Evaluation: Question 1

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

a) At a technical level, how well did you observe the conventions of continuity, and the language of film and editing?

We ensured that we maintained continuity throughout the film as this is important for the audience to enable them to believe what is happening in the film is real and for our film to have an effect on their emotions. To ensure continuity we shot most of the film, excluding some re-shoots on the same day, this meant that the light for example was the same in each shot. However we did still need to slightly alter the lighting in some shots using colour corrector during editing to match the light exactly. We also maintained continuity by following the 180 degree rule which we found quite easy from our experience in AS. 

We used a close up shot of the killer crossing out one of the victims face. We used a close up to focus the audience's attention on the hands and the picture only as the shot is only on for about 3 seconds, so by using a close up their attention will not be diverted by anything else in shot. The killer is wearing black gloves in the shot which is a convention of the serial killer sub-genre. The stalker in Pretty Little Liars and the serial killer in Dexter both wear black leather gloves.

Scene from Pretty Little Liars

Scene from Dexter

Scene from Pretty Little Liars

This high angle shot of the killer is shot from the top of the stairs which we previously see Alex run up, having the shot from the stairs suggests that this is where the killer is going to go next and could be from Alex's point of view. The use of shadows is also a convention of horror films and is particularly well demonstrated in Nosferatu.

We also used low key lighting to create a silhouette of the killer in this shot as shadows and silhouette's play on the fear of the unknown that the audience have. 
Silhouette's are also conventions of the horror genre and were particularly popular in older horror films such as Psycho and Halloween.

Silhouette of killer in Halloween

Silhouette of killer in Psycho

We used fairly slow editing in between these shots to add to the build up of the tension along with the music. 




This shot is particularly long and is the key shot that builds tension and fear.
















We then used a quick editing pace between these shots to create a panicky feel as the characters try to escape.

b) In terms of the content, how does your film reflect or challenge the conventions of the genre you are working in? Does it fulfil the nature of film genre or will it subvert expectations deliberately?

Our film reflects the conventions of the horror genre throughout, however we decided to challenge conventions of the horror genre in terms of the narrative by not having a 'final girl' or any survivors at all. The final girl theory was suggested by Carol Clover who said the final girl is the female character that is left at the end to confront the killer and live to tell the story, she suggests that films including a final girl begin with the viewer sharing the perspective of the killer but then experiencing a shift in identification to the final girl part way through the film. Typically the final girl is portrayed as the innocent, vulnerable character that is not involved in sex, alcohol or drug use like her fellow victims are, this sets her up to be the least likely character to be able to defeat the killer however somehow manages to.
Our film deliberately subverts expectations by not having any survivors as we wanted to shock the audience and create a film that is different from typical teen horror films. We have purposely made the character of Alex appear that she is going to be the final girl by having her as the main girl that Ben (the killer) is obsessed with and by saving her till last to be killed, this builds up the audience's expectations that she is going to survive and will create a bigger emotional reaction from the audience.

Final girl Sally Hardesty in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Final girl Laurie Strode in Halloween

Alex, who the audience think will be the final girl in our film

Levi-Strauss' binary oppositions narrative theory says that classic narratives involve a battle between two oppositions for example our films narrative includes good vs evil and males vs females therefore in terms of themes we have reflected conventions of the horror genre in our narrative.

c) Are there any elements of deliberate pastiche or parody, where you ‘play’ with the genre’s codes and history? Are there any intertextual moments where you hint at a reference to another film?

We have a deliberate element of pastiche in our film where we have Ben (the killer) whistling the song from Twisted Nerve which is also featured in Kill Bill but in a slower way than in those films. We decided to reference these films as we thought that the audience would gain enjoyment from recognising the whistle and remembering where they have heard it before. 




By having the Becky hide in the cupboard and Alex hide in the shower we have created a sort of parody of horror films as it plays with the fact that characters in horror films tend to hide in silly places where they will easily be found .

d) What kinds of audience pleasure are you trying to provide, and how confident are you that you have achieved this?

Using Rick Altman's genre theory applied to our film, we are trying to provide the audience with emotional pleasures for example the audience will feel very sad for the characters who don't survive especially Alex and they will feel bitter towards Ben. We are also trying to provide intellectual pleasures which will come from the audience realising that the person stalking and eventually killing the girls is Ben who the audience see Alex reject in a flashback. They will feel this pleasure as they will feel that they have solved the puzzle of the film. 
Part of Richard Dyer's entertainment and utopia theory can be used to explain the pleasures that the audience receive from our film. 

Intense shots

He says that the audience can get what they want/need from watching a film, for example our film could provide intensity for someone who is maybe bored and looking to be entertained. When Alex is crying in the shower and Ben approaches her to kill her the audience will feel intense emotions which will full fill their need of being entertained. 

Alex and Becky hiding together from the killer

He also says that the audience can feel a sense of community from watching films that involve a group of people working together to achieve or defeat something, they would want this from a film if they were feeling lonely for example. The audience could get a feeling of community from our film as there are the 2 female characters of Alex and Becky staying together to try to survive Ben who is trying to kill them. The audience may feel that they are part of that group and are helping the two characters to survive. Our film also demonstrates community when the 3 girls are watching a film together.

Our group watching a film

Two friends watching a film in Scream 4

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