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.

 



CONSTRUCTION: Magazine Cover

CONSTRUCTION: Film Poster

CONSTRUCTION: Trailer

PLANNING: Poster Rough Print Design

This is my draft of my slasher film poster for 'Bonfire Night'. I chose to have one side of the killer unmasked and the other side with his mask on. This was to show his different sides as on the left he is a normal teenage boy and on the right is after the incident happened and he is wearing a mask to cover his burns on his face. I chose to show the back of his head instead of his face as he is facing the fire which foreshadows what happens to Alex.

 

PLANNING: Call Sheets

PLANNING: Story Board

PLANNING: Bonfire Night Film Synopsis

Four friends are meeting up around a bonfire on the 5^th November. These include; Faith Richards – the promiscuous girl, Alex Martin – the lover turned killer, Scott Chegg – the stoner / comic relief and Lucy Jones – the innocent/final girl. Faith dares Alex to go into the shed for ‘7 minutes of heaven’ with Lucy. Lucy is not too sure about this as she is not as promiscuous or loose as Faith, and therefore lets Alex go in on his own.

In a frenzy, Faith accidentally tips over the bonfire and fire begins to spread. They try to get Alex out but to no avail, and they have to run away whilst he screams for help inside the shed. They believe he has died, and no one speaks about it again, out of guilt and shame.

A year later, on the same day, the 5^th of November, the group are sitting in their college’s common room. As they are conversing with one another, a masked figure jumps into the room and scares them, but its revealed to only be Scott playing a prank on them. They all laugh about it and go back to their discussions, however as they are talking, they notice a masked figure standing at the window holding a metal bar. He begins to walk towards the door as Faith exclaims “That’s not Scott! That’s not Scott!”.

The group spends the next few weeks afraid, as they believe figure is coming to kill them. Eventually they find out that the killer is Scott, back for revenge after they left him for dead. He developed major scarring on the face, hence he wears a Hessian bag for a mask to cover his face. He returns again, this time chasing them into a theatre. They sprint down the stairs to avoid him, as he watches them from above. Alex fails to kill them all, but manages to attack Faith, and she dies from her injuries.

They continue to be weary, and they tell a police officer about their stalker, but to no avail, and he believes there are bigger problems. Faith turns up to college the next day to find Scott died in his sleep, murdered by an unknown suspect. She knows who did it, but the police force do not help her. That day she walks through the empty corridors after college has closed, staying after to speak to a teacher about everything that went wrong.

As she walks through the corridors she hears footsteps behind her, and she runs into the school hall, and attempts to hide inside the curtains. She looks up and finds him above her on the rafters, rattling his metal rod against the gating. She runs into another room and tries to stay quiet, but her screams still come out. He tracks her down and manages to get his hands on her, but she darts to the side and swipes the metal pipe from his hands, and snatches it from his grasp. She hits his legs with it as he falls to the ground, she unmasks him and asks why he did it, why he killed all her friends. He tells her that they ruined his life by locking him in the shed and leaving him to burn alive. She calls the police and tells them she has him here, but they laugh it off as a silly prank call and they hang up. Whilst she’s on the phone, Alex jumps up and sprints out the door. He turns around to smile evilly at her as he runs into the night. Lucy falls to the ground and bursts into tears.

RESEARCH: Prosthetic Make-Up Practice

I used prosthetic makeup to make it appear that I was severely injured on my head. I used Moulding Liquid Latex with tissue paper to create a new layer on my skin so that once it had dried I could rip apart the middle and make a wound using fake blood and face paint.

 

RESEARCH: Audience Profile

RESEARCH: Influences on Horror Genre

RESEARCH: Slasher Film Conventions

Conventions of Slasher Films from sophiabenyahia

RESEARCH: Existing Media Research

POSTER ANALYSIS

PARTY NIGHT

 'Party Night' is a horror film about six friends who become prey for a sadistic psychopath when they decide to ditch their high school's after prom party for their own celebration at a secluded house and The film was released on the 28th April 2017 and directed by Keri Collins.

 

 

The figure on the left of the poster is clearly the killer as we can see he is holding a bloodied knife which is probably the weapon he uses to hunt down his victims. We cannot see his face which makes his identity unknown and leave a sense of mystery to who he is and why he is preying on a group of friends. However, he is wearing overalls which looks similar to caretaker overalls. Therefore, we can assume that he participate in labour work and his occupation can be a rail worker, electrician, caretaker or a factory worker.

On the right of the poster we can see a quite large suburban house in a suburban neighbourhood. The suburban neighbourhood is a recognisable location and is conventional in slasher films. Using this location in a slasher film instils fear into the audience as after watching the film in the cinema, they go back home to their suburban neighbourhood and make them feel conscious as they usually feel safe,

The typography for the title is red and upper case, the 'Night' looks like it has been slashed and stabbed with a knife, we can assume that as it is what the killer is holding and this can suggest that the font foreshadows the film as it is a slasher film. The title of the film is 'Party Night', parties can usually consist of alcohol and drunk young teenagers. The strap line is "Try to make it until morning", which suggests that the killer is hunting people through the night and they may not be alive in the morning. As the title suggests that there is a party involved in the film, this can be a target for the killer as parties are for many people gather in one place. However, we do not know the killer's motive.

The principle cast and crew is placed at the bottom of the poster as it is a conventional position. The typography is also conventional to any other film poster with tall and slim lettering.

RESEARCH: Audience Research

Quantitative

Slasher film survey analysis from sophiabenyahia

Brief

My name is Sophia Benyahia and I am currently studying Media A Level at Rooks Heath College. For our coursework we was given a brief to create a slasher trailer, through research, planning and constructing.

RESEARCH

For our research we were asked to research existing media products and audiences. My group and I created a questionnaire to gain an understanding of audiences that watch slasher films and what they like about them. We then analysed the results and other existing film posters, magazine covers and trailers to give us an idea of what to include in our own media products that follow the same conventions.

PLANNING

After carrying out the research, we had a wider knowledge of our audience and existing media products and could then start planning our trailer, poster and magazine cover. We started by writing up a synopsis of our film, a storyboard, call sheets and other planning documents such as character profiles and templates.

CONSTRUCTION

After researching and planning, we had gathered enough information about our audience and our project, we was ready to construct our slasher film trailer, a slasher film poster and a slasher film magazine

EVALUATION

We were then asked to evaluate our work as a whole through four different evaluation questions which included evaluating the forms and conventions, audience feedback and media technologies.