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

media products?
By analysing existing movie trailers of the horror genre I was able to gain an idea of the typical forms and conventions that
they use. I explored four key areas during my research stage. These were: Mise en scene, camera, editing and sound.
From my research I was able to discover the different forms and conventions of horror trailers represented in each area.

Typical conventions of movie trailers

I was able to see that the typical convention of movie trailers included a green screen at the beginning displaying what
certificate the film was and warning that people under that age must not watch. Another convention was displaying the
production company’s name in the trailer so as to show who produced the film. The reason this is included is so people
can recognise the company and base whether they want to watch the film on the company’s past films. At the end of the
trailer there is a black screen showing people and company’s involved in the film. The writing is laid out in a particular
way. As each film includes this at the end I was able to copy the style to make my film trailer look the same.

Mise en scene
Examples in existing horror trailers Developments for own trailer
People asleep The victim’s friend is asleep on the sofa when she hears a scream.

Empty houses Friend is alone when she receives mysterious phone call from unknown numbe

Blood There is blood in the bath.

Sound
Examples in existing horror trailers How I developed and challenged for own trailer
Phone ringing Phone rings but nobody is there
Screams Girl screams but we don’t see it on camera
Eerie music Scary music soundtrack adds suspense
Challenge-Silence rather than narrative to allow music to add tension and keep
audience focused on visual aspects of trailer
 Edit
Examples in existing horror trailers How I developed and challenged for own trailer
Several fast cuts I used less cuts to give the audience more of a sense of what is happening

Flashes of light I used flashes of light to act as camera flashes

Caption and title slides My caption slides asked questions as if to directly involve audience in film.

Camera
Examples in existing horror trailers How I developed and challenged for own trailer
Close ups of key objects/people Close up of faces to see expression

Tracking shots to follow action Tracking shot of victims friend going up stairs to follow what she’s about to find.

Other areas of my trailer that develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products
The title of the The title of my film is intruder. It is simplistic and
film leading; this is similar to the conventions of real
Font and style media products with ambiguous titles that make you
want to find out more e.g. The Sixth Sense.
The title is coloured red to symbolise danger. I have
challenged existing media products who often use
white when displaying the tile at the end of a trailer
as I thought this would be more eye-catching

Setting/location The film is set in a typical suburban area. This Is a

development of forms and conventions of real
media products. The reason I thought this location
was suitable is that it is the area where most people
live or have visited at some point.

Costume and The characters are seen wearing comfortable casual

props clothing as they are carrying on with their normal
lives before they realise that an intruder is amongst
them. This challenges the conventions of real media
products in which characters clothing is
inappropriate when it comes to danger, putting
them at a disadvantage.

Story and how The trailer shows a series of events unravel in the
the trailer sets it space of a day. This challenges real media products
up as the story usually unravels over a long period of
time. In order to set up the story I used caption
slides t gain an understanding of what’s happening
as well as to instil fear in the audience.

Genre and how The trailer suggests the horror genre in a number of
the trailer ways that develop existing media products. The
suggests it vulnerability of the main character when she is
alone, leads to her friend comforting her, but when
her friend leaves as a result of a misunderstanding
that’s when the character is at her most vulnerable.
When her friend returns she is faced with her friend
in a bath of blood, allowing the audience to be
aware of the genre.

Theory relating to conventions of existing media products

Vladimir Propp

Vladimir Propp published Morphology of the Folktale in 1928. He extended the Russian formalist
approach to the study of narrative genre. In the Formalist approach, sentence structures were broken
down into analyzable elements, or morphemes, and Propp used this method by analogy to analyze
Russian fairy tales. By breaking down a large number of Russian folk tales into their smallest narrative
units, Propp was able to arrive at a typology of narrative structures.

The function types that apply to my trailer include:

ABSENTATION: A member of a family leaves the security of the home environment. This may be the
hero or some other member of the family that the hero will later need to rescue. This division of the
cohesive family injects initial tension into the storyline. The hero may also be introduced here, often
being shown as an ordinary person.

The character of Emily is seen leaving the house at the beginning of the trailer. She later needs
rescuing for m the intruder.

VIOLATION of INTERDICTION. The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale). This generally
proves to be a bad move and the villain enters the story, although not necessarily confronting the
hero. Perhaps they are just a lurking presence or perhaps they attack the family whilst the hero is
away.

The camera flashing at the beginning of the trailer when the main character leaves the house shows
the lurking presence of the intruder (villain). At the end the main character mouths ‘He’s behind you’
suggesting that the intruder (villain) is about to attack again.

MEDIATION: Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc. /
alternative is that victimized hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment). The hero now discovers the
act of villainy or lack, perhaps finding their family or community devastated or caught up in a state of
anguish and woe.

The character of Heather hears a scream and runs upstairs to see if her friend is in danger.

BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION: Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action. The hero now
decides to act in a way that will resolve the lack, for example finding a needed magical item, rescuing
those who are captured or otherwise defeating the villain. This is a defining moment for the hero as
this is the decision that sets the course of future actions and by which a previously ordinary person
takes on the mantle of heroism.

This is shown in the trailer when the character of Heather wakes up from her nightmare and runs back
to her friend Emily’s house where she attempts to rescue her.

Ancillary tasks- how do they develop and challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
 Ancillary task one- Movie poster
The picture shows the intruder
Actor’s names to inform audience of holding a weapon. This challenges
who is in the film. This was developed real media products which often
as I added a red shadow to the names show the victim. I chose this picture
to make it stand out more. as I didn’t want to give away the
intruders identity.
Blood splatter- enforces the horror
genre. This is a development of real
The black background id a
media products as it allows the
development of real media products
audience to gear up for what the film
as 2 of the movie posters I
may entail.
researched had black backgrounds.
Black is a colour associated with the
The title is in the centre of the poster horror genre.
so the audience can instantly
recognise it. I developed conventions Taglines are a typical convention of
of existing media products by using a movie posters. It is used to entice
unique font that can be associated the audience to watch the film so as
with my film. to understand the tagline.

The bottom of the poster provides information on people involved in the film. This is a typical
convention of real media products. I included this in my poster to give it a more professional feel.

Ancillary task two- Movie magazine front cover

The magazine is called ‘Premiere’ as
this is a movie-related word that
Articles advertised on side of people will associate with movies.
magazine. This is a development of This is a development of existing
real media products. These are used magazines ‘Empire’ and ‘Film’. The
to get the readers attention and font is unique to make it stand out.
make them want to but the Issue date and price- I developed my
magazine to read the articles. own magazine to look like a real
media product. This allows the
The red background challenges real
reader to know the cost and issue
media products that often use more
number of the magazine.
neutral colours. I challenged this
because I wanted the magazine to The image is of the intruder. There
stand out from others. are two images overlapped to
distort the picture. This challenges
The films title is included on the
real media products that often use
cover so that the audience can see
one visible picture.
that the film is worth watching. By
asking the question ’Who is the
The writing on the side displays
Intruder?’ This makes readers want
what the magazine has inside.
to buy the magazine to read the
The poster pullout is a unique selling point. This challenges real media
interview and see if they can find
Real media products use these to attract products where writing is often
out.
people to buying the magazine. horizontal.