3. Generic conventions in Slasher
• Camera. Close ups help increase tension as they show the emotion of the protagonist. This
puts the audience under stress. Camera angles like birds eye view shots and low angle shots
help hide the identity of the killer and show their power.
• Sound. Non diegetic score music commonly used to increase tempo to keep audience intrigued
and on edge. Diegetic sound such as foley help to increase the details of certain objects to
give suspense.
• Mise-en-scene. Costume for antagonist usually dark and masked to create narrative
enigma. Lighting commonly dark/ low key lighting to connote evil and or bad omens. Acting
for females is usually damsel in distress, most likely not an important/ main protagonist in the
diegesis. Stereotypically promiscuous and killer bait (die early on). Make up is usually bloody
or gory to disturb audience and show danger of the antagonist. Props usually include blades,
masks etc. This show is a common generic convention and makes it easy for the film to relate
to the genre. Setting is most likely abandoned homes or woods where there is little
communication to authorities and make it easier for killer to catch the people.
• Editing. Slow pace at the beginning of the film to increase narrative enigma and lay out story
and keep suspense. Fast pace towards the scenes with the killer to emphasis extreme danger.
4. My 2min plot of a Slasher
• Establishing shot on dinning room with rich people eating
• Dialogue "taking money from people" etc shows they are bad people.
• Man leaves for toilet, finishes toilet.
• Man notices he is not alone
• Looks in mirror and antagonist is behind him
• Antagonist kills man very efficently
• Close up of antagonist and mask with blood on to connote her brutality.
• People ask where the man is at dinner table
• Lights goes out non diegetic music plays
• Fade in to a newspaper article that describes the murders of the dinner party.
5. How to be original and be conventional
• I will keep the slow suspense of the beginning and increase tension
slowly through out.
• I'll keep the identity of the killer hidden throughout the film, however to
be original I will have the antagonist an unlikely suspect e.g. a female
and have the protagonist a male however will most likely die at the end
off the film to not be cliché.
• The prop be a knife of some sort to keep relation to the genre however
as the slasher is female she will rely on her skill with the knife rather
than brute force.
• I will use foley sounds for the knife slashing and door creaking etc. To be
conventional and use loud sounds (door slamming etc) for effect to jump
scar audience.
6. Narrative enigmas
• The narrative enigma will revolve around revenge a lot like the film 'I spit on
your grave' however it won't be as clear as why the person is the killer and
killing off the people. Until later on when the killer is shown. The revenge
however may not be as justifiable avoiding a cliché with other female
antagonist slashers. E.g. 'Savage Vengeance' as the killer commits collateral
damage on the innocence. The justification can be left to the audience. The
narrative enigma will be strong as the antagonist is masked and does not speak.
The only clues that could be given is her figure, victims and style of chosen
killings however could very easily be hidden in pov and ots shots and match on
action, fast pace editing as well as lighting and costume. This will keep the
audience watching as they will have to figure out the puzzle, things the
audience will be thinking about is who is the antagonist, why the antagonist is
killing, when the killings take place also where and how?
7. Being effective
• In a film where the antagonist is meant to keep unknown and
where the story is supposed to be given slowly however not to
slowly where there is boredom and loss of interest in the audience
and not to fast to take away suspense. I believe editing is
key, keeping certain scenes short and emphasizing certain shots in
the film with temporal eclipsing or fast pace editing and even
effective mise-en-scene to make all the props, make up, costume
and acting realistic. Also keeping the story original and avoiding
cliché can often appeal more interesting to an audience.
