This document discusses conventions used in film openings and how the filmmaker's opening incorporates and challenges some of those conventions. It summarizes that the opening follows conventions by including production and distribution company logos and placing the titles after in a conventional order. However, it challenges conventions by not portraying the female protagonist as stereotypically "dumb" or "helpless" and by keeping the antagonist's identity hidden throughout most of the film. Inspiration was drawn from the films "Hush" and "The Call" in aspects of the plot and titles design. Jump scares were included as a horror genre convention.

1. How does your product use or
challenge conventions and how does
it represent social groups or issue.
Critical analysis question 1

2. Conventions: Titles & Idents
Often film openings begin with a production company ident and a
distribution company ident. Typically these are followed by the
titles, which often appear in a certain order, starting with the title of
the film and ending with the director. I followed the most
conventional aspects of film openings by showing two idents : a
distribution and film company. Conventionally the idents are placed
in this order. Secondly I continued to follow the conventions of a
feature film opening by placing my titles after my idents. Not only
this but my titles follow the conventional order, beginning with the
film title and ending with the director of the film.

3. Conventions: Character
Introduction
Often we are also introduced to a character or characters at the
beginning. It is also conventional for mystery to be created, this is
conventionally done by concealing specific pieces of information
from the audience. I chose to introduce my character by using a
close up of her face to establish who she is and what she looks
like.

4. Music conventions
• For my music I chose a song which was creepy,
instrumental and quiet so it is not the main focus for the
audience but gave a haunting atmosphere.
Shadowlands 4 - Breath by Kevin Mcleod

5. Inspiration 1:Hush
One film which helped me the most was the film “Hush” a
horror film about a deaf woman who is being stalked . As I
had a similar idea to the film, I decided to use the idea of a
girl preparing food in her kitchen.

6. Inspiration 2: The call
• My titles were inspired by the thriller the call. I liked the
font and the size used. I chose a small sans serif font in a
similar style to The Call I originally tried to replicate the
typing effect in premiere pro but I couldn’t due to its
continued crashing when I did.

7. Inspiration Titles

8. Character conventions
• In horror and thriller films females are often cast as the
victims. After seeing this common convention I decided to
cast the same for my film.
Scream -1996 The nun - 2018

9. Stereotypes
• In Horror and Thriller films the female victims are often
portrayed as beautiful but “dumb” and “helpless”. This is
done because this often helps the killer to trap and kill the
victim.
• For my film I chose to challenge this stereotype as I
decided to not to hint at my characters stupidity.
Scream Queens - 2015

10. Introduction to the main character

11. Analysis of protagonist
• For my characters introduction I chose to introduce her by showing a
close up of her looking at a computer. Her looking deep in thought
shows that she may not be the stereotypical “dumb teenager” shown in
most films.
• I chose this as it represents the teenage stereotype of technological
use. Teenagers are stereotypically shown to always be using the
internet and their phones.
• The use of a badly fried egg represents that this character is from a
higher middle-class background and is not used to cooking her own
food.
• With my character home alone and “grounded” she is vulnerable and is
not used to this.

12. Introduction to the antagonist

13. Analysis of antagonist
• I chose to keep my antagonists identity hidden as in most
horror films the main antagonist is only revealed at the end
so both the audiences and main characters have to work
out who the antagonist could be and what are their
intentions.
• I showed this by making his actions from the point of view
of the antagonist
• In the film hush the antagonist is never truly shown as he
is always wearing a haunting mask and only his eyes are
shown.

14. Horror genre conventions
• In my film I chose to use many different conventions from
the horror genre.
• One convention heavily present in horror films, is the use
of jump-scares.
• I placed a Jump-scare at the end of my film by having the
film cut to black and place the loud sound of a knife slash
to hint that the protagonist was killed by the antagonist.