Our film challenges and develops conventions of slasher horror films. It takes place in a forest, a typical horror location, but our title "Redwood" doesn't reference the plot like most horror titles. We don't show the killer's identity until late in the film, maintaining the mystery. While we use techniques like high angles, POV shots, and music to build suspense, our opening credits use a typewriter effect atypical of the genre. Costumes appear normal to create a false sense of security before the disruption of a character's disappearance.

1. EVALUATION QUESTION 1
IN WHAT WAY DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE DEVELOP
OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL
MEDIA PRODUCTS?

2. • Our film is a slasher horror film, many aspects challenge and support, the conventions of the
genre for example it takes place in a forest a stereotypical horror location, as the tall trees and
isolated area creates an eerie effect to the film. This is often used in horror films, but as well as
forests places like haunted houses, graveyards, rural locations, however we decided to use a
forest to emphasize characters vulnerability. In terms of camera angles we very much develop
the forms and conventions as we used a lot of high angle shots to create a lurking effect for the
killer. Also POV shots would also be used to see through the killer’s perspective. To further the
conventions, we used a lot of close ups as these are used to show fear and emotion but we also
used them to create a false sense of security. The use of a handheld camera very much gave it
an amateur lurking feel which is what we wanted to achieve to make it feel more realistic.

3. • In terms of sound the enhancement of birds tweeting at the start of the
sequence creates a false sense of security often used in horror films to
develop the plot. But later on still developing connotations we enhance the
ambient sound to make it more suspenseful, you can hear the leaves under
the characters feet and birds in the background, this creates a false sense of
security. Also we use a track called Crypt by Rannar Sillard and even though
none of us had never heard it before we definitely agreed that it was
something well suited for a horror film. We used it to create suspense which
is what our target audience wanted so in terms of the opening sequence
upon approaching the camp at the realisation of Alfie’s disappearance the
music crescendos as it progresses. Also we added the sound effect of a
heartbeat, this symbolises that something is about to happen as the pulse is
emphasized as going faster.

4. Within our credits we very much challenge conventions as in my research I found a lot
of opening sequences had red fonts on a black background such as Scream and
Paranormal Activity, however within our sequence we decided to use a typewriter
effect, this creates the effect that this has been a story that has been passed down and
that someone is typing it up as it seems worthy. None of us came across credits like
this within our research so we very much challenge conventions here. Also the title of
our film, “Redwood,” is one that I think uses and furthers conventions, many horror
films opt for the one word titles such as Psycho, Scream, Saw, Poltergeist, and
Halloween.

5. • However our title also challenges conventions as it doesn’t really have relevance to
the film, I thought of the title just simply because of the blood on the trees red
symbolising the blood, and wood representing the forest. Most horror film titles use
names of the antagonist or words associated with horror like Scream but ours is
challenging that convention. In terms of narrative it initially starts as a normal
narrative, the equilibrium however like all films and especially horror films
something bad happens, the disruption of Alfie’s disappearance.

6. • Something we used the conventions of horror films for was the mystery surrounding the killers identity, a
convention in horror films is that the killer’s identity is not revealed till later in the film. Originally we were
going to have a few shots of the killer especially not showing his face however these shots did not look
amazing upon review as the costume we told Dan the killer to wear was too casual and did not look
intimidating at all, so we decided to not show any part of the killer what so ever apart from his point of view,
this way the audience gets a feel of enigma as they have no idea who is also in the woods with the group. The
shots that we also had planned was a couple of seconds of the killer holding the axe covered in blood, firstly
the blood looked amateur so we were hesitant to put it in, but also this just gives a clear indication of what
happens and we wanted to develop conventions of horror films and progress the mystery a bit more so we
decided to show barely any indication of what happened to Alfie. The only indicator we included was the
blood on the tree, this is a symbol however it is not clear who’s this blood is or how it got there it is just
when the dialogue of Alice saying where’s Alfie that plants a seed of thought into the audience’s mind that
“could the blood be to do with Alfie’s disappearance?”

7. • Within editing we used the blade tool to cut between characters within dialogue, this
is often used in horror films to develop characters personalities and create a false
sense of security, we also used effects like point of view shots to make it seem like
the killer was stalking them, this is often used in horror films to create suspense to
incorporate symbols and signs that a character is lurking.
• Finally for the mise en scene, for costumes we just asked actors to dress normally,
most horror films do this to make it seem like a normal day to make the climax of
the plot more surprising so the stereotypical outfits for our characters convey that
everything is fine at the moment. This follows the typical conventions as most horror
films also have everyday clothing to create the false sense of security that it’s a
normal day.