The document discusses how the media products created for an A2 coursework project used and developed conventions of real media while also attempting to challenge some conventions. Specifically: 1) The horror film trailer borrowed conventions like establishing shots of a house setting but developed them by subverting expectations with an unexpected twist. 2) The film poster similarly borrowed central image and text conventions but challenged expectations by using an unconventional high shot of the character. 3) The magazine cover borrowed layout conventions from real film magazines but developed the character shot to portray her differently than the trailer and poster. Overall, research into real media conventions informed the project while some conventions were challenged to create intrigue.

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

2. For my A2 coursework I
had to create 2 ancillary
texts and trailer, they
included a film poster and
magazine cover. I had the
choice to chose my won
genre, so for this reason I
chose horror.

3. Codes and conventions of a trailer
• Production and distribution information
• Title
• Release date
• Captions
• Sound tracks
• Duration of 2-3 minutes

4. Production and distribution
information

5. Title
Captions
Release date

6. Planning my ideas….
• During the production of the film trailer I borrowed and
developed the product as it was being created. When
starting my research I decided that the trailer that I
wanted to produce was horror, this wasn’t only because
I enjoy horror movies but many teenagers enjoy
watching something that hooks their attention and is
engaging. However before making any decisions I
created a questionnaire and got feedback from my
target audience and from the results it showed that
most teenagers enjoy watching horror movies.
•
•

7. Planning my ideas…
Additionally after getting some sort of idea of
what I wanted to create I went away to
research into the genre and watched a
number of trailers, which included; Silent
House, One Missed call and the women in
black. After watching these I wanted to
create something different but use some of
the conventions. So I decided on one trailer
which was Silent House. This was because
there was something different about it, it
used the conventions of a typical horror
movie that consisted of a lonely house, in a
quiet area, its dark and cold but there was a
twist that you wouldn’t realise and this is
what I needed to make it appeal, stand out
to the audience and challenge the
conventions.

8. Trailer idea
Additionally I borrowed the idea from Silent
House which was when the audience watch the
trailer they won’t expect what they will see,
they will presume that there is someone
following Lisa (main character) however later
we find out that there was nothing following her
it was her mind playing up and what happened
during her childhood was being replayed in her
mind.

9. Improving storyline
After deciding my idea for the trailer, I
received feedback on it and made some
improvements which were, to re think the
idea as I could develop my ideas to create
more mystery and think about using more
sound.

10. Todorov theroy
• After improving my narrative, it made more sense and fitted in with Todorov
theory. He suggests that a film will have:
• A state of equilibrium at the outset
• A disruption of the equilibrium
• A recognition that there has been a disruption
• Try to repair the disruption
• A reinstatement of the equilibrium
• This theory can be applied to my narrative this is because, when the girl and her
mother move into the house everything is fine, it is then followed up by a
disruption and she tries to figure out what it could be. However the
recognition of the disruption leads on to another equilibrium
•

11. Camera

12. Camera
During the process of my research of Silent House I realised that the codes and
convention of a horror movie consisted on having an establishing shot of the main
location which is often based around a house. So during the production of my filming I
started of with show the location and setting of the trailer.

13. Camera
In addition because I used this idea I developed the conventions through the
use of camera. I used a variety of shots that included two shots, over the
shoulder shot, high and low shot, medium and close up shot, establishing,
point of view and long shot.
The shots used created more
tension, when Lisa switches the
light off the shadow appears, this
shot was done from over the
shoulder, this was because I wanted
to challenge the conventions, in a
horror trailer we would expect
something to approach from behind
but I wanted to give a different feel
of how it would be like if someone
was more next to you, you would
have nowhere to escape to and it
also puts the audience in the
characters shoes and creating
sympathy for her.

14. Camera
Furthermore another idea that I borrowed was when Lisa
walks up the stairs as she hears a bang, what we would expect
to see as an audience is a dark atmosphere with dim lights,
her sweating and panting heavily and as soon as she gets
upstairs she screams as she’s someone.
However I developed this idea as well as
challenged the conventions, what I decided
to do was create a normal atmosphere with
the lights on, it seems fine, but when she
goes upstairs I used a high shot to make it
seem like someone is looking down on her
and because the camera is very close to her
face it creates the tension that she might
scream, someone is there, so the audience
are expecting something, however there is
nothing there.
This challenged the conventions as it’s something that is expected, the shot is used
and the audience are hooked on because it keeps them thinking that something will be
there, but the opposite happens and there’s nothing.

15. Sound

16. Sound
Furthermore from my research I
gathered that we don’t realise that
sound is important and it can make a
massive change to a trailer. After
watching trailers I analysed them to
pick out the shots used, what the
storyline is and the type of sound
used. In most trailers eerie music is
used, there’s diegetic and non-
diegetic sound and the sound can
make a difference. When something is
about the happen the sound is
increased or when the character is
talking and everything seems fine it is
decreased and it will be playing
throughout. So I found a few
soundtracks that created tension and
fitted the trailer that I was producing
and I wanted something to be playing
so it gives the audience something to
guess on of what may happen next.

17. Sound
• The sound starts off slow, but when increasing the sound it didn’t make a
huge difference so I developed this by using more than one sound and
overlapping it and the soundtracks fitted well, it wasn’t too dramatic
and was on point just what I wanted. In some ways I have gone against
and challenged the conventions. From my research I gathered that
trailers have a theme track or something that plays through despite
having other sound effects, however I borrowed the idea from Silent
House as when my trailer starts you will hear the camera clicking, so I
puts that perceptive that there is someone there watching her before
she even enters the house and it engages the audience and they start
to think of what it may be. But I developed this idea as after hearing
this sound affect the conventions is challenged because the sound
track that plays makes everything seem normal. And it’s from this
where I want the audience to think one thing but another thing
happens and my slogan “Expect the unexpected” fits in well. You will
think one thing but nothing happens or something happens that is
unexpected.

18. Costume

19. Costume
The costume worn by the character was
something normal and consisted of a white
dress and a hoodie, which is what we expect to
see a female wearing in any other horror trailer,
especially if it’s a child, so I borrowed this from
the women in black as the kids wear dresses on.
However I developed but went against the conventions as
by making her wear a hoodie gave a different perspective of
the character. This is because stereotypically we assume a
hoodie with young teenagers and when seeing them with
hoodies we think to say away and think negative. But by
making her wear a hoodie it showed that you can’t assume
how someone is because of what they wear and the girl who
is wearing it is actually the innocent character and is

20. Costume
Mother of
Lisa (main
character)
The
shadow/bad
character
Main character
(Lisa)

21. Lighting
Also the lighting used was normal in a
few places, I followed the conventions
of a horror trailer and didn’t want to
not use many lights to create a lonely,
dark and gloomy atmosphere so when
watching it because it’s dark, it makes
us think there maybe someone there.
As when she leaves the room she
switches the light off, which is what
anyone would do, but there’s still a dim
light in the background that shines on
the wall and we see someone next to
her.

22. Props

23. Props
The props used was a medical file, hammer
and boxes, they all were used to show
something. She uses the hammer when she
hears something and this is a borrowed idea
as there is most often a weapon used in a
horror movie, but the medical file put a
different perceptive as we don’t see who it
belongs to, what it’s for and as an audience
we start to put the events together to figure
out what may happen. Also the props used
show the genre of the trailer as they are
specifically used for a horror trailer

24. Make-up
The make-up that was
done was to make her
look pale and weak, I
wanted to give the
idea how she’s
innocent she doesn’t
know what’s right and
wrong and this idea
was borrowed again
from The women in
black as the kids are
very pale, I didn’t
want to develop or
challenge this just to
give it some normality

25. Setting

26. Setting
The product borrows the idea of
having a big house in a quiet
area, however I developed and
went against the convention as
the house wasn’t the only house
in the location, and it was
surrounded by others. This is a
typical convention of a horror
trailer and its what makes it fit
the conventions. So when the
trailer starts we see other houses
and at this point the audience
start guessing what house it
maybe, what might happen and
it’s what keeps them on edge as
they don’t know what could
happen.

27. Film poster
After creating the trailer a film poster was
needed to go alongside with it. The conventions
of a film poster is that it needs to be eye
catching and show what genre it is. As well as
include information about the release date and
production information.

28. Film poster analysis
So I researched two main film posters, The
messenger and Hide and seek. From this I
gathered that most film posters have a centre
image, that draws the audience to it and it’s
often located in the middle with text around
it.
•

29. Film poster analysis

30. Film poster
So I borrowed this idea but
developed and challenged
the conventions. The
image taken wasn’t of a
full body shot which is
what is seen in most film
posters, I went against the
conventions and took a
high shot which indicates
that there is someone
there and she’s seen as
weak because she has to
look up to someone

31. Film poster
Before deciding on which picture to choose for my film poster I
took a number of pictures

32. Film poster

33. Film poster
Also the shot taken is a medium shot and is
taken from the side, we see her moving to a
side and someone is holding the hammer. The
image used has been edited to make the
brightness and contrast less, I wanted to again
create some darkness and again we see a light
shining on her, that also creates a shadow of
her, the hammer and someone’s hand, but we
don’t know who it may be. Most of the ideas
used to create the film poster were borrowed
I wanted the audience to think that the
conventions are of how every other poster
maybe; I didn’t challenge the conventions or
developed much ideas.

34. Film poster
Furthermore the costume and make-up are both
simple, there’s nothing to exaggerative used its simple
and consistent. My research of looking and analysing
different film posters, helped me gain a better idea of
what I wanted, especially making a mock up as I could
play around with where I want to place things. My film
poster uses conventions of a horror genre as it has the
main character and a weapon that gives it away to the
audience that it’s a horror genre

35. Magazine

36. Magazine
• The magazine cover has borrowed many
conventions from existing products and the
research done has helped to create this as a
film magazine is similar to a music magazine
but it needs to have a layout and certain
features which give the impression that it’s
a film magazine.

37. Camera
The camera shot that was used was a medium shot and this was a borrowed
idea from the magazine Empire as the shot and positioning of the character is
passionate, her facial expressions puts a different perceptive, as she looks
strong and brave but when looking at the trailer and film poster she’s seen as
vulnerable.

38. Magazine
The graphics used are not
only of the character it has
other movies that are out,
there is text on the side that
mentions other singers and
actors, which makes it look
more interesting, especially if
the audience are fans of them
they will want to read the
magazine and this way they
can read about the film that is
going to be realised I used the
conventions of a movie
magazine from my research
and placed the image in the
middle as it’s the centre of
attention and I wanted the
audience to se the main
character and know who she
is.

39. Title
In some ways I have challenged the conventions from existing products as often the
title of the film is placed at the top as its where the audience may look first, however
because the image is the main centre of attention the title overlaps it so when looking
at the image they will see the title making them want to know what “Misconception”
is about.
Title

40. Colours
The colours used for this was black,
white and red. The red stands out as it
bright and it signifies danger and
death, so because the title of the film
is in red, it makes the audience think
of a negative idea of what might be
the reason behind it, I kept most of
the layout of my magazine the same
as the one I researched as I liked how
it was set and everything followed and
fitted the conventions of a movie
magazine.

41. Magazine
The research that I carried out for creating the trailer,
film poster and magazine cover has helped me a lot
through the production I used many ideas to produce
the products as well as developing and going against
the conventions from existing products, to create
something different that the audience will enjoy and
wont expect, it would also keep them on the edge and
interested in what may happen next. Also what I
wanted to create was a different position for the
audience gives them a different feel of things
•

42. Overall I think that my trailer and two ancillary texts that I have
create use the conventions of real media texts. My research has
helped me achieve this and I wanted to use and challenge the
convention of real media texts and gain a good result.
Furthermore from audience research and feedback I found that
the conventions that they expect are similar so in terms of this
there wasn’t a lot for me to challenge, however I have
challenged some of the conventions to make it more interesting.
Overall

43. FinalFinal
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