The student analyzed horror trailers, magazines, and posters to understand conventions of the genre. Their analysis found conventions like starting trailers with non-scary scenes, using quick cuts and transitions in action scenes, and leaving the trailer on a cliffhanger. The student's own trailer followed many conventions but also challenged some, like including more soundtracks and not revealing the full plot. Their poster and magazine also followed conventions like using red/black/white colors while challenging expectations through unusual effects. In conclusion, the student felt their work used conventions effectively while also putting their own creative twist on the genre.

1. By Nicole McClelland
A2 Media
Evaluation, Q1

2. The target audience, we had to research in depth in relation to our
chosen genre. With this, we then critically analysed horror trailers,
magazines and posters. Upon completing this research we could
then develop our ideas into our own trailer with reference to
stereotypical conventions of existing horror products, but at the
same time challenge the conventions in our trailer to put a kind of
twist into our work. This would then prove to the audiences the
efforts to go out of our comfort zones to complete a trailer that
would be effective in meaning as well as being captivating to the
audience due to challenges of the conventions of real media
products.

3. To understand typical conventions of real media products we had to investigate and analyse a variety of different horror
trailers, for example I looked at The Strangers, Scream 4, Sorority Row and Haunting in Connecticut. Through conducting my
research into these already made, professional trailers I found out that they follow a typical structure if you like of typical
conventions. It goes as follows:
•
You near enough always start with a happy non scary scenes, longer takes to make the audience see some background of
the film.
•
Film text between shots. Leading the audience to think about what the storyline is going to be about.
•
Start to build on the horror style i.e. suspense/ tension
•
Followed by actions scenes involving quick transitions, short takes, sections from different scene to not give away the
plot. Almost always in these scenes you will see a gruesome take of someone being killed, chased or already dead.
•
Fade to black transitions are always used in horror trailers.
•
Title, met by a shot which leaves the trailer on a cliff hanger. This makes the audience more likely to go and see it.
•
Release dates with billing blocks etc…
•
Victims almost always are more female than male because their more vulnerable.
•
Sound track include helping to build suspense, eerie soundtracks. Less dialogue from characters.
•
The locations conventionally are always made to make the character and audience feel isolated, usually dark settings and
give off a sense of danger.

4. Conventional (in relation to my trailer)
In most ways my trailer does follows these typical conventions in relation to a horror trailer. For example the female victims in
relations to the vulnerability, the male psycho killer, the location being isolated and having a sense of danger. My trailer doesn’t
give off too much of the plot, but does end in a way of which isn’t typically conventional with the killer hanging himself, but it
doesn’t show that he’s actually dead and again we are met with a typical convention of the killer after this scene which arouses
suspicion to the audience. My happy, non-scary scene is conventional at the start as well as the typical convention of the buildup and suspense, fast shot, quick transitions middle part of my trailer. Insert text is used, created through live type. Effects
added onto some of the footage can also be seen as conventional. The start of my trailer is in a way a flash back of elderly
asylum footage and photographs.

5. Unconventional (in relation to my trailer)
One of 2 sections of dialogue
throughout the whole trailer.
Cross fade at the start of trailer.
My trailer, to do with transitions doesn’t follow typical
conventions as I have a variety ranging from fade to black,
fade to white and also cross dissolve, but I feel they still have a
good effect on the trailer. Unlike some trailers mine doesn’t
have a lot of dialogue as doing so would elongate the trailer
and not make it as effective. I have also selected numerous
amount of different soundtracks/ sound effects to go over the
footage, which are in my opinion all relevant and add more
realism to my trailer
Actual footage of asylum
Fade to white with B&W effect on
footage

6. Poster and Magazine
After conducting a variety of analysis In relation to horror posters and magazines again I found some more typical conventions
that are commonly used for horror posters and magazines. For example:
Poster
•
Members of the cast or prop related to the movie on the front as the main image.
•
Bold, prominent font for the title.
•
Some sort of special effect to make the poster stand out.
•
Follow a red, white or black colour scheme in relation to effective connotations of death and linking to horror.
•
Credits, catchy sometimes ambiguous tagline.
In relation to my poster I have more than not followed typical conventions of a horror poster for example I used unusual effects
within in it to mislead the on looker and in a sense cause a bit of illusion on the audience. I have used the conventional colours
for my poster i.e. red, black and white. A professional like billing block. A baldish coloured title has been used and it can certainly
be seen from a far. Tag line is used for a tension effect on the audience.
In relation to my magazine, it doesn’t really differ much from the conventions of my poster, it’s just done more in a magazine
layout for example there is more information to look at aside from the promoting of my film. Its more In your face. The use of
texts boxes for the variety of information is effective and conventional to a modern day magazine.

7. Bold title
Website
Bold main story
Effect on picture
Textbox variety
Rotation of textbox.
Barcode- realism
Skyline= realism

8. Bold title
Ambiguous tagline
Text boxes effective
Black, white and red colour scheme
Photoshop effects
Background effect
Billing block and website.

9. Conclusion
Overall, I think my media products most definitely use typical forms of conventions in the way the products may
not have worked as well if they hadn’t followed them. At the same time I have challenged some of these
conventional ideas and placed them into my final products to take away the stereotypical horror trailer, poster
and magazine. The challenges also show the creativity of the producers mind, which I think is a must. A personal
response to my work is vital to me. Without the typical conventions of the horror genre I don’t think I could have
produced my media product as well as I did.

10. Conclusion
Overall, I think my media products most definitely use typical forms of conventions in the way the products may
not have worked as well if they hadn’t followed them. At the same time I have challenged some of these
conventional ideas and placed them into my final products to take away the stereotypical horror trailer, poster
and magazine. The challenges also show the creativity of the producers mind, which I think is a must. A personal
response to my work is vital to me. Without the typical conventions of the horror genre I don’t think I could have
produced my media product as well as I did.