The document discusses how a student's media products for a project used and developed conventions of real horror media. The student analyzed existing horror trailers and identified key conventions to include in their own trailer, such as introducing characters slowly, including an antagonist/protagonist with the antagonist's identity remaining mysterious. Shots and music were chosen to mirror real trailers and include a turning point where the horror escalates. While unable to include graphic blood/gore, the student suggested violence to still use the convention. The student also developed the convention of an unknown antagonist by combining it with the modern fear of not knowing an online identity.

1. “In what ways do your media
products use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions
of real life media products?”
MEDIA A2 LEVEL Evaluation Question:
WEBSITE TRAILER
POSTER

2. Research before hand
I analysed real horror trailers before going on to create ours. This helped a lot as it allowed me to identify
the forms and conventions that often feature in a horror trailer:
-Slow start introduces the Characters and sets up an equilibrium.
- Includes an Antagonist and Protagonist.
- Antagonist is usually never seen in full during the trailer, this increases the mystery around the character
and the film.
- Usually includes a turning point, after this, more and more horror ensues.
- Fast paced music towards end.
- Blood and Gore (some times depending on genre)
*One of the trailers I analysed was ‘You’re Next’ (see sound analysis video on blog). All
Conventions listed above featured in the video. Due to the similarity between the basic
plots of ‘You’re Next’ and the planned plot line of ours, it made it simple to transfer the
conventions over by using ‘You’re Next’ as an example text.+

3. This prelim analysis of Sinister helped me determine the sort of shots used in horror.
You can see how we have tried to use the same shots, this is an example of where the
media product has used the conventions and forms of real life media products.

4. This prelim analysis of Sinister helped me determine the sort of shots used in horror.
You can see how we have tried to use the same shots, this is an example of where the
media product has used the conventions and forms of real life media products.
The black fits in
with our trailer’s
design

5. This prelim analysis of Sinister helped me determine the sort of shots used in horror.
You can see how we have tried to use the same shots, this is an example of where the
media product has used the conventions and forms of real life media products.
Establishing
shot of
house

6. This prelim analysis of Sinister helped me determine the sort of shots used in horror.
You can see how we have tried to use the same shots, this is an example of where the
media product has used the conventions and forms of real life media products.
The shot shows the
protagonist doing what
she would normally do in
her surroundings

7. This prelim analysis of Sinister helped me determine the sort of shots used in horror.
You can see how we have tried to use the same shots, this is an example of where the
media product has used the conventions and forms of real life media products.
The long shot
gives a feeling of
isolation and
distance (which
suggests
vulnerability)

8. The use of
close up
scenes creates
an intense
situation.
When using it
for people’s
faces, it allows
the audience
to only take in
what the
person’s
expression is
(nothing else
to distract
them)
This prelim analysis of Sinister helped me determine the sort of shots used in horror.
You can see how we have tried to use the same shots, this is an example of where the
media product has used the conventions and forms of real life media products.

9. Use of conventions and forms.
-Slow start introduces the Characters and sets up an equilibrium.
- Includes an Antagonist and Protagonist.
- Antagonist is usually never seen in full during the trailer, this increases the mystery around the character and the film.
- Usually includes a turning point, after this, more and more horror ensues.
- Fast paced music towards end.
- Blood and Gore (some times depending on genre)
The list we created from our research of existing trailers:
We identified these features to be key in a horror trailer, so tried to use these
conventions through out our trailer to emphasise the horror genre.
-Slow start introduces the Characters and sets up an equilibrium.
We showed this through filming the protagonist in an average day. You see her
happily going up to bed and going on her phone.
We used calm and relaxing music to suggest a serene environment.

10. Use of conventions and forms.
-Slow start introduces the Characters and sets up an equilibrium.
- Includes an Antagonist and Protagonist.
- Antagonist is usually never seen in full during the trailer, this increases the mystery around the character and the film.
- Usually includes a turning point, after this, more and more horror ensues.
- Fast paced music towards end.
- Blood and Gore (some times depending on genre)
The list we created from our research of existing trailers:
We identified these features to be key in a horror trailer, so tried to use these
conventions through out our trailer to emphasise the horror genre.
-Includes antagonist and protagionist
Our protagonist was a girl named Clara, we decided to make her roughly 18years
old to fit in with the target audience (they may be able to relate to her.)
The antagonist was ‘The Creeper’ an illusive character who remains faceless
through out the trailer.

11. Use of conventions and forms.
-Slow start introduces the Characters and sets up an equilibrium.
- Includes an Antagonist and Protagonist.
- Antagonist is usually never seen in full during the trailer, this increases the mystery around the character and the film.
- Usually includes a turning point, after this, more and more horror ensues.
- Fast paced music towards end.
- Blood and Gore (some times depending on genre)
The list we created from our research of existing trailers:
We identified these features to be key in a horror trailer, so tried to use these
conventions through out our trailer to emphasise the horror genre.
Antagonist is usually never seen in full during the trailer
We used this in our trailer with ‘The Creeper’ (antagonist) . You only ever hear
his voice, and see his feet, hands and the back of him.

12. Use of conventions and forms.
-Slow start introduces the Characters and sets up an equilibrium.
- Includes an Antagonist and Protagonist.
- Antagonist is usually never seen in full during the trailer, this increases the mystery around the character and the film.
- Usually includes a turning point, after this, more and more horror ensues.
- Fast paced music towards end.
- Blood and Gore (some times depending on genre)
The list we created from our research of existing trailers:
We identified these features to be key in a horror trailer, so tried to use these
conventions through out our trailer to emphasise the horror genre.
Usually includes a turning point, after this, more and more horror ensues.
We thought this was a key feature to use in our horror trailer, it creates more excitement
and gives the trailer a fast pace. The identifiable turning point in our horror trailer would
be when Clara (the protagonist) walks out of view of the camera to reveal ‘The Creeper’
stood some distance away watching. Although arguably, there is a turning point earlier on
in the video (when you see the creeper’s eye) but this isn’t as obvious.

13. Use of conventions and forms.
-Slow start introduces the Characters and sets up an equilibrium.
- Includes an Antagonist and Protagonist.
- Antagonist is usually never seen in full during the trailer, this increases the mystery around the character and the film.
- Usually includes a turning point, after this, more and more horror ensues.
- Fast paced music towards end.
- Blood and Gore (some times depending on genre)
The list we created from our research of existing trailers:
We identified these features to be key in a horror trailer, so tried to use these
conventions through out our trailer to emphasise the horror genre.
- Fast paced music towards end.
This coincided with the first (more subtle) turning point, where you see the Creeper’s eye
watching Clara. The music suddenly switches to a more negative minor tone and a tense
drum beat can be heard.

14. Use of conventions and forms.
-Slow start introduces the Characters and sets up an equilibrium.
- Includes an Antagonist and Protagonist.
- Antagonist is usually never seen in full during the trailer, this increases the mystery around the character and the film.
- Usually includes a turning point, after this, more and more horror ensues.
- Fast paced music towards end.
- Blood and Gore (some times depending on genre)
The list we created from our research of existing trailers:
We identified these features to be key in a horror trailer, so tried to use these
conventions through out our trailer to emphasise the horror genre.
- Blood and Gore
- This convention was hard to recreate, as it was unpractical for us to find the props
needed. So we decided to suggest blood and gore rather than showing it. This could
be seen as challenging the conventions (as we didn’t use blood and gore) or using the
conventions (we showed violence). From the research I completed, it is evident that I
simply used the convention, as all trailers I’ve looked at showed the weapon.

15. Challenging conventions
I found it hard to challenge the conventions . Mainly because they are
conventions for a reason (they work). Being creative and innovative by
changing the conventions can be a gamble, as the audience may not take it
well, although you could argue, without challenging the conventions,
development is ever made the horror genre. Upon reflection, I think if I were
to do the project again, I might have used a male protagonist and female
antagonist. This goes the normal conventions and fits with the changing world
(where women are becoming more equal).

16. Developing conventions
One convention that is common in a lot of horror products, is the unknown
identity of the antagonist (You’re next, the villains have masks, sinister, the
villain is more of an unknown presence.) We thought this would be a brilliant
convention to develop.
A main theme that is presented through my media products, is technology
and the new modern fear: You have no idea who you could be talking to. This
tied in well with the unidentified antagonist convention. We combined the
two. Our antagonist had been talking to the protagonist online for a while, yet
his identity remains unknown. We then developed this to fit in with the
convention (through out the trailer, poster pictures and website pictures he
remains faceless), this developed the traditional convention to fit with
modern times, (through the combination with technology).