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.