Evaluation:

Question 1

Karin Falconer-Bailey

In what ways does your

media product develop or
challenge forms and
conventions of real media
products?

Codes and conventions of horror films Setting

Horror films tend to be located in abandoned locations as this type of
location often relates to the narrative of the film, and provides a sense of
isolation for the characters within the film. Abandoned locations often
include dark streets, narrow alleyways, and grave yards and ghost towns.
Many films such as Silent Hill, Shaun of the dead, Resident evil extinction
and Jennifers body all are films that consist of the conventional location
for a horror film.
From our questionnaire, our target audience suggested that the best
location for a horror film to be filmed on is in an abandoned house.
Although we were unable to find an actual abandoned house, we were
able to find a location which appeared to be isolated.

Setting Our final product

In my horror opening, we decided to use two locations. Prior to our final
pitch, we were only going to use one location but we thought it was best
to include another. Our two locations were the alley way and a dark room.
These two locations fit with the conventions as an alley way is seen as
being a very vulnerable place as they tend to be surrounded my trees
and or forests.
Our second location as a dark room, within our opening the room was not
exposed to the camera. However, the dark room fits the conventions of
horror films as it brings the fear, danger and death to the film which
relates to the narrative of our horror film.

Codes and conventions of horror films

-technical codes

Point of view shots are commonly used in horror films as they enable
the audience to see the world from the characters eyes.
Handheld shots is another shot which always appears in moving
image media as it makes it difficult for the audience to understand
what is going on within the text. Recording a scene of a film via
handheld shots bring terror and fear to the film.
Diegetic and non diegetic sounds. Most non-diegetic sounds that are
used in horror films are an addition to the suspense and build up that
is created in the film. Non-diegetic sounds that are used are sound
such as footsteps, police sirens and heart beating.
Editing is also important in creating tension to a horror film. Editing
can create also create suspense as if one shot quickly transitions to
another shot which a character may jump out in, this cause the
audience to be frightened. On the other hand, if this is not done, the
audience will know something is about to happen causing them not to
be scared for what is about to happen.
In our questionnaire, we asked our target audience how editing
techniques influence them into watching horror films whether it was
tension, build up and suspense they created.

Technical codes Our final product

In the beginning of our horror opening, we used a handheld shot when Lauren is
shown running down the alley and the camera is tracking her movements by
following movements. This has been very effective throughout our opening scene as
it leads the audience into thinking someone or something is chasing after her.
Throughout the opening we have managed to incorporate a lot of diegetic and non
diegetic sound. At the beginning of the opening, we hear the non-diegetic sound of a
999 dispatcher and a female talking over the phone about something chasing her.
The way in which we used this type of non-diegetic sound was very effective as in
the female characters voice we can hear fear and uncertainty in her voice which
relates to the genre of the film opening.
Diegetic sound is used towards the ending of our opening when the 3 characters who
are being held captive in the room begin to exchange information about their
whereabouts and why.
Another technical aspect which has played a significant role in our horror opening is
editing, although we had to make small edits to our horror opening such as putting
footage in chronological order and cropping the length of recordings, we also had to
include edits such as transitions in order to create suspense. In our horror opening,
we included edits such as CCTV camera and camera recording effects, distortion
effects.

Codes and conventions of horror films Iconography

Iconography includes lighting, costumes and props. Looking into
many horror films, a lot of successful horror films tend to:
Have low key lighting as it can create shadows and darkness
which connotes danger and death. Lighting which is used in
horror films does tend to come from light within the mise-enscene; bonfires, torches and fireplaces.
Props allow us to identify the purpose of the character e.g. villain,
hero or damsel in distress. In horror films props which tend to be
used are chainsaws, machetes, knives, claw gauntlets and
firearms.
Costumes consists ripped, bloody clothing,
Characters include monsters, vampires, werewolves and
zombies.
Films that include these types of iconographies are again Resident
evil, Chainsaw Texas massacre and Shaun of the dead.

Iconography Our final product

In our horror opening, we used a combination of lighting. In the scene
where Lauren is shown running through the alleyway, natural lighting is
used within this scene. Although this type of lighting is not as affective as
low key lighting or high key lighting, it has made an impact on our final
product. The natural lighting has made an impact as it encourages the
audience it is a normal day and nothing is going to happen which is not
the case.
We decided that the costumes of the captured people to were to be the
same, in terms of colour. The 3 characters who are being held captive are
all wearing black, we decided that this colour would be black as it
connotes death and danger which links to the horror genre of our film.
We did not include conventional props in horror films such as guns and
knives, however, we did include props such as masks and fake blood.
These types of props may not be the main conventional props in horror
films but they do appear a lot in horror films.

Codes and conventions of horror films

- Characters

The hero
The villain
Damsel in distress
Teenagers
Ghosts
Demons
Zombies
Werewolves
Stalker
Children

Characters Our final product

In our opening scene and our film pitch, we didnt include as many characters
as mainstream and independent films do;

5 Masked individuals Villains, stalkers,

Amelia Villain
Christina - Damsel in distress
Daniel Teenager
Police Hero

Codes and conventions of horror films Themes

Good vs. evil Tucker and dale vs. evil

Depression
Religion The Mist / Legion/ The possession
Madness
Nightmare
Supernatural Paranormal activity
Zombie Resident evil
Envy Death clique

Themes Our final product

In our horror film, it has been difficult to identify the theme as it does not
easily categorise itself into the themes I previously listed. After carefully
analysing our horror opening, we decided that the theme for our opening
is Good vs. Evil. The reason for this is because the masked characters are
trying to get revenge by killing two innocent (good characters) people as
well as the murderer (evil). Another theme that we believe our opening
possesses is madness due to the narrative our film withholds.