A2 Media Studies Evaluation Horror Film In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions or real media products?

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

2. Introduction
My horror film uses, develops and challenges many real horror media products for the film to fit into
the genre and attract the same target audience. I needed to include some forms and conventions to
create a frightening effect or make the product suspenseful. However I challenged and developed the
ideas to have unexpected twists or confusing moments to make an impact and engage the audience’s
attention.

3. Using the same Forms and Conventions
Themes
Most horror films use some of the following themes
• Good vs Evil
• Having a serial killer
• Highlighting the inevitability of death
• Focusing on the fear of the unknown
• Emphasising ones vulnerability
• Isolation
• Being introduced into a new environment
• Beginning is happy and normal until the character’s lives are
turned on it’s head
• Character being separated from friends
Character Types
Teenage female victims and a creepy masked villain
Technical codes
• Strange angles and shaky shots- connote fear and the unknown
• POV- allows the audience to see the world from the characters
eyes
• Handheld shots, extreme close ups, high and low angles
• Disturbing and creepy/ eerie music- ambient diegetic sound
• Editing- unsettling tension and suspense
Setting
Isolated place- dark woods, being alone and vulnerable with no one
to help them

4. Developing Forms and Conventions
Themes
Victim killed at start to know the danger is upcoming
Setting
Part of the film was in a park, near houses- the characters are alone but near safety which is taken away
Iconography
Low key lighting- create unfamiliar, unsettling undertones- I had darkness but not that dark to convey realism
Narrative Structure
Classic narrative for horror- girls in woods alone and gets killed off, main character unaware of danger so can’t
kill or solve problem and is killed at the end
Character Types
Female protagonist gets killed at the end
Technical Codes
• Not natural camerawork
• POV shot of villain
• Stalking the victim behind trees

5. Challenging Forms and Conventions
Iconography
• Dark colours- red and black links to blood- most frightening aspects didn’t use blood, darkness or
bold colours
• No monsters or special effects- the masked villain creates fear
• No common props- knives, instead I used phones to show vulnerability
Character Types
• Villain had a mask on and wore black- not monster- serial killer
• Villain played by a teenage girl

6. Themes
Use
Many horror films follow the same plot themes to make the movie fit in the horror genre and aim it at the target audience. I used these
themes for that reason; to make the storyline effective and draw in my audience. The main theme I used was the theme ‘good vs evil’. This
is a common convention used in almost every horror film to create a plot and something or someone to overcome in the end. The main
character is usually the ‘good’ character as the creator would want the audience to feel connected to the ‘good’ main character and rout for
them to overcome the ‘evil’ character. However I wished to make an impact in the film so I added in another theme, ‘the inevitability of
death’. This comes to life as the ‘good’ character can’t overcome the ‘evil’ character in the end and dies in result, emphasizing the horror
unpredictable aspect.
I used a masked ‘serial killer’ as my villain as I wasn’t able to create special effects to make a supernatural being, such as a ghost. The
masked figure acts partly paranormal as it lurks in the woods, ready to attack people alone in the woods and moves in an unnatural way.
The main character starts off being happy living a normal life, like the theme, until she becomes alone in a wood and is stalked by the
villain. This incorporates the themes ‘fear of the unknown’ as the character doesn’t know what is going on and what was lurking in the
woods, ‘vulnerability’ and ‘isolation’ as the character is alone and ‘being introduced into a new environment’ as the character is unfamiliar
with her surroundings.
Develop
Unlike most horror films, I killed off a character at the start for the audience to know the incoming danger for all who enter the woods
alone. This would shock the audience as its unexpected therefore its bound to draw them in to watch more. This theme was used brilliantly
at the start of Scream and was so had a great effect on the audience, making them watch more, I wanted the same or similar effect in mine.

7. Setting
Use
My horror film is set in a dark wood, which is an isolated place like most real horror movies. This is to make the
characters feel vulnerable and alone with no one to help them, to put the audience on edge and become absorbed
into what is going to happen next.
Develop
I chose to set part of my horror film in a park, near houses to signify that the characters are near safety but can’t
access help because when they are in the woods alone, its taken away.
Narrative Structure
Develop
I used a classic narrative for my horror movie, a girl is alone in the woods and gets killed by a hidden serial
killer. However the main character doesn’t know about the danger she’s in so she couldn’t defeat the evil and
gets killed in the end without a battle.

8. Character Types
Use
I chose to have an all female cast as I wanted to make sure that they were good at acting, fit the part and were
reliable to be free at the time when I wanted to film. After putting my expectations together and what was on
offer my cast was created and it just happened to be an all female cast.
Therefore the victims in the film are female and this is another form and convention of most horror films as the
weak female characters are always the ones who get killed first.
My villain is a serial killer with a mask on, which is like a few other successful horror movies such as Scream.
Develop
I developed the character type forms and conventions by having a female protagonist that gets killed at the end,
rather then saving the day to add a shock factor and for my audience to feel for the character more.
Challenge
However my villain had a mask on and wore black so she wasn’t a monster but a serial killer that hides in the
woods to kill victims when alone when it gets dark. My villain was also played by a teenage girl to challenge the
forms and conventions and make her different from other antagonists.

9. Technical codes
Use
I used many technical codes to make my horror film fit the forms and conventions of a real horror film. There are
certain shots, angles and camera movements which fit the horror genre and makes the film as effective as possible. A
canted angle to show that the scene is uneasy and unnatural, to make the audience feel on edge as the character
knows that she is in danger and something is going to happen. While shaky shots were used as handheld shots to
present the character’s fear at the time being stalked by the unknown. I wanted my audience to feel connected with
the main character so I used some point of view shots so the audience could see the world from the character’s eyes
and hope that the character overcomes the masked figure and survives at the end even though her death is inevitable.
To create an eerie and creepy feel to the film I added disturbing ambient diegetic music and sound effects similar to
other real horror movies. Finally I made sure I edited my horror film to make the film as unsettling and suspense
building as possible.
Develop
Unlike most horror films I filmed a point of view shot of the villain stalking it’s next victim behind trees. I
developed this technique to create confusion and suspense as the audience would know that the characters are being
followed but doesn’t know what it is and the relevance of the footage.

10. Iconography
Develop
Low key lighting was used to create an unfamiliar, unsettling undertone, however my film wasn’t that dark as I
added darkness through editing and I wanted to create realism and unexpected danger.
Challenge
To challenge the iconography, I didn’t use any dark colours such as red or black to link to danger or death to
convey realism and that there was no harm until the villain is shown or a victim dies. No blood was used as the
villain didn’t leave any trace of the girls he killed as it looks like the girls are ‘missing in the woods’.
The villain was a masked serial killer and not a monster as it would be difficult to create supernatural creatures
without any special effects and the villain that I chose fits my storyline.
I used phones as the main prop to emphasise the character’s vulnerability when without one- when they drop or
lose it. This creates suspense as the characters are near help but they are never able to be saved as their only
hope is taken away from them.

11. Conclusion
In conclusion, my media product uses, develops and challenges forms and conventions of real horror
media products in many ways to add suspense and frightening aspects to my work. I made my film
similar to real horror movies but also different to show my creativity and adapt the way horror films
are made.