My evaluation part 1 for my A2 Media Course

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

2. How did your horror trailer fit into the horror
genre?

3. How does your trailer fit the conventions of other
horror trailers?We used a number of horror genre conventions to create suspense in our trailer that ranged from
mise-en-scene, music and editing. The use of intertitles helped to convey the narrative and
reinforce the actions that are seen in the cinematography of the trailer. For example the intertitle
‘That does not lead to death’ precedes a murder scene. The trailer also features the use of parallel
music (Die Sonne Satan- Dismal Chant) that has connotations of creepiness and an uneasiness to
make the audience feel uncomfortable and uncertain of what to expect. The trailer also features
examples of collision cutting with the use of slow paced montage during the “lovers” scene but
it suddenly changes to a quick paced montage following the blood splatter on the girls face and
the murder of the boy. The trailer also ends with a quick paced montage with the murders of two
other people to build tension and suspense about the film.
Die Sonne Satan- Dismal Chant

4. How does your trailer fit the conventions of other
horror trailers?
I watched several trailers to help inspire me make our trailer. All three, The Conjuring
(2013), Paranormal Activity (2009) and Alien (1979) feature the same several horror
genre conventions. For example they all use examples of low key lighting to
give the mise-en-scene creepy and scary connotations, collision cutting
between quick and slow paced montages to connote fear and catch the
audience off guard, and parallel music to connote the tension in the scene
which normally gets louder as the trailer continues to represent that the horror is
only going to increase and become more scary in the film too.
Paranormal Activity
2009
The Conjuring 2013
Alien 1979

5. What auteur influence did you bring to your
trailer?
Using Andrew Sarris’ Auteur theory, we can see the trailer was influenced by real life auteurs
like Ridley Scott (Alien, 1979) and Stanley Kubrick (The Shining, 1980) as several of the
conventions from their films are carried over into our trailer. For example, the parallel music was
chosen as it similar to the music used in both the film trailers and put the audience on edge and
make them nervous about the film. Another factor that influenced my trailer was the use of one main
antagonist character, who as described by Propp in the Morphology of the Folk Tale (1928), who is a
psycho killer driven by one point of influence outside the cultural dominant ideology due to
killing in the name of a religion. The fact it’s influenced by auteurs represents an attempt to
emulate similar conventions and ideologies in a different historical context.
Our trailer features several distinctive horror conventions with the most distinctive connotations
utilising creepy parallel music to give the audience connotations of chilling suspense and fear.
Our use of low key lighting (especially in the scenes in the Priest’s office) create daunting and
chilling shadows, body horror and a quick paced montage to build up tension and make the
audience feel unsettled when watching the trailer.
Alien 1979 trailerThe Shining 1980 trailer

6. What auteur influence did you bring to your
trailer?
Our trailer aimed to reflect the historical context of the time as there’s a huge fear at the present
time surrounding terrorists and religious extremists, which is what Father Crowthorne in Priest is, who
kill in the name of a religion; eg. ISIS. These groups give the religion connotations of being evil and
bad and can lead to ideological fears such as ‘Islamaphobia’. However in reality the religions are
good and try to combat the extremists, an example from our trailer being the new female vicar (Rev.
Kerry O’Reilly) who - at the end of our proposed film - will peacefully destroy the evil Priest.

7. What auteur influence did you bring to your
trailer?
Our trailer aimed to reflect the historical context of the time as there’s a huge fear at the present
time surrounding terrorists and religious extremists, which is what Father Crowthorne in Priest is, who
kill in the name of a religion; eg. ISIS. These groups give the religion connotations of being evil and
bad and can lead to ideological fears such as ‘Islamaphobia’. However in reality the religions are
good and try to combat the extremists, an example from our trailer being the new female vicar (Rev.
Kerry O’Reilly) who - at the end of our proposed film - will peacefully destroy the evil Priest.