This document discusses how the media products of a poster, magazine, and trailer for a horror film challenge and develop conventions of existing real media products in the horror genre. For the poster, conventions of color scheme, layout, and image manipulation were used and developed based on research of existing horror posters. The magazine cover challenged conventions by having a single protagonist portrayed in the cover image, and used color scheme, layout, and cover lines consistently with the poster. The trailer challenged conventions by having the protagonist and antagonist be different sides of the same character, used makeup and costume to distinguish the sides, and included intertitles to illustrate the storyline without dialogue. Shot types and pacing followed horror film conventions while the intertitles were developed

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?

2. POSTER
To become aware of the conventions I did primary research on existing
horror posters. This also made me more familiar with how to address
the target audience. After this I carried out audience research on a
popular social networking site (Facebook). The questions I asked were
based on the colour scheme, layout and type of image. From these
questions I can gain more of an understanding of the intended target
audience. For example the colour question included conventional
colours such as red which connotates blood and anger, black which
connotates darkness and evil and white to contrast with these dark
colours to make text stand out. The audience can also understand this
and make them more apparent to the techniques of this genre. Posters
as a media platform are viewed only visually and the colours used
need to attract the viewer’s instant reaction making the horror genre
evident. On the layout question had two ideas to present in the form of
flat plans. These layouts were both conventional and I decided to use
these two to compliment the images I was using and exaggerate
certain parts of it by not concealing it with text. They both
conventional had one main image, the credits at the bottom of the
page including the main actors name. Through the use of conventions
in my poster makes it easier on the eye for the audience to process the
information quickly. The image manipulation I did on the original
image to create the character was how I can compare it to existing
media products. The image a used was conventionally a close up shot
and through Photoshop I made the image look frightening to create an
enigmatic and unsettling ambience. I made the subjects skin pale and
darkened the skin around the yes a cheekbones to make her look how
a conventionally possessed/ill person would look but in an evil
abnormal way. This idea generated from the “shutter” poster as this
poster has a close up shot of a face that looks like a zombie. I
developed from this idea as my poster looks more realistic as it is on a
human subject having applied the same effects. I have put a darker
shadow on one side of the face which portrays the split personality
that the narrative is based on. A dark tone has been used throughout
the whole poster from the image to the dark forest background. This is
to create enigma and an evil tone. The movie title font is similar to the
“sketchy” look that was included in the actual trailer. I got the original
font from www.dafont.com and then developed it on Photoshop but
adding a shadowy effect to it to again represent darkness and enigma.
Another convention I used was the institutional logo and an age
certificate. The logo I used was the same throughout all media
products to show consistency. The release date I used was unusual as
it was the same number month, day and year. This is unconventional
as posters usually say “coming soon” however I though this approach
would make it more unique and seem more realistically unusual
adding to the scariness. Another convention I followed was the use of
a tagline, this is because it’s usually a catchy slogan than will promote

3. MAGAZINE
There was three existing film magazine covers I analysed before
were entertainment weekly, empire and total film. This again made
me more apparent with the conventions of magazines that are about
films and allowed me to identify how I can challenge these effectively
to make my magazine unique in its own way. The main convention I
noticed from my research was that the main cover image was linked
to the main cover/anchor line. I did this in my magazine too to make
the image and film stand out amongst all the other features to attract
my main target audience. Another convention I used was the use of
colour scheme and conventional use of 3 colours to make certain
features stand out and to compliment the image. The colours I used
were red, black and white. The image is of the main character in my
trailer to create brand awareness. The way I made the genre evident
through the image is by using the same convention as my poster
when I manipulated the image on Photoshop. It is again a very
enigmatic image as the character is wearing a hood and is shadowy
in certain areas. I tired to make it look similar the effect I used in the
poster to create continuity therefore make more of a impact on the
audience. the dark circles around the eye and cheekbones is the
main “zombiefied” look I have used on the character. The coverlines
I have used and the layout of the magazine is conventionally in a
“C” format as it displays the information in a organised and easy to
read format and also making the image the main part that stand out.
This also makes it seem more familiar to existing media products
and therefore gives it a more realistic and professional platform. I
have made the anchor line stand out the most by putting a distorted
white/negative background. This gives it a more technological tone
which can be related to the trailer as continuity as some parts are
filmed in the night camera mode. The other conventions I kept the
same were cover lines, skyline, barcode, price, menu strip and
tagline. The layout is very simple and minimal this due to the
previous research I did where the less busy the cover was the more
effective the magazine was on promoting

4. TRAILER -
HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=PYLXZGMR8YM
I carried out four preliminary researches on existing horror trailers of the movies, the exorcism of Emily rose, Lesbian vampire killers, the woman
in black and quarantine. Some of these were similar however some were is different subgenres so I could really compare the conventions and
see what distinctive convention I would be including in my own trailer. All these films are very current which has helped me see how the horror
genre is represented today and how it has developed. I did this to see what I could include in my trailer to keep it up to date and develop it to be
original. The main convention I have e noticed in all four horror trailers is the pace and how it develops to speed up to create tension. I included
this in my own trailer as this has proven successful as in most horror film trailers it is used to make the target audience more intrigued. Another
main convention in horror film trailers is the very apparent distinction between the protagonist and antagonist . this is to make the roles of the
characters clear and easier for the audience to digest in the small space of a trailer. This is convention my trailer challenged due to the main
character having a split personality and therefore being both the antagonist and protagonist. This is why there is only one actor used in our
trailer which again challenges the conventions. This is effective in the case of the storyline I created because it is a physiological thriller that is
based on a mental issue and gives the audience more of a feel to one of the main themes of isolation. This however has meant that the
distinction has had to be shown in a more apparent way to show two sides of a personality on one person. I did this mainly through the use of
make up and costume. The make up of the “good Rosie” was minimal to make her look like a normal everyday girl, nothing more nothing less.
The costume between the two personalities was pretty much the same however “good Rosie” is wearing a green jacket that is breaks up all
he black she is wearing underneath that it shown in “bad Rosie” this is because as she I wearing all black simple clothing this connotates her
evil and dark side that is fearless and crazy. The make up of “bad rosie” echoes the black as it consists of a very pale face with dark circles
around her eyes and cheekbones which make her look as though she is ill and therefore scary to look at. This was conventional is zombie
characters in horror films however it is more realistic as my character is a real life everyday human being the protagonist is the good side of
Rosie and the antagonist is the bad side of Rosie. Another way I have made this distinction evident is through how her body language and facial
expression changes, “good Rosie” is calm and normal and then transitions to a sudden angry and aggressive character. Another convention I
have noticed in horror film trailers are the use of a weapon that is dangerous therefore I have included a clip in the trailer including a bloody
knife. I did this to make it apparent to the target audience that it is a horror film and due to it being a common accessible weapon this added
realism to it being used.. another main convention used in not only horror film trailer but general trailers is intertitles. This is done to illustrate the
storyline and give vital information to the viewer. The trailers in horror films commonly are in a sequence that link up from clip to clip. Also, due
to our trailer not using any dialogue voiceover the intertitles and credits created were vital. This is where I have challenged the convention of
typical trailers and this was done to create the theme of isolation and make it apparent and create and lonely eerie atmosphere which also
allows the viewers to relate on a more personal level to the only character being used. The intertitles we used were “trapped in yourself” “how
can you escape” “when you don’t have the answers” “you control nothing” ”yet everything is your fault” “every rose has its thorns” “Rosie black”
some of the intertitles used are rhetorical question i.e. “how can you escape "which conventionally make the views feel more involved on a
personal level .The initial story board we came up with was not what we ended up with at the end. This is because we developed the number of
shots and the types of shots and angles we used. The conventional shots used in horror film are close ups which my trailer includes a lot of
these close-up have been combined with a canted angle and rapid zooming to create an abnormal and unsettling atmosphere. We also used
establishing shots to set the scenes of the house and the graveyard which is again another convention we followed. I chose to follow all these
conventions with eh shot types to make the genre evident to the audience. one convention we challenged was with the intertitles, we didn’t use
existing typefaces but created our own in a sketchy format on note paper. This was to make it seem it was written by Rosie herself and give a