The document discusses the conventions of teen horror films and how the media product challenges or conforms to these conventions. Research was conducted by watching horror films, analyzing their popularity, and surveying the public. Common teen horror conventions like good vs evil themes, stereotypical settings at nighttime, and suspense-building sounds were identified. The media product mainly conforms to conventions but challenges one by using an unexpected villainous child. This balances familiar elements with something unique. Audience feedback showed the product successfully related to viewers and set out what it aimed to do with horror conventions.

1. EVALUATION
QUESTION 1
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR
MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP
OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND
CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA
PRODUCTS?

2. WHAT RESEARCH DID YOU
CARRY OUT?
Firstly, we chose to watch a variety of horror films, including The Ring and The
Omen, which allowed us to look at different techniques and mise en scene in
the films. We then researched the films popularity on sites such as IMDB,
which helped us to work out which were the most successful.
We also made a questionnaire, which we sent to the general public, to get their
views on horror films, and therefore find out their views on the best type of
horror product.
Finally, through researching in our case studies, we were able to see again which
films, and what conventions were most successful in the professional film
making industry.

3. WHAT CONVENTIONS DID YOU
DISCOVER WERE USUALLY IN TEEN
HORROR?
Having already looked at the various conventions of horror films in early research
(Conventions of a Horror Film), we looked at typical conventions, such as Good
vs Evil as a common theme.
We looked into stereotypical settings, such as a graveyard, Night of the Living
Dead (1968), school, Carrie (1976), woods, The Blair Witch Project (1999), and
an old house, The Haunting (1963). These are all general settings, which most
audiences can relate to and therefore may be scary due to this.
In most horror films there was always a monster/villain and a victim. Many of
them are also set at night time, 30 Days of Night, (2007).
The suspense creating sounds often include creaky stairs, footsteps, and screams.
From this we learnt about what was common in horror films, and therefore can
create a film to challenge stereotypes.

4. DID YOU PLAN TO CHALLENGE OR
CONFORM TO THE CONVENTIONS
OF HORROR? WHY DID YOU MAKE
THIS OVERALL DECISION?
We mainly chose to conform to the stereotypes in horror – we included a
possible final girl, alike Sorority Row, used bleached lighting, creating effect like
the green lighting of The Ring, and a variety of non-diagetic sounds to create
audience suspense.
We did however conform to one convention –we chose to use a little girl, who
would be an unobvious villain, unlike The Ring, where the little girl is obviously
the cause of the horror.
We chose to mainly use the conventions of horror films, as they have already
been proved as successful aspects of horror films, but altered one convention to
attempt to make our film unique.

5. Conventional or subversive
to the genre?
soundtrac locations Film title costume
k Conventional
We decided to use a
Conventional
We did not use
Conventional
-Boy’s costume is
Conventional different location, but convention with the normal, relating to the
- Non diegetic sounds still one which the film title. audience.
to build suspense in audience would be able - The final girl also
our opening to relate to. Subversive wears everyday normal
-- Diegetic sounds to -It links with the rhyme clothes, and fits
include realistic aspects Subversive the little girl sings to conventions from films
- Park – which is a haunt the victim, as like Scream.
Subversive natural, everyday well as linking to the
-“We all fall down” setting. little girl. Subversive
children’s rhyme, -- Home is also an -- The fairytale inspired - While the little girl
linked to the title goes everyday setting which the rhyme. relates to films like The
against common is associated with Omen, the white dress
themes and songs safety, and therefore is is subversive to the
-- “Bye Bye Love” – not a typical setting. time period of our film,
using an older song and the white suggests
within a modern film. pure which contrasts
The wording in the with evil.
song also suggests

6. Do you think your product is
successful in setting out what
you intended to do with the
conventions of teen horror?
I think it was, because firstly, we got good audience feedback. The film relates to the
audience because we have teenage characters.
We also use a mixture of both conventional and subversive techniques and ideas
within the film, which makes our film unique.