1) In What Ways Does Your Media Product Use, Develop or Challenge Forms and Conventions of Real Media Products?
In our story line, the sequence matches conventions of horror in the way that a male character is the threat throughout and the female character is a victim, as by matching this convention the viewer will feel more fear and adrenaline as more emotion is caused in the viewer due to the vulnerability that women show, a stereotype in media products that we used to our advantage, by using close-ups and mid-shots to show the female characters emotions
Similarly to real horror products, sound was a crucial element to our project. The jump scares require sound as well as the shot, as the sudden sound is what causes the audience to jump, however if the sound is not the right sound then it would not have the desired effect, therefore we needed to get the right sounds. For the shot where the antagonist opens his eyes and they turn red, the short, sharp sound we used gives a shock to the audience as they are not expecting to hear the sound, as well as see the red eyes, therefore they get a small adrenaline rush, a desired effect of a horror film. The effect we used when we showed the point-of-view of the creature that will possess the male character was a white noise effect, which is a sound that makes the audience feel uncomfortable, as it is often associated with broken things, such as old televisions and mobile phones, as well as being harsh and sharp. This also helps build up tension, as the audience is put on edge and waiting to see what the noise will cause.
We used point-of-view shots in our product as we believed that this would cause more fear for our viewers as they are seeing the events occur from a first-person perspective, therefore allowing them to experience certain elements of the sequence. famous horror films, such as the Blair Witch Project, have used this technique, and we believe this to be successful. We also used high angle shots to show how vulnerable the protagonist is. Another way we did this was by using close-ups, as this allows the actress the chance to portray the fear her character feels being on her own in the dark house. When the protagonist is moving, we often used a wide shot face on to the character, as this would not allow the viewer to see the area the character is moving towards, frightening the audience as it keeps them from knowing what the character can see, as well as allowing the final jump scare we used, as the audience know something the character does not.
The shot used in the Blair Witch Project, which shows the characters eyes, indicates the importance of eyes in the horror genre, as this is not the only film to use it. Therefore, we believed showing a shot of the antagonists eyes would be effective, as it unsettles the viewer as the iris of an eye is something that cannot be controlled by a person, as well as showing the colour red, which has connotations of violence and anger, and, in the case of horror, murder and torture.
The characters costumes were chosen based on what a person of the actors age, 16 and 17, would normally wear, as we wanted the whole setting to be normal so that the viewer can see themselves in the situation and empathise, where as even minor things which are out of the ordinary would distance the viewer from the sequence.
Our choices for mise-en-scene were decided by how we wanted our audience to relate to the characters, meaning we had to have the characters in a situation which the audience will be able to relate to, therefore having them in a situation in which they are a couple having a night in and showing them watching television is important. By having it set in a location which is in a built up area goes against genre conventions, as often horror films are set in isolated building or in the countryside, so this is scarier for the viewer. The setting is similar to Paranormal Activity, as it is set in a house. We used conventions of Horror by having it set at night, which is a lot scarier than having it set during the day due to sunlight often being linked with happiness and security, whereas night time and darkness can often be linked with insecurity and danger, as well as vulnerability, so we used the establishing shot to show the night time.
Our choices for mise-en-scene were decided by how we wanted our audience to relate to the characters, meaning we had to have the characters in a situation which the audience will be able to relate to, therefore having them in a situation in which they are a couple having a night in and showing them watching television is important. By having it set in a location which is in a built up area goes against genre conventions, as often horror films are set in isolated building or in the countryside, so this is scarier for the viewer. The setting is similar to Paranormal Activity, as it is set in a house. We used conventions of Horror by having it set at night, which is a lot scarier than having it set during the day due to sunlight often being linked with happiness and security, whereas night time and darkness can often be linked with insecurity and danger, as well as vulnerability, so we used the establishing shot to show the night time.
We used editing to successfully include titling without taking away from the scary nature of the sequence, as we discovered that if we were to put titling over the action, it would take away from the atmosphere we were attempting to create with the opening sequence, as the audience would not be fully focused on what was happening but on the titling to. We decided to use alternating black screens to show credits, which allowed the action to be left alone. We did still put titles over some shots, however these were the shots in which fear was not supposed to be felt by the viewer.
2) How Does Your Media Product Represent Particular Social Groups?
Female Character -
In our project, the female character is presented in a stereotypical style.
The reason for this is that viewers often associate the stereotypical female character with the horror genre, so this is why we have done this. The character is a stereotype of women in the media as she is presented s reliant on the male character early on, as she is cuddled up to him and leaning on him. She is presented as vulnerable from early on as well, as when she opens the door, she is clearly on edge as she reacts extremely quickly to the breathing noise with the speed at which she spins around at and the slightly shaky Point Of View shot, indicating how on edge she is which links to the vulnerability factor. Also in our project, the female character fit a stereotype, which is a convention of horror, in that she walks into trouble whilst looking for the male character, indicating how women need a strong male to keep them safe.
Male Character -
Our male lead is presented in a stereotypical way as the one who is less affectionate in the relationship. Also, as a convention of a horror, he, as a male character, is the one who is possessed and becomes the pursuer and the threat in the opening sequence. By having the male be the threat, it follows a convention as stereotypically men are more threatening than women, as women are often presented as showing more emotion. In films such as Psycho, the male character is the threat throughout.
Young People -
We used young people as the two characters in our opening as we believe that it can apply to a wider range of people and is a lot more relatable for the audience to have them meet stereotypes. The age that the characters are can apply to our target audience, which was teenagers to mid-20's, whilst still appealing to the viewers who would be reaching their 30's, as they can reflect on when they were of that age as it would be recent. The characters met stereotypes in the way in which they behaved, as a young couple who would spend an evening watching TV together, having a 'romantic night in'.
In our project, the female character is presented in a stereotypical style.
The reason for this is that viewers often associate the stereotypical female character with the horror genre, so this is why we have done this. The character is a stereotype of women in the media as she is presented s reliant on the male character early on, as she is cuddled up to him and leaning on him. She is presented as vulnerable from early on as well, as when she opens the door, she is clearly on edge as she reacts extremely quickly to the breathing noise with the speed at which she spins around at and the slightly shaky Point Of View shot, indicating how on edge she is which links to the vulnerability factor. Also in our project, the female character fit a stereotype, which is a convention of horror, in that she walks into trouble whilst looking for the male character, indicating how women need a strong male to keep them safe.
Male Character -
Our male lead is presented in a stereotypical way as the one who is less affectionate in the relationship. Also, as a convention of a horror, he, as a male character, is the one who is possessed and becomes the pursuer and the threat in the opening sequence. By having the male be the threat, it follows a convention as stereotypically men are more threatening than women, as women are often presented as showing more emotion. In films such as Psycho, the male character is the threat throughout.
Young People -
We used young people as the two characters in our opening as we believe that it can apply to a wider range of people and is a lot more relatable for the audience to have them meet stereotypes. The age that the characters are can apply to our target audience, which was teenagers to mid-20's, whilst still appealing to the viewers who would be reaching their 30's, as they can reflect on when they were of that age as it would be recent. The characters met stereotypes in the way in which they behaved, as a young couple who would spend an evening watching TV together, having a 'romantic night in'.
3) What Kind of Media Institution Might Distribute Your Product and Why?
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures are the production and distribution studios who are responsible for Paranormal Activity franchise and the Friday the 13th Franchise.
I feel that Paramount Pictures would be a good institution to distribute our film as they already have these accomplished film series to there names, and therefore would give credibility to our own film. Also, we are aiming our project at an audience where many of them would have already seen a film like Paranormal Activity, so wold likely want to see our production.
However, due to the size of the organisation, and our product is low-budget, this would be extremely unlikely for Paramount to take on a production like ours, as the 2009 film Friday the 13th had a budget of $19million.
Lionsgate Film
Lionsgate film is a division of Lions gate Entertainment, and are a film production/distribution studio. Based in North America, it mainly focuses on Foreign and Independent films, which is advantageous for our product as it is both foreign and independently made. As shown by the image on the left, they serve North America, France, Australasia, and most importantly for our production, the United Kingdom.
Lionsgate Film were the company who distributed Saw, a greatly recognised franchise which began with the original Saw which is an independent horror movie.
Independent Release
Another option for the release of our product would be to have it released independently, meaning it would be distributed outside of a major production company. this would suit our product due to the low-budget. However, this would lack a background credibility of the a major company.
Paramount Pictures are the production and distribution studios who are responsible for Paranormal Activity franchise and the Friday the 13th Franchise.
I feel that Paramount Pictures would be a good institution to distribute our film as they already have these accomplished film series to there names, and therefore would give credibility to our own film. Also, we are aiming our project at an audience where many of them would have already seen a film like Paranormal Activity, so wold likely want to see our production.
However, due to the size of the organisation, and our product is low-budget, this would be extremely unlikely for Paramount to take on a production like ours, as the 2009 film Friday the 13th had a budget of $19million.
Lionsgate Film
Lionsgate film is a division of Lions gate Entertainment, and are a film production/distribution studio. Based in North America, it mainly focuses on Foreign and Independent films, which is advantageous for our product as it is both foreign and independently made. As shown by the image on the left, they serve North America, France, Australasia, and most importantly for our production, the United Kingdom.
Lionsgate Film were the company who distributed Saw, a greatly recognised franchise which began with the original Saw which is an independent horror movie.
Independent Release
Another option for the release of our product would be to have it released independently, meaning it would be distributed outside of a major production company. this would suit our product due to the low-budget. However, this would lack a background credibility of the a major company.
4)Who Would be The Audience For Your Media Product?
Research -
Research which we have earlier undertaken came out with results which indicated the most likely viewer for our production would be around 15-17 years of age, however due to the environment the survey took place in, this cannot be reliable. Also, by combing our own research with a much fairer, broader research field, it shows how 37% of the fans of horror movies are between the ages of 18 - 24.
Target Audience -
We decided to aim the product at the age bracket of 15 - 34, as both sets of research combined give a strong indication that teenagers and people in their early twenties are the biggest fans of the genre, as well as people moving out of this age group.
Research which we have earlier undertaken came out with results which indicated the most likely viewer for our production would be around 15-17 years of age, however due to the environment the survey took place in, this cannot be reliable. Also, by combing our own research with a much fairer, broader research field, it shows how 37% of the fans of horror movies are between the ages of 18 - 24.
Target Audience -
We decided to aim the product at the age bracket of 15 - 34, as both sets of research combined give a strong indication that teenagers and people in their early twenties are the biggest fans of the genre, as well as people moving out of this age group.
5) How Did You Attract/Address Your Audience?
Attracting The Audience
We attempted to attract and address the audience by using characters which the viewers can relate to, as this will give the viewer the adrenaline and fright they want as fans of the horror genre. To get this, they need to be able to relate to the characters as they can then empathise with them, which allows them to get frightened and imagine themselves in the situation.
We asked some people to watch our production and then asked some questions, and we get a wider range of people to comment to see if our project could be marketed at a wider range of people than our target. Through the simple plot of the opening sequence, and by using the idea of a person being lonely and scared in a house can appeal to anyone who could be in this situation, which is most people in our demographic and around it.
We attempted to attract and address the audience by using characters which the viewers can relate to, as this will give the viewer the adrenaline and fright they want as fans of the horror genre. To get this, they need to be able to relate to the characters as they can then empathise with them, which allows them to get frightened and imagine themselves in the situation.
We asked some people to watch our production and then asked some questions, and we get a wider range of people to comment to see if our project could be marketed at a wider range of people than our target. Through the simple plot of the opening sequence, and by using the idea of a person being lonely and scared in a house can appeal to anyone who could be in this situation, which is most people in our demographic and around it.
6) What Have You Learnt About Technologies From the Process of Constructing This Product?
Camera -
During our project we used a Sony Handycam CX320E HD, which provided us with good quality high definition shots, and the camera took in light well. However, whilst filming we had some issues with the camera image blurring, which meant we had to re-shoot several shots. The camera also had issues uploading into iMovie, where clips became sped up with out of sync audio, a problem we were able to overcome with the help of the technician in school. The problem was with the formatting of the Mac computers and the cameras, so the files had to be converted, which lowered the overall quality of the clips, however the quality was still better than the standard definition cameras. |
Headphones - We were able to use Apple produced headphones for voice-over purposes, something we learned whilst filming our British Film opening, and we were able to use this for the breathing effect during our final project. The use of headphones allows the person using their voice to be closer to the microphone, which maximises volume, as well minimising background noise as volume can be reduced due to the increased sound of the persons voice. |
iMovie -
At the start of the course i had never had the opportunity to use iMovie before, meaning i had to learn to use it from basic computer knowledge. through practice and assistance from other students and teachers, i now feel confident using iMovie, and am now able to use different methods to create different effects for a project. By using iMovie, effects such as the voice-overs and zooming and splitting the clips are now possible for me to do. We did have some issues using iMovie, when the computer we were using had to be cleared due to the issue of it continually freezing, especially when uploading clips from the camera to the computer. I also learned how to export and upload created |
7) Looking Back at Your Preliminary Task, What Do You Feel You Have Learnt in Progression From This to The Full Project?
Looking back at our preliminary task, i believe we have made vast improvements in how we have produced our media products. From the preliminary task, it was evident to us that we needed to concentrate on planning from the start so that we could film efficiently and use every shot effectively to portray what we needed to. By completing our practice tasks in each genre, it allowed us all to use the different techniques needed to produce the final project, in editing on iMovie, filming, and acting in the actual film sequence.
Throughout the practice tasks we learned to plan our time so that we had time to re-film shots to make sure continuity is throughout the whole sequence, and to make sure that all the shots are right. We also learned, through having this extra time, the importance of close-ups as we were advice to include more after we had completed our first session of filming.
In our preliminary task, we did not think too much about who would be in the clip, however as we completed more projects we began think more about the actors and we had to decide who would fit the part best. From this we learned that we had to think more carefully about which person who we could cast would fit the role best, instead of making the character fit the person.
I believe my skills have progressed in every area, as i have learned more about how to use editing software and the best ways in filming shots. I also believe i have learned transferable skills in how important planning is, as well as having a planned schedule on when we would have done certain things, such as our filming schedule.
Finally, i believe i have learned the importance of teamwork. Prior to the project, i believe i was not confident in putting forward my ideas, however i believe that i have grown in confidence in pitching ideas to my group without the fear of being shouted down and helping in altering ideas to combine every members thoughts and opinions to try and create the best idea possible.
Throughout the practice tasks we learned to plan our time so that we had time to re-film shots to make sure continuity is throughout the whole sequence, and to make sure that all the shots are right. We also learned, through having this extra time, the importance of close-ups as we were advice to include more after we had completed our first session of filming.
In our preliminary task, we did not think too much about who would be in the clip, however as we completed more projects we began think more about the actors and we had to decide who would fit the part best. From this we learned that we had to think more carefully about which person who we could cast would fit the role best, instead of making the character fit the person.
I believe my skills have progressed in every area, as i have learned more about how to use editing software and the best ways in filming shots. I also believe i have learned transferable skills in how important planning is, as well as having a planned schedule on when we would have done certain things, such as our filming schedule.
Finally, i believe i have learned the importance of teamwork. Prior to the project, i believe i was not confident in putting forward my ideas, however i believe that i have grown in confidence in pitching ideas to my group without the fear of being shouted down and helping in altering ideas to combine every members thoughts and opinions to try and create the best idea possible.