This document summarizes the research and conventions used in the production of a teen horror media product. It discusses: - Research conducted, including watching popular horror films, researching their popularity online, and surveying the public about horror film preferences. - Common conventions discovered in teen horror films, such as good vs evil themes, stereotypical scary locations, monsters/villains vs victims, and suspense-building sounds. - The decision to mainly conform to horror conventions that have proven successful, while subverting one convention by using an unexpected child villain rather than visibly evil child. - Examples of both conventional and subversive elements used relating to soundtrack, locations, film title, and costumes.

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

6. DO YOU THINK YOUR PRODUCT IS
SUCCESSFUL IN SETTING OUT WHAT YOU
INTENDED TO DO WITH THE CONVENTIONS
OF TEENHORROR?
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.