Evaluation Question 4:

Evaluation Question 3:

Evaluation Question 2:

2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts? from sophiabenyahia

Evaluation Question 1:

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

When creating our media products we had to have a strong understanding of the codes and conventions of existing texts and trailers. When analysing these codes and conventions we look at the mise en scene, camera, sound and editing.

 Trailer Analysis



Our production company logo 'Panic Pictures' is conventional at the beginning of a trailer. The toxic symbol behind the text is symbolic to the zombie genre however, it is appropriate for the horror genre as the colour scheme is red, black and white. The sound when 'Panic Pictures' appears, highlights the genre of the trailer.

A Film4 indent shows after to show that they also finance the film, which is conventional as they support and help to finance independent British films and British cinema.

 

It then fades to black and a plate shot of '5' (November) appears on screen. This is slightly unconventional as trailers usually start with an establishing shot of the location of which the narrative takes place however, the 5 is part of our brand identity as the event happens on the 5th November and we wanted to reinforce this at the beginning. The plate shots have deliberate glitches which symbolises something going wrong within technology or a disruption. This foreshadows what is about to happen as the is a disruption on the 5th of November.

 

Then there is a shot of the moon over a suburban neighbourhood. Having the moon, which is an iconography of the horror genre, above the safe suburban neighbourhood, which is also a conventional location of slasher films, reinforces disruption in the neighbourhood. This shot is similar to the Nightmare on Elm Street film poster as in the background there is a glowing mood over a suburban neighbourhood.

 

 

 

It then fades to black and the next plate shot appears with '4' (Best Friends). We have now introduced the idea of a countdown which is tense and trailers are designed to build tension. The red number and white text is now a motif and reinforces our brand identity. There is again a glitch when 'Best Friends' appear which doesn't only show that there is going to be a disruption on the 5th of November but the group of friends are also going to be interrupted.

 

The four best friends are then introduced with laughter which relieves the tension and shows the equilibrium of the narrative. We see Lucy and Alex sitting next to each other with the fire between them the mise en scene suggests that their relationship is dangerous and it is a doomed romance.

 

 

This is a similar shot to a scene in Jaws when Chrissie and Tom are on the beach near the bonfire. This shot suggests that sex and transgression is dangerous and foreshadows what is about to happen to her as he allows her to go skinny dipping drunk then gets eaten by a shark.

 

 

 

 

It then fades to black which is a convention of trailer form as it suggests some time has passed or that it is not in the right time frame, as trailers are non-linear. They are also used in the beginning of trailers when introducing the characters and opening up the narrative. Another plate shot appears with '3' (Suspects) again to continue with the countdown but to also introduce narrative elements. This also reinforces the brand identity.

 

The next shot is back to the same location around the bonfire however, the fire is even bigger and has completely covered Alex which also foreshadows when he gets burned.

We also see Faith and Scott in this scene and they are the binary opposite of Lucy and Alex. Faith is wearing a low cut yellow top, she plays conventional character trope of the sexually active girl in a slasher film.

 

Yellow also has connotations of dishonesty, jealousy and poison. Scott plays the stoner trope and we can tell as he is smoking and resembles the rebellious teen. It is also a convention in slasher films that the teenagers are experimental with transgressive rebellion. This shot is also similar to the scene in Halloween where the group of friends are in a car and the final girl who is very innocent does a transgressive act of smoking. However, she is surrounded by red which has connotations of danger which suggests that from her doing this act it is a path to danger.

 

Another plate shot appears with '2' (Side To A Story) which suggest drama or conflict but the truth is the enigma code which is being set up by plate shots. Then there is a moment of action where we see Faith and Scott banging on the shed and we can hear screaming and the crackling of fire.

As our film is a low budget independent film, we could not afford to set the shed on fire therefore we used sound, editing and a handheld camera to achieve the effect.

 

 

 

Then there is another plate shot with '1' (Deadly Secret) which then reinforces the enigma code. After introducing the 'deadly' there is a very unusual shot as it is at such an extreme angle, we can relate to German Expressionism. In particular to this picture as it is seen from the same angle. It creates unusual comp angular composition and the shot reflects the disruption within the narrative.

 

There is matched action however, he runs out of the frame from below then we see Faith running into the frame from the right. We have used movement to hide the edit.

In the next shot we see Faith run past however, the composition creates vertical lines to act as barriers which prevents her from escaping. This shot foreshadows the fact that she is running into a room with no escape. We then go back to another extreme angle and an unusual composition of Faith running past however, in the back we can see red fire extinguishers and a fire alarm. The mise en scene is very subtle but the visual irony suggests they are battling against fire and the fire extinguishers are right in front of them but they are just running away from it.

 

The green paint on the wall has connotations of illness as green is associated with sick. It can suggest that there is illness within the frame. Similar to the colour palette used in Hitchcock's film Vertigo. The colours used in Vertigo are the colours of bruising which represents the narrative as it is about decay and death. This shot can also be seen as a mirror shot as the line cuts it in the middle. The reflection can be seen a ghost version and she is following the ghost when there is actually a way out.

 

It then transitions into a fast pace non-linear montage sequence which is conventional in trailers. In the next show there is matched movement and the camera pans with her. The camera becomes handheld when she enters the theatre. Handheld camera is typical with the horror genre as it adds a sense of urgency and desperation because of its documentary realist feel.

 

The next shot we see the same colours of the green and two fire extinguishers. It is a similar to the one of Faith running across the frame however, the red and green are more prominent in this shot. The killer is now in the frame but we only see his legs which gives the audience a sense of mystery and is still reinforces the enigma code. There is then matched action of the killer walking towards the window with his weapon. We see the back of his head however, he is wearing a mask which is conventional in slasher films. He turns and stares at the couple beneath him who are bathed in a red light which has connotations of blood and death. The killer is towering above them therefore, the look vunerable below him. The location of this scene is in a theatre which suggests to him it is a performance. The next shot is a closer angle of the couple however, it is very dark and confusing and visually they are trapped as they are squashed in the frame. Then it cuts back to his vantage point and there is panic as they try to run there is high pitched music which is reminiscent of Physco which is common for the horror genre.

 

A plate shot with the same format then appears saying 'No' (Escape) which reinforces the shots of the groups of friends being trapped. It then fades to a non-linear scene which is conventional of a trailer. There is a partially hidden figure looking through a window. This is conventional for the killer to prey on their victims through a window.

 

There is another plate shot. Lucy runs into a big hall and she tries to grab the fire extinguisher. In this last scene she has advanced to the final girl as she is wearing a white top which has connotations of pure and is surrounded by darkness. There is a bright light and a hand which can suggest death as people describe dying as walking into the white light however, it can also suggest a resolution. There is then a reverse shot of Lucy looking up at the killer as we can see very subtle German Expressionism.

  

The pace has increase which is formally conventional and he jumps down in his position of power. The music is one sustained note which is tense and is conventional for a trailer. Shaken handheld camera is used for documentary realism. The importance of the final girl becomes greater as she faces the killer alone in the end scene of the trailer which is conventional. She hides behind a blue door which has connotations of freedom which may suggest that she finds a way out.

The film title appears which is conventional to remind the audience what the film is called and the release date appear after in a different font from the plate shots so that the audience is aware that it is the release day however, it still reinforces the brand identity.