My Media evaluation

1. Media Evaluation
By Kian Friel

2. How does your product use or challenge conventions
and how does it represent social groups or issues?
My opening uses and challenges a convention. The convention that comes to mind
when in the horror genre would be Todorovs theory. Todorovs theory is that all
horror movies begin with equilibrium which is followed by a disruption to the
equilibrium and then ends with equilibrium. I use this theory as in my opening there
are 2 teens on an abandoned beach with a campfire who look happy and are just
relaxing with a campfire. This is the equilibrium. The disruption is highlighted
when suspicious bubbles appear in the water. After this the killer appears from the
water with a weapon in his hand. However there is no reset to equilibrium as I leave
the opening scene with a hangover as the last thing you see is the boys run away
from the killer. This could lead to many different directions in the story.

3. My opening also follows many syntactics and semantics of the horror genre. A
common semantic of a horror movie is an isolated location. My choice of location
was at a beach that was very separated from everything else and was quite far away
from any landmarks so it wouldn't be busy. Another common semantic of a horror
movie is low-key lighting. My opening only half follows this one as in the beginning
the lighting is bright and natural to show the good mood the boys are in. However
you can tell that throughout the opening it gets darker as we shot it in chronological
order and the plan was to make it darker when the killer is announced so that it is
scarier.
How does your product use or challenge conventions
and how does it represent social groups or issues?

4. My opening is nearly identical to a syntax of horror films. A common syntax of
horror movies would be that a group of friends go to an isolated area where they
don't fully understand and run into a killer or spirit. Throughout these parts of the
syntax there is an exploration and explanation of human helplessness trying to
fight against something they can't comprehend. My opening follows this as there
are 2 boys who go to a beach and light a campfire. As they are relaxing on the
abandoned beach a killer emerges from the water. As the boys can't understand
what has just happened their first instinct is to run. If my opening was to be a full
movie you would learn later on about the killer and how the boys try to stop the
killer. My piece follows the syntax completely.
How does your product use or challenge conventions
and how does it represent social groups or issues?

5. How does your product use or challenge conventions
and how does it represent social groups or issues?
My opening could represent social groups as it shows 2 friends go and start
a campfire in an abandoned location. This taps into the fact that the teens
want to do something reckless and fun that wouldn't be allowed if there
was an authoritative figure around them. I think that this links with the
issue that if a teenager around 16-18 is restricted by the parents that can
result in recklessness and them getting into trouble with the law. I believe
that if parents don't allow their their kids to experiment and learn for
themselves in the real world then it could result in a careless and
thoughtless outburst action with major consequences. However in my
story it shows these teens rebel and it turns for the worst.