Q2 evaluation

1. Q2.) How does your media product represent particular social
groups?
In our Psychological Horror film opening, two characters are introduced: a mysterious
woman (protagonist/first victim), and a dark figure (antagonist).
To present the mysterious woman, we have used specific camera angles and editing
techniques, designed to show viewers the mournful emotions of the character, thereby
providing an idea as to what her fate may be by the end of the sequence.
The character’s lack of ‘action’ within the sequence also connotes a feeling
of resignation or acceptance that gives the audience the impression that
something harmful is about to happen to her and representing the typical
stereotype of most female characters as being vulnerable and weaker the
male characters that could be introduced. The female characters’ appearance is
stereotypical for the ‘first victim’ within a horror film, because a
vulnerable female character with a pale complexion, pretty
appearance, dark, long hair, making her appear helpless and
young; therefore allowing the audience to make assumptions as
to her role in the sequence as it is a convention to have a female
as a vulnerable and inevitable ‘victim’ at the beginning of the
Horror film. Examples of female victims and protagonists in Psychological Horror films are
‘Bug’ and ‘Case 39’.
The dark figure (antagonist) is shown in a dark light, in the background of
the camera shot to show the mysteriousness of the character and to hint to
the audience that the antagonist is not a good character and holds a lot of
mystery. Our antagonist is shown wearing dark colours, connoting the ‘bad
guy’ in most genres, and also informing the audience instantly of the
characters role as the antagonist. The antagonists’ face is looking away from
the camera, and hiding the identity of the person and therefore creating
further enigma codes and building the mystery of our opening film
sequence. The antagonist is shown for only a few seconds at the end of the sequence, all
leading up to the inevitable appearance at the end of the clip, with the suspense of the
narration, camerawork and soundtrack. The traditional convention of Horror openings is to
reveal the antagonist for only a few seconds. This builds enigma codes for the rest of the
film and also engages the audience to identify the antagonist. Typically, the antagonists of
Psychological Horrors are often people instead of monsters, in our opening sequence; our
antagonist is shown to ‘appear’ human which is a convention of a Psychological horror.

2. The narration makes the audience assume that the protagonist is the
supposed antagonist’s victim. The narrator is the ‘mysterious woman’
seen in the sequence. An extreme close up of the letter which the woman
is holding in her hand makes the audience realise that she is the narrator.
It also means that the narrator’s discussion of her own death is the
immediate death of the woman in the sequence. This tells the audience
the woman’s fate.