How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Through distribution I believe my text conforms and works well between the teaser trailer itself and the ancillary tasks I have created. The film poster reveals an eerie somehwat depicted image of the mask of the killer and thus can still be contruned to be mysterious. The use of light and dark in all my products I believe to be imperitive to their respective successes, for example the use of a white mask in the text and then repeated throughout the ancillaries makes the mask in itself an iconic refference of the film as opposed to any induvidual. This ideology of the mask is intertextual of "V for Vendetta" signiying the mask itself is superior to any being of any status. Therefore the audience feel that no one is safe and therefore the text can in theory attract a larger audience. How the ancillaries compliment the text can be said to maintain this iconic belief of the mask by the main images witihn both being the mask. This when released to the public via distribution should make the mask a sought after item in either appropriate merchandising or further texts/posters. Thus the mask becomes to a point a unique selling point of the film. The idea of the mask is and has been used before to great success the hockey mask from "Friday the Thirteenth" within the horror genre as well as many other genres "Spiderman", "Star Wars" and many more all using iconic imagery to effectively market their product. Combining the texts effectively again used by similar iconographic imagery creates an image in which can be picked up and distributed within the media and audience alike forming an intstantly recognisable image of the film through this iconic catalyst due to the significance of association of the text to the mask and vice versa.


Use of light and dark within the texts I believe to be a strong point of my products. Placing the audience into almost searching for the light and in turn a way out from the slaughter and condemnation of the victim within the text. However my ancillary products show the mask but in two different concepts. The post shows the mask to be almost crystallised again connoting/signifying to the audience that this item is a paramount icon within the text and also making It an image of value. By editing the poster in a way by placing the review as the top and initial line of text the audience are in a sense relived by professional recognition and in some cases sold by the one word pitch from Total Film. editing to the mask itself I believe shows that the mask itself is much more than a mask and can be seen as a representation of the return of repressed feelings thus I chose to extrude the image to show as though the mask itself is advancing towards the audience.



Distributing the product through magazines that review films, I believe to be a strong method of distribution. This is an inexpensive and effective use of on hand materials available to pitching the text to the audience. Using actor interviews/reviews of the text as well as sneak previews and still released into magazines the audience can be given an acceptable amount of information about the text to increase their desire to watch and in turn consume other sale factors of the film (director, synergy releases, soundtrack, collectables. By gaining the front pae of a respected and followed magazine an audience will pay particular attention to my product and thus this method can attract a wider audience. Just by placing an image on the front page in some cases immediately sells the film to some audiences as it can be seen as active use of external commendation.

I believe that my texts all compliment one another in order to gain audience attetnion and gratify them significantly until they go and see the film as a result of consuming the products I have created.

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

My final media product can be described as a mainly generic conforming slasher/horror text. COnventions I have learnt from and used in turn throughout my own product to represent the elements essential to the horror genre. Ways in how i aheared to significant conventions of horror are as follows:






These establishing shots both contain and present the location of the text to the audience. In my text I composed the shot to gain maximum branch coverage as well as two significant trees on either adjacent side of the shot to signify a gate and in this case a foot forward on the downward spiral into anarchy. The branches and hi angle shot itself represent a cage and signifies a feeling of being trapped with claustrapohebic connotations due to the trees blotting out the light which in this case can be described as pre trauma normality and thus the equaliberium so right from the initial shot the audience can feel uneasy and therefore easily positioned by further establishing shots I used. I noticed these codes on the text "The Haunting In Conneticutt" this text usedthe house and surrounding trees to effectively show an inviting house surrounded by connotation of darkness and the trees themselves representing walls in which the family would later be contained.





POV filming I believe to be crucial in both creating suspense and keeping the audience shocked when It comes to certain scenes such as the chase scenes above. It places the audience within the eyes of the killer and thus are shown his somewhat wared perspective. Methods I chose to use were over the shoulder and off tri pod shots I believe using these methods gives the audience a more efficient direction of being able to interact and relate to the text. The rapid movements of the camera refelct both changes in tempo and signifying changes within the narrative. Supporting this convention gives my product and Killer an almost tribal/animalistic tendancy using the wilderness and in turn his own instincts to effectively hunt the victims as well as relating to the "texas chainsaw massacre" can be considered to the Ridley Scott Alien/ Predator films. Ideologically the idea of bringing the audience and the killer closer without actually revealing him/her retains the convention of mystery and thus the audience can be still be scared despite being given chance to interact with the killer through insight into his/her perspective.






Depth of Field within Horror texts in both mine and other texts is used to create a wall between the victim and the killer. In older sdlashers such as Halloween depth of field was effectively used to create a blind field between victim and killer, conventionally the antagonist appearing behind an victim unaware of his/her impending doom. However In both my case and the texas Chainsaw massacre in which i found this technique (also used in eden Lake) connotes another hunter like tendancy in stalking the victim, the shots used to create depth of field signify that they are being watched/followed. This convention is commonly used to show either ignorance or vunerability of the victims/final girl and thus connote the power and intellect of the antagonist.








Use of focused lighting within horror can create focal points in which the audience consumes and thus pays particular attention to. The eerie sense of the swinging weapon as it looms over the victim and due the composition of this shots creates a fear as the audience is put into the position of that of the victim so thus similar feelings shown by the victim can be felt by the audience. The lighting being surrounded by darkness connotes the Iconic struggle against evil/injustice within the horror genre and the proportionalism of light to dark signifies the impending doom of the featured character. Within many horror texts focused lighting also leads the audience away from hidden factors for example Jason always attacks in the dark in Friday the 13th and so potential victims who are close to or hold light creates a motif of controlling power as when the light goes out or the vitcims run in fear they are struck down so the light can be described as a symoblism of maintaining peace or a lifeline. In my own product the light remains but the killer is obstructing the light thus connotinga chance of escape but an unlikely one at that. This ideology leaves the audience in suspence of the coming actions and due to the remaining light gives slight inclinations of possible outcomes. The motif of light and what it is symbolic of can come in many forms, in zombie films use of fire/explosions are definite representaitons of authority/control. However sometimes the killer is shown to be set on fire and as a result seen to be almost invincible, In "Freddy Vs Jason" when Jason is set on fire he remains very much alive and not even moved by the fact he is on fire, in this case the convention is broken and hope seen to be removed for the time being.

My media text I believe to be a mainstream and intertextual product suitable of the slasher genre. The continuous use of conventions and signifiers relating to the genre show its progression in maintaining a target audience and the power to scare/chill them convincingly.

Research for ancillary task (film magazine)

When looking to create a suitable film magazine cover I looked at a variety of essential codes and conventions apparent and relevent to the widespread consumption of a successful cover. I looked at the eight covers shown above and from that chose to use elements from each one to build my own poster. Many of the posters were taken from TOTAL FIlM, this is because when researching many of the films and cover stories related directly to either sdingular character interviews or the film itself. The genre of texts were also closer to that of my own from this text.
Many of thecovers focused on representing the main protagonist of the text. Therefore It seemed an obvious choice for a horror cover to show the killer whom within the horror genre can be argued to be the strong anti hero/figure of power within horror texts. The ideology behind this is that people cannot get close to the killer within the films as they are lead to fear them but in a magazine they can be gratified through be able to understand his/hers reasonings or in most cases pathological thought patterns often stimulated through a in turn vicious past.

Film poster

Film Magazine

3. What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

3. What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

When a viewing was arranged for about 20 students we let them watch the product and then collected a constructive critic of the work.. The idea of this would be to gain further knowledge of how exactly my text positions and moves an audience and just how effective my text is at performing that task. Reasons for why I believe my text requires direct audience feedback is that it can in effect make the possibilities of a successful product definitely more achievable.

My product was shown once to an audience and then segments shot in significance to points made about the content. At the time of viewing my product was only to be classed as a first cut due to further audio and visual editing still needing to be completed in order to ascertain a fully effective product. Audience remarks were very positive about use of the depth of field and camera shot usage. On the other hand due to the nature of the text being a first cut some audience members found it difficult to identify due to no significant protagonist being portrayed apart from the assumption of a “final girl.” This was again due to the text being a first cut and audience/actor identification points not being completely clarified. However since then dialogue and transcripts have been added to give these connections between audience and character.

Positive feedback was mainly focused on how our text was iconic to the Horror/slasher genre. I achieved this by studying various films of that genre from both Hollywood and UK backgrounds to which I wanted to use almost intertextual points from both categories of horror. Texts I studied included: The Shining, Halloween, Wilderness, The hills have eyes, Friday the 13th and 28 days later. These films stood out to me due their style and chic in regards to the Horror genre. In many a case it appealed to me that the victims emotions were made all the more real through effective use of camera techniques. Thus I chose to reflect this within my own text using a lot of handheld footage amongst high and low angles, even climbing a tree in order to gain a better perspective view. When these points were raised in the viewing the audience commented on how the mixed positions of shooting points gave the impression of being watched and lost. Focus was another point of praise as people liked how I had altered the focus of the camera when shooting in order to use depth of field with obstructing objects (mostly trees, shrubs) this was to further the ideology of being watched. Many of the audience also voiced their appreciation for my use of codes of the slasher genre.

Places within the text that I could work on were quoted to be “Audience Identification” which I believe has now been achieved by use of both voiceovers and dialogue alike. Further points of inquest was the soundtrack I had created on Garage Band, In places the tempo of the track did not match that of the visual elements. Narrative structure of the teaser was also looked at, In places there is a direct jump to a different sequence which I believe in teaser trailers can be allowed due to the nature of the their release however I understand the point made as it disengaged the audience due to know audio or dialogue giving a hint of what is to happen. Overrall I believe my text could be improved by applying these points and the things an audience brought to my attention would definitely change how I went about editing this next time.

How my Text related to the Horror Genre, many of the audience pointed out and commented on codes I used within my work to actively represent the genre. Examples of this are eerie sounds such as crows in the background. It was important to be generically stereotypical in order to create the feel of a horror film straight from the start. Codes I used that were closely linked to the Horror Genre were: lighting, depth of field, extreme close up, canted angle shots, light and dark mise en scene and keeping the killer for the most part in the dark.

4. How did you use new Media Technologies in the construction and research/ Planning and evaluation stages?

Products I have used:

Garage Band: A Mac software, it a musical instrument simulation + recording system. I used this progressively throughout the creation of my teaser trailer in order to create a suitable backing track as well voiceovers and effects.

Live type: I used this Mac software to animate title screens within my trailer; this was used to give the effect of external distribution companies putting their logo within the text.

Final Cut Pro: Another Mac software, I used this software the most in order to arrange view, select, edit and compose my teaser trailer. By doing this I increased the overall outlook of my project. Ways I made this possible were by using the cut and 3 way colour correction tool to name but a few methods I used consistently throughout the teaser. The colour correction tool was used to make our shots appear darker and to give strong connotations of warped somewhat surreal environment.

Adobe Photoshop CS4: windows software I used to create my ancillary tasks.

Blogger: I used Blogger to publicly place all my information and planning regarding the Teaser trailer.

Camcorders: I used Sony VX Cameras to shoot and record all of my footage for the teaser trailer making what I believe to be good use of conventionally appropriate shots such as pans and close ups.

Still Image Cameras: I used these when location hunting for footage so I could use them in conjunction with my storyboard.

My Product: Final Cut

My Media Horror Teaser Trailer

Role of Distribution firms

Distribution within media:


Distribution companies aspire to acquire suitable exhibitioners to whom will provide the film for the demographic audience required to view the text by the production team. Distributors market the rights of movies given to them by production companies in order to ascertain a commission credit for themselves from the, would be profits of the text. Many reasons why production companies enlist distribution firms on the payroll is due to the individual and specific research they will carry to create the best selling possibilities for the text they are trying to market. This gives the production team more time to benefit creating the text to a superior dynamic. Distribution companies will look at area, populace, age range, gender range, social standing and number of possible exhibitioners within a target region. Distributers also look at marketing the film to not only exhibitioners but the target audience as well overseeing products of synergic reference and also theatrical/teaser trailers. Others ways will include marketing products of the film such as actor/director/producer interviews, making of documentaries and advance screenings.

Synopsis for a trailer

Media synopsis

James Shreeve is a normal, boy with normal teenage problems. He gets by in school, attempts to impress people and generally tries to be a nice guy. This lifestyle suits him just fine in the small suburban community in which he lives. One day on the way to school he is nearly hit by a car but thinks nothing of it. Later that day a new classmate is introduced and it is then that James realizes that the boy is whom nearly ran him over, he confronts Alex about the car incident who laughs it off but does apologize. James feels fine but doesn’t realize his life is about to change forever. Everything about Alex seems to be so intense and this quickly makes Alex a popular student amongst the school by students and teachers alike. Alex is not quite normal but James puts it down to jealousy. That’s when people started to go missing. Alex had fallen ill after a practical joke had fallen on him, which James had organised. First his classmates started to disappear and then his teachers. There was no explanation, none at all. It was then one night he fatally stumbles across Alex, his eyes bloodshot and quivering in some corner. His body strewn with blood as James looks round his teacher mr Davis lays lifeless and cold on the floor, It is now he realizes Alex has gone completely insane, Alex once again vanishes in the night only to leave the corpse of a once friendly teacher. The killings after that started to mount, James tried to find Alex but could only find his actions on the rare occasion. James knew something had to be done so set off after Alex knowing that only he could stop Alex, or whatever Alex had become.

Teaser Trailers

Harry Brown Teaser Trailer:



Green Zone teaser Trailer:

Character Roles within the horror genre

The role of women in the horror genre


Throughout the 20th/21st century women have been represented in a very strict and conforming stereotype. Many women within the horror genre signify sexual or ignorant stereotypical codes. The conventional role of a woman within early horror films was to act as an intensifier of masculinity for the male audience. Roles women played in the 50’s were either very alluring or damsel like personas, which reflected the view of women in everyday life. As the horror genre evolved the role of women gradually began to diversify and a new “final girl” was formed.

Women in early horror were used to entice the male audience this was done by the woman characters being often expensively clothed or being unfaithful/exotic. Women also were represented as a shock factor during killer scenes as to make the position the audience into feelings of horror/ fear and creating suspense. This was done by showing women horrified expressions as seen on screen. The ideals behind showing long take shots of reactions of women touches upon the ideology of a woman being represented as a “damsel” role and thus helpless. The idea of re-using the damsel in distress ideology within the horror genre was meant to connote to the male audience that women were inferior to men. Therefore the male audience could feel a momentary gratifying feeling of strength/masculinity. The idea that women should play inferior/lesser roles within the horror genre connotes that they are considered to be precious but weak objects and thus sort after by the killer. Doing this creates a representative image of how women should act/re-act by. As opposed to male characters within horror, killings concerning women are in most cases more explicit and tortuous than that of their male characters, it can be argued that the killing sequences contain sexual connotations.

The Final girl became apparent after films such as “Halloween” and “ the shining” was released. Iconic examples of the final girl are: strong facial composition, projections of masculinity, differences in thought patterns to her peers, lack of physical attraction and throughout the film the role of how the final girl acts changes. The significance of the codes of an aesthetically appropriate final girl are important as codes such as masculinity be it physical or mentally opens up a new way for the male horror text consumer to relate to an unconventional female lead. Ideologies surrounding the final girl are that she should be virginal thus to represent an image of purity and reluctance towards a relationship at a perhaps premature age. Assumptions can be that the final Girl was introduced in relation to complaints in voyeuristic and condescending views of women being advertised to a relatively young audience.


Examples of the role of women diversifying in horror texts is shown through the final girl as opposed to the youthful dainty females who are often the initial victims of the killer. Early horrors such as Dracula (1932) based on the novel by Bram Stoker, this text shows women to be but helpless pawns in a slightly horrific turn of events unable to combat Dracula only able to scream and get killed, this shows the early beginnings of the conventional narrative horror female.


Later texts see the women fulfil more exotic roles, using seduction and state of mind in order to ascertain their needs and wants but still find themselves helpless victims to the killer, although women are used to fulfil a side-kick role in some sub generic horrors science fiction influences see this convention imperative to the construction of a cross breed between the two genres. These initial stages of giving women a more inclusive rather than inanimate role within texts laid the foundations for the slashers ‘final girl’ stereotype. In the 70’s Women were portrayed as questionable survivors of
The killing spree but still although obtaining final girl status the way in which the final girl escaped or survived was very much not in anyway dignified. The final girl is often described and depicted as cunning and in her attempts to escape often exorcises monstrous anxieties towards the killer in order to make her escape from harm.



The role of women within horror has changed over time but only due to radical influences from real life events, and even after that women are still depicted as ignorant and dainty in order to maintain the generic codes within horror films. The ideology behind this is so that institution can hit a designated audience so that they know that producing horror films to that convention can make them a profit.

MoodBoard

This moodboard expresses many of my ideas for a horror text, It shows close ups of stereotypical horror killers, settings and facial features associated with the horror genre. In my product I find that many of these codes, i believe will be relevent to my creation of my text.

horror teasers

Saw VI/ Season Of The Witch

Propp's theory applied to the text The Shining

The film the shining ( a rare successful big corporation film) when Propps Narrative Structure theory is applied can be described as accurate, but only to the point of using elements of Propp's theories. Such as the usage of textual elements described by Propp but in the Shining's case uses them sparingly and in an unconventional manner thus creating a counter argument to suggest that Propp's Narrative theory cannot be applied. CHaracter groups can be identified within the text but due to the lack of the diversity of characters the stereotypes can be present at more than one character and one character may contain more than one group i.e. Danny- Princess, Hero, victim ( sought after, self thinking, Pain from the Shining)

The Return Of "The Repressed"

This is a Freudian that relates to an individual subconsciously/knowingly repressing his memories experience of an event that disagrees with the psychological prospect of the mind. It can be said that this is done involuntary through a witnessing of a traumatic event leaving speculation and denial in an individuals mind. The effect of this event or happening leads to the individual repressing and concealing all evidence and knowledge of the event. This may lead to psychological instability and eventually a return of these repressed thoughts thus a new intuitive understanding of the traumatic event that the individual may relate to in other aspect of everyday life.

The theory was published by Dr. Sigmund Freud in the early 20th century

This theory is often related to Horror texts nemesis or antagonist. It shows how a corruption within the killers life lead to the radical deeds of said person via a state repression of the mind.
examples of this include:

Halloween (1978)-Michael Myers-witnessed his sister having sex at the age of 6, traumatized him into killing his sister and other sexually active people conventionally.

Friday the 13th: Jason was drown in the camp lake, whilst camp workers had sexuual relations amongst each other, thus a strong disliking for many forms of people. The event also traumatized him.

Silence of the Lambs- Hannbial Lector is shown to be a cannibal and pyschological freak, saying this he is also considered intelligent and thus dangerous, his background concerning repression spouts from "hiding from the Nazi war machine a twisted set of circumstance sets the pace for a most vicious attack on the future of one Hannibal Lecter for the sworn vengeance for the brutal killing of his baby sister. Years later, we find Hannibal, the teenager, setting up in Paris, and living with his aunt Lady Murasaki Shikibu and studying at medical school here he finds his forte. Still searching for his sister's murderers, still bitter and still ever hopeful of satisfying his desire for retribution. This chance arrives, and soon we are to learn that for a pound of flesh lost a pound of flesh must be repaid."leading him on the path to cannibalism through education and his lust and intensity for revenge.

Dawn Of The Dead (2004 Remake) trailer