1. Q1 - In what ways does your media product use,
develop or challenge forms and conventions of
real
media products?
Rebecca Davis
2. Q1
My trailer uses, develops and challenges forms and conventions
of real media products. At the beginning of my trailer is what
is called a Greenband – this shows the certificate of the film
as rated by the Motion Picture Association of America
(MPAA). A greenband rating card is an approval for
appropriate audiences. My trailer uses this as a form of a
proper horror trailer but develops it by editing the end of it
into the trailer to give a supernatural feel. Another form my
trailer uses at the beginning is the company logo titles –
these show the companies that have invested and have
been involved with the production of the film.
Typical camera angles used in a horror trailer include low angle
and high angles shots, canted angles, hand held camera
shot, establishing shot and POV shots. Within my trailer I used
high angle shots and low angle shots to show the changes in
status and power, an establishing shot to establish to the
audience where the film is going to be set and a hand held
shot to allow the audience to see in the eyes of the
character.
3. Q1
Another form I have used from horror trailers is dark
lighting. I used this form as it creates an eerie setting for
the trailer. I developed the use of dark lighting by
shooting a scene in the woods with the sun shining
over the background – this emphasized the darkness of
the woods and the light from the “outside world”
showed the normality vs the horror. It also signified
some form of opportunity for help, showing the
audience that not all is as it seems.
By basing my trailer on a ‘true story’ I am both following
and developing a horror trailer convention as some
horror trailers are based on true story but not all. I
based my trailer on a true story as from my research
and audience feedback, found that they audience
were more scared by a films based on a true story as it
has an element of truth and essentially could happen
to them.
4. Q1
Within my trailer I used many common conventions of a horror
trailer such as the use of weapons, a victim and a un-sub.
These all contribute to the story line as the weapon shows what
could and most likely will be used in a violent attack involved
during the horror, the victim is clearly shown through
innocence and unknowingly being watched and an un sub
can by clearly identified as you cannot true to the name you
cannot identify the person.
I also used pathetic fallacy in my trailer through the use of the
woods, this is a convention I have used from other trailers. The
woods are dark and gloomy giving the audience an eerie feel.
The use of a rural area also contributed to the eerie, isolated
feeling.
The text cards throughout the trailer have been developed as
they each have an editing twist on them which allows the
audience to stay engaged with the trailer. It also fits in well
with the horror theme throughout.
5. Q1
As a trailer overall there are little amount of clarity, this makes the audience want to
know more and look up the film on the internet or simply just wait and go see the
full film.
In terms of challenging horror trailer conventions my trailer is slightly longer than most
teaser trailers, this is because I struggled to fit enough footage in to gain the same
effect. I do not believe however that this was an issue as the timing was still an
appropriate length and enabled the teaser trailer to be more effective. The
backing track to my trailer was unusual for a horror trailer. I chose the song Born to
Die – Lana del Ray as it did challenge the typical conventions and therefore
would stand out. I do feel however that the song had a great effect on the trailer
in building suspense and beginning the climax to the action. I was unsure of using
this song first of all but after receiving positive audience feedback I felt confident
that the song was creating a good effect. Another convention I have challenged
is the amount of characters involved in the teaser trailer. I have only shown the
victim and glimpses of the un sub to emphasize the feeling of isolation and
vulnerability, the majority of teaser trailers for the horror genre show a range of
characters even if just briefly.
Teaser trailers which have influenced my media product:
The Conjuring http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoccomrK1J0
