AS G321: Evaluation Using, Developing and Challenging Media Conventions

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

In this section I will be discussing whether our final media production is similar to those already dispatched or if it challenges/develops the typical horror conventions.

A horror movie would generally follow this criteria/guideline:

Setting

• Isolated places - Dark woods, abandoned houses, subways, lakes, cabins, fields etc.

Camera

• High and Low angles, POV's, slow tilts/pans, handheld shots and extreme close ups.

Iconography

• Visual style - red and black connote fear, darkness and danger.
• Iconography of monsters connote extreme fear, disgust or terror.
• Lighting - Dark, low-key lighting and shadows. Lighting is usually natural such as bonfires, fireplaces and torches.

Themes

• Good vs Evil - Religion - Depression - Revenge - Insanity - Madness - Death

Once we had finished editing our final film opening, we decided to do a Directors commentary discussing the production and why we decided to film it this way. We talked about the lighting, sound, colour and camera techniques and those of which worked well with the horror theme. 

Film Annotations

I used Microsoft Powerpoint to illustrate my annotations because it is quick and easy to use as well as it being a good way to present my points to other viewers and peers.

This porcelain tea set that we used in our media production similarly is used in The Woman in Black opening which I deconstructed. I discussed how it is very fragile and delicate which is considered creepy, as in most horror movies little girls in particular are 'playing' with them.