Question 1: In what ways did your

media project develop, challenge

or use conventions of real media
products

By Nick Stroud
What are conventions of my genre of trailer?
• The frequency and pace of clips begin to speed up
through the trailer, this is used because it is a key
convention in horror films and I fell is essential in building
tension for the audience.
1. 2. 3.

4.
5.

In this sequence of clips I have used 1 second gaps between the clips to make
the pace faster, I feel this does build tension towards my final scene of the
trailer.
In creating my trailer I was influenced by real trailers in creating shots
for mine, here are some of them;

I was influenced by
this clip in the
strangers where the
killer is stalking the
main character.

I also used this clip

from the human
centipede to show
distress like the car
broke down.

This clip is inspired by

the strangers.
• High and low angle shots have been used in my trailer to
give a desired effect for each of them.
• High angle shots: I have used high angle shots to portray
a lack of power and dominance.
• Low angle shots: used in my trailer also to portray
dominance, and the higher power.
This is my example chosen for a low angle shot
of my two main characters running showing
distress, this also helps build the tension.

This was an attempt to use a low angle on

my villain to get a desired effect,
unfortunately I don’t think the angle was low
enough and not getting the desired effect.
However I do feel it does work well.
• The use of diegetic and non-diegetic was importans in
my trailer because I feel that without sound my horror
trailer was incomplete.

These two sound clips are of loud noises like ‘booms’ and
‘bangs’ which are used to indicate a change in tension, in my
trailer I used one near the end to indicate the change in pace
and tension, I feel that this is pivotal in my trailer in getting the
desired effect of unease to my audience.

Did this work?

In some elements I think I was successful in getting the
effect on my audience, however personally I feel that when
this sound is introduced into my trailer it feels like it doesn’t
on the fading out of the sound back to the backing track
doesn’t fit well, however after feedback from peers and
teachers they felt this did work.
• When Finding conventions of film magazines and
posters I began by looking at real magazines a posters
to get a feel for the key conventions and what I would
have to do for mine.

These are a few of my favorite movie magazine and movie posters, I

feel that they all work because they have very powerful images that
work well. ‘The Strangers’ poster is very basic but it still works
because of the image. I also feel this is the case with the Friday the
13th poster on a background of trees in the fog because the figure
really stands above it. With the movie magazines I feel there is a good
balance between information and image, which comes together well.
 USP. Title and photo
Use of real used to catch
title for viewers attention.
authenticity. Background used
Photo to cat to add to the
readers eye. derelict effect.

Key conventions
Exclusive of real posters.
interviews.

• These are my final designs for my movie magazine and movie poster and from using key
conventions I researched from real life products. For the magazine I used things like prices
and bar codes to give it an authentic look, I also used a USP on the magazine by offering
them something that is exclusive e.g. 1001 greatest movie moments and exclusive
interviews. With my movie magazine I feel like there is a lot of unnecessary empty face that
could be filled. But overall I feel that my magazine did work and gave the look of a real movie
magazine.
• On the poster I followed the theme of ‘Strangers’ with the two people restrained I did this
because I feel it gives a good feel of a horror poster. The reason I used a sepia look on my
poster was to give it a derelict ‘abandoned’ kind of feel. I used key conventions of real
posters with giving a date of release and crediting people and company's. I did this because
it gives my poster an authentic look and makes it look more realistic. Some negatives of my
poster is that I feel I am missing like a quick witty line like on the strangers like ‘because you
were home’ and reviews. I fell this would give my poster the finishing touches and make it
look more complete.
In what ways did I subvert these conventions.