San Antonio 1

ArielleSanAntonio
ProfessorMcClure
Writing39B
4December2015
ARhetoricalAnalysisofNowYouPay
Otherthanalwaysstudyingforexams,somecollegestudents
simultaneouslyexperienceakindofpressurethatteststheirabilitytochooserightfrom
wrongsuchasbeingtemptedintoanactthatcanaffectasignificantother.Itisinevitable
forcollegestudentstoeasilymakepoordecisionswhilebeingoblivioustothementaltoll
itcantakeontheimportantpeoplethatsurroundthemandthecertainconsequences.In
ourgrouppresentation,NowYouPayisashorthorrorfilmthatexemplifiesanadolescent
boywhoistemptedintocheatingwithhisgirlfriendsbestfriendandsuffers
consequencesfromthisunfaithfulloveaffairandpremaritalsex.Premaritalsex,which
servesasoneofthetropes,iscommoninyoungadultsandhasgenerallybeenperceived
tobeasin,therefore,ourgrouppresentationparticularlychoseavideomediumsinceitis
abletoclearlyshowthedepravityinbothtemptationandbetrayalbytheuseofbody
languageofthecharactersanddialogue.Inaddition,theultimateconsequencethatresults
fromtemptationandbetrayalinthisvideo,death,arehorrificallyshownviaacting,jump
scaresanddistinctvisualandaudioeffectssothatourgroupsfilmisabletoinstillfear
intoouraudienceandfallunderthegenreofhorror.
Horrormoviesingeneralincludesuspense,asenseofreallifethreatanddread
forouraudience.Ourfilm,NowYouPayhasallthesethreefactors.Itislocatedina

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collegesetting,wheretheprotagonist,Nam,findshimselfcominghometoaschool
project,aswellashisgirlfriend,Anson,whoisaccompaniedbyherbestfriendRachael.
Duetothefactthatourfilmfirstlyexhibitsyoungadultshangingoutandhavingcasual
conversations,itisabletoappealtotheethosofouraudience,sinceouraudiencefalls
underthesameageasourcharactersinthefilmandinthatway,ourfilmseemsmore
realistic.Inthebeginningofourfilm,therearenohorrorscenesuntilitgradually
escalatestothemidstoftheplot.WedeliberatelymadeAnsonanextremelysweetgirl
friendintheveryfirstscenewhenshementionsthatsheprepareddinnerforNam,sothat
theaudienceisabletopointouttheveryfirstinstancesinwhichNamcouldbetempted
intosomethingthathurtshisgirlfriendwhileRachaelbetraysherveryownbestfriend,
Anson.GoingfurtherintothefilmwhenRachaelspeakswithNamaloneinthekitchen,
thebodylanguagethatsheusesisextremelyflirtatious.We,asyoungadults,understand
theconceptofflirtingbecausetherearemanycollegecouplesroamingaroundinUCI.
Flirtingrequirestheuseofseducingbodylanguageandverbalcontactthatusually
signalsthatyouhavedeepinterestintheperson.However,inthissceneparticular,
Rachaelsflirtatiousbehaviorgivesoffanimpressionthatsheisactuallymanipulating
(tempting)Namintoanunfaithfulacttowardshisgirlfriendwhensheaskshimtohang
outsinceAnsonwillbeaway.Themomentsheusesseducingbodylanguagesuchasthe
swayofherhipsasshewalkstowardsNam,thegentletouchonhisshoulder,andeye
contact,theaudiencecanguessthatRachaelisinonsomethingevilsincewehave
alreadymoldedtheaudiencesmindintobelievingthatAnsonisanangelichumanbeing
thatwouldneverhurtherboyfriend.

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IhavelearnedfrommyWriting39Bcoursethathorrorfilmsaregenerally
comprisedoftropes.Ihavealsoexaminedthattropeshavealargecontributionin
rhetoric.Becausetropesdirectitsaudiencetowardtheunderlyingmessageorthemeof
thefilm,wepurposelyincludedafewtropesintoourshortfilminordertoeffectively
communicatetheimmoralityoftemptationandbetrayal.Thefirsttropethatisapparentin
NowYouPayisthewarningphonecall.Thisspecifictropeallowstheaudiencetoexpect
thatatwistedeventwillhappentothepersonwhoreceivesthewarningphonecall.Inour
film,Namreceivesaphonecallinthemiddleofthenightfromanunknowncallerthat
tellshimYouwillpay.inadisturbing,fiendishtone.Beforethephonecalloccurred,
NamandRachaelsintentionsforeachotherwereevident.RachaelandNamdesireto
havesexwitheachothereventhoughNamisinarelationshipwithAnson.Becausetheir
actionsaremorallywrong,consideringthefactthattheyaregoingtohavepremaritalsex,
theaudiencecanguessthatNamisgettinghimselfintoatroubledsituationsincehe
especiallyreceivedthiswarningphonecallafterheandRachaelclearlyshowedtheir
sexualintentionsforeachotherwithoutAnsonbeinghome.Thetropefunctionsasaway
togettheaudiencetoreactandfloodtheaudiencesmindwiththepossibilitiesofwhat
canhappennext.Themomenttheaudiencehearsthisdeep,threateningvoice,thethought
ofthefilmasahorroriscreatedandinitiatestheaudiencetowary.
Inhorrorgenre,soundeffectsandvividvisualsthatexhibittheideaofNoel
Carrollsthreateningandimpuremonsterplayacrucialroleinprovokingfear,which
camefromherliterarytextTheNatureofHorror.Ourgroupsmainobjectivewasto
ultimatelyscareouraudiencethroughthesetwomajorcomponentsthathavean

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importantimpactonclassifyingafilmashorror.Thereareahandfulofexamplesinour
filmthatscaretheaudiencebysimplyshowingsomethingthatisanextraordinary
characterinanordinaryworldasstatedbyCarroll.WhenRachaelapproachesthedark
hallwayandturnsonthelight,sheunexpectedlyseesatall,palegirlstagnantand
standingwithherhairunusuallycoveringherface.Thegirlcomesoffasthreatening
becausesheisunusuallypositionedandthecameraslowlyapproacheshercoveredface
todeliberatelymaketheaudiencequestionheridentityandhowshelooks.Rachaelthinks
thatsheishallucinatingsosherubshereyesandthefiguresuddenlydisappears.Thefilm
graduallybecomesmorefrighteningwithdisturbingvisualsoftheominousgirlthat
appearsabruptly.SinceNamreceivedaforebodingphonecallwhileRachael
unpredictablyseesathreateningfigure,theaudiencecanbelievethatthesetwo
individualswhoareobligingtopremaritalsexaftertemptationandbetrayal,aregoingto
bepunishedfortheirwrongdoings.ThefilmquicklyescalatestoRachaelsdeathafter
theaudienceseesNamunbuttoninghisshirt,readytocheatonAnsonandhearsRachael
screamingloudlywithpain.AfterRachaelsalarmingscream,theaudienceultimately
seeswhotheominousgirltrulyisAnson.BeforeNamdiesfromhisimmoralchoices,
hereceivesonelastphonecallthattellshimNow,youwillpay.AsAnsonisholdinga
knifewithaphoneontheotherhand,herpale,bloodyfaceisfinallyrevealedatthevery
endtoshowthatshewasmakingthethreateningphonecalls.Duetothefactthatthereis
atwistinAnsonscharacter(sweettoimpure),theaudienceisshockedandfrightened.
Myrole,orpersonalmarkinthisgroupprojectwastoandcodirect.Byusingthe
iMoviesoftware,Ismoothlytransitionedeachscenetoadifferentsceneinthefilm

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whennecessary.IalsoappliedsoundeffectssuchasRachaelsscreaminherdeath
scene,theloudbassbackgroundsoundeffect,andAnsonsevilphonecallvoiceover
inordertocontributethefilmasahorrorgenre.Mytwocrucialcontributions
positivelyprovidedassistancetoassureourvideoiswoventogether(viaaudioand
visualeffects)sothatitiscomprehensivetoouraudience.Allfilmsrequireeditingso
thattheaudienceisabletokeepupwiththewholepointofthestory.Itwillkeepthe
audienceengaged,awareofwhatthemaincharacterisupto,andmostofall
entertained.BecauseSallyfilmedthemovie,itallowedmetogiveheralotof
assistancesinceIdidnothavetoact.Itwasimportantformetobetherewhilemy
groupfilmedsothatIwouldhaveaclearvisualofhowthemoviewouldplayout.
Theactingstaffplayedabigroleinbringingtheshorthorrorfilmalive.Theyall
contributedtheirownideasintomakingthefilmourfilmbyaddingontotheir
dialoguetohelpthecomprehensionofouraudience.Ingeneral,myteammembers
individuallyhavetheirownqualitiesthatbringoutthebestinthem.Theyeachmade
suretovoicetheirownopinionwithoutbringinganyonedownorbeingcomplicated.
Althougheachofushaddifferentopinions,wemadesuretocometoanagreement.
Inallhonesty,theonlyimprovementthatIcouldseewasthatwecouldhave
communicatedbetter.Forinstance,weallwerebusywithotherthingsthathadtodeal
withschoolsowehandledourfilmassignmentswithashortamountoftime.Because
ofthisitdidcausealittlestress,butintheend,ourgrouphadpositiveattitudesand
motivationtofinishtheproject,whichmademeveryhappywiththeoutcomeofour
shorthorrorfilm.Ourfilmultimatelyachieveditsgoalinportrayingthehorrifying

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consequencesoftemptationandbetrayalthroughthecomponentsthatmakeupa
horrorgenresuchasacting,tropes,visualandaudioeffects.

WorkCited
Carroll,Nol(1987).TheNatureofHorror.JournalofAestheticsandArtCriticism46
(1):5159.