Our media product challenges conventions of psychological horror films through its nonlinear narrative, use of flashbacks, and portrayal of a protagonist struggling with mental health issues. The film follows Lucy, a teenage girl haunted by memories of murdering her friend. Scenes jump back and forth in time to reveal Lucy's deteriorating mental state. Cinematography like low angle shots and whip pans create tension and convey Lucy's anxiety and breakdowns. The locations of a rooftop and bathroom heighten the psychological elements. Editing increases pace during climactic scenes, and diegetic sounds of arguments blend with unsettling nondiegetic music and whispers. Titles are placed after the intro to pause reflection on Lucy's turmoil.

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

2. Narrative
The narrative of our media product follows the psychological problems of our protagonist Lucy.
Lucy is a teenage girl that is struggling with mental health issues that began to develop more
severe effects after she murdered one of her ‘school friends’. Our media product has a non-
linear plot as it does not follow a structured plotline and is not in chronological order as it
utilises flashbacks to explain Lucie's past experiences. The film starts with Lucy at the top of a
building and is questioning and reflecting on her past experiences. The next scene is in the
bathroom and is before the first scene and she begins seeing something in the mirror. The final
scene is a flashback of Lucy murdering Joe her ‘old friend’ and bully and is the memory that has
been haunting her.

3. Genre
The genre of our media product is psychological horror which is a sub genre of horror. This
genre utilises mental, emotional and psychological elements of both characters and there
surroundings which is used to make audience tense and unsettled. We have made the film look
like a psychological horror by showing hints at Lucy having mental problems as she thinks
someone is stalking her. She sees it as a haunting of her past memories but really are just
hallucinations due to her psychological problems.

4. Cinematography
In our media product we used a different array of shot types. An example is medium and close
up shots that help to convey Lucie's emotions clearly for the audience. We also utilised low level
shots and a whip pan which created a disorienting effect for the viewer to show Lucie's mental
struggle but also her anxious state. The low level shot was used to show Lucy in her breakdown
and to show the feet of another person to create tension without showing there face. We also
used some over the shoulder shots to show the conversation between Lucy and Joe.

5. Locations and mise en scene
The locations used in our film were a rooftop and a college bathroom. The costumes were more
casual attire for both of our characters as they are something that people would wear for there
everyday life giving the sense that they are ‘normal’. We also used a fake knife and fake blood as
props to create the final scene where Lucy murders Joe.

6. Editing and sound
The editing in our film began by being slow paced at first but in some parts of the second scene
and throughout the whole of the last scene the pace began to get faster as the arguing of Lucy
and Joe continues, leading to Lucy killing Joe. This helps to build up atmosphere and engage the
audience into the scene supporting the horror aspects of our film. We also use shot reverse shot
to show the argument between Lucy and Joe and to easily convey there reactions to each other.
The diegetic sound mainly comes form the two of our characters as they argue and as Lucy talks
to the voices. The non-diegetic sound is the whispers and the music that is added over our
scenes that fits with the genre as it has a creepy and sinister sound to it.

7. Titles and typography
The titles in our media product are placed after the first scene to give a pause in-between but
also to show that time has passed. We have the production logo first which is Limbo films and
then the films name comes up after which is Something in the shadows. The background is black
as black usually connotes more horror aspects compared to other colours and the font is white
which can connote the innocence that Lucy has left. Both the film name and production logo are
large to make sure they stand out against the background so that the audience notice them. The
name of the actors however are not as big so that they do not overpower the shot and are just
big enough for the audience to notice.