Evaluation: Question 1

1) In what ways does your media product, use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Our media product specifically uses and develops the conventions of real Slasher movies. We based our media product on the research that we made, in order to familiar ourselves with the conventions of Slasher movies. Stock characters were specifically an important aspect within our media product as there are two in which you are introduced to (a male character and a female character) and there is a third in which is introduced but the identity is unknown. Through our research we found that there is often a male and a female character.

Specifically in the film 'The Strangers'

There are two characters in which are presented to the audience. In contrast to our piece of media, the audience physically is presented with the two characters at the beginning of the film. Whereas within this in particular film, we are presented with the two characters through visual information about an event in which had occurred within their lives. Within our own media piece we have decided not to present our main characters through visual writing on screen, as from our questionnaires we found out that our typical audience member does not like the plot to be revealed at the very beginning, and we took careful notice of this.The victims specifically tend to be young and attractive, Additionally to this, the violence and killings of victims are often taken place during or after sexual activity. This view is shown within the movies ‘The strangers’ ‘Black Christmas’ and ‘Texas chainsaw massacre’. Here the victims are young, and are shown to be partying, indulging in sexual acts and taking drugs before they are killed. Through our specific movie product, we show the male and female to be showing inappropriate gestures and affection to one another in the middle of the street. Also we show the male character to indulge in a cigarette, this has negative connotations of bad behaviour and suggests the character profile to be ‘bad boy’ a typical stereotype in which is often presented within Slasher movies.

The Characters within the film 'The Strangers'
who are male and female.

Characters within the film 'Black Christmas' here their is blatant
evidence of alcohol consumption and smoking.

Characters within 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' here their is
evidence of sexual activity or a hint to it.



Screen shots from our own film 'Obsession' in comparison to our research they are quite similar in the different aspects in which we wanted to convey. Aspects such as, smoking, different genders being introduced and the unsuitable gestures that are made. All of which gives initiative and motive for the killer.

Introduction to one of the main characters within a film- A young female.

A second introduction to one of the main characters who is a male
he is smoking.

Inappropriate gestures, being presented in the streets
similar to the screen shot from Texas Chain Saw Massacre. 

The titles and credits of a horror film are often related to the horror film, typical colours in which we associated with Slasher movies was the specific colours of red black and white. These in which have negative connotations of death and violence. We specifically used the colours of red and black, in which follow the typical conventions of a Slasher movie. The specific colours connotes immediately death violence and horror, and this is the effect we wanted to convey within the first two minutes of our media product.
Within most Slasher movies the killers identity is often unknown, we specifically found this in the films’ Halloween’ and ‘Black Christmas’. These films presented us with the killer in the first two minutes of the movie however; we do not visually see their face. This is what we did in our own Media product.

The identity is often hidden with a mask, or a point of view shot from the killer is often conveyed. In which suggests the presence of the killer without revealing the identity.
Through specific aspects of Mise en scene, we suggest that the killer is male, through black gloves. This suggests something violent is about to occur. Additionally with the prop of scissors, this symbolises an act of violence, death and pain. The scissors create an iconography of the horror to the audience so the audience will know what the film will consist of.

We used both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds within our media product. We didn’t use many diegetic sounds however, as this was difficult within filming. Different sounds were recorded at different stages of filming the sequences and in order to create the two minute opening our film continuity and verisimilitude is an extremely important aspect, in order for the product to flow together.