This document analyzes how the film "lights out" uses conventions of the horror genre in its title, visual elements, setting, costumes, camerawork, editing, storyline and overall presentation. The title relates directly to the film's subject of darkness and power cuts. Typography uses a dripping red font that conveys danger and blood. The setting of an isolated rural house makes characters vulnerable. Costumes are normal teen clothes, and camerawork uses point-of-view shots and parallel editing to create tension. The opening scene and overall storyline follow conventions of stalking victims and paranormal events in a stereotypical horror structure. Throughout, the film relies on common horror techniques to suggest its genre to audiences.

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

2. The title of the film
The title of our film is “lights out” This is
quite a stereotypical horror title, as it is
quite short and snappy, it also tells the
audience what is going to happen and
relates directly to what the film is all about.
The term lights out also has a relation with
power cuts and darkness which are very
common in the horror genre. However in
some ways the title isn’t conventional
because from my research the most
common names are one word like
“sinister” or “scream” which have
connotations of the horror genre.
This will be the first thing the audience see
so it is important that it relates to the
horror genre which I think we have done.

3. Typography
The font of the title is quite conventional
to the horror genre. It looks to be
dripping and scratched on which has
connotations to the unknown and how it
happened. The colours used in the title
of red has many different connotations
attached to the horror genre such as
danger and blood. The glowing effect
used looks to be coming through the
letters this links to the title off “lights
out”
The font used for the “director” etc also
has connotations to the horror genre
and looks to be eerie and freaky.

4. Setting
The setting for our film is a normal
house in a small village in the
countryside. Small villages has
connotations of being isolated and on
your own this has representation of
being vulnerable, so that if you do
scream you cant be heard, this is also
another key feature many films use in
the horror genre. The fact that the house
is an average house shows the audience
that this could affect anyone which adds
to the tension and in a way makes the
film more scary.

5. Costumes and props
The costumes that the actor is wearing
normal teenage clothes this is also
another common convention in the
horror genre as usually it is teenagers
that are affected by a antagonist as they
are seen as quite vulnerable and
teenagers is usually the target audience.
For this opening scene little props were
used only everyday house objects like
remote etc so that the house looked
normal to the viewers.

6. Camerawork and Editing
Throughout the opening scene we used
camera work and editing conventionally. We
used Point of view shots a lot to put the
audience into either the protagonist or
antagonists shoes this created tension. We also
used parallel editing between the antagonist
and protagonist which is a common feature in
horror films these edits tell the audience what
is happening and that the creature is watching
or going towards the actor this therefore
creates tension. Our editing at times is fast
paced in time with the music this also adds to
the tension a common tool used in horror
films

7. Storyline
The opening scene sets the storyline quite well as it
tells the audience what is happening especially with
the text at the beginning, a common feature in horror
movies it explains to the audience what the location is
and what is happening. The footage in the opening
scene shows the audience what is happening to the
victims but doesn't give much away. The opening scene
ends with a cliff hanger as you don’t know what is
going to happen to the protagonist, this makes the
audience want to watch it and find out what happens.
The story line as a whole is very conventional to the
horror genre as it is about different people being
stalked and paranormal things happen to them and it is
the story of how people get tortured and the
antagonist gets caught. This is a very stereotypical
storyline for a film in the horror genre.

8. How the opening suggest the
genre of horror?
The genre is quite clear through out the
opening scene through the dark key
lighting, dark music and the different
camera angles and the negative effects used
on the antagonist. The typography also
suggests a horror genre as it is using bright
bold red colours, the font used is similar to
that used in paranormal activity this will
therefore be linked to the same horror
genre. However for me the most
conventional feature in our opening is the
scene is the fear of the unknown and that
we never see the antagonist this is why in
all most every horror film the antagonist is
wearing a mask. This brings fear to the
audience cant see their face or what it
looks like.