is accessible for everyone. 
