This document discusses how the opening of a student horror film uses conventions from real horror films. It begins with establishing shots that calmly reflect the characters' situation before building tension. Shots include a character answering the door and another watching TV to confuse viewers. A tracking shot shows items like alcohol that set the scene. Close-ups of a character cutting carrots and locking a door create mystery. Costumes, dark lighting, and ominous non-diegetic sounds are used to match horror film conventions and engage audiences. The opening aims to reflect real horror film openings through these techniques.

1. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE,DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

2. After analyzing other horror film openings, I decided to apply these conventions to my own film opening with close relations to Mise-en- scene, cinematography, shot types, props, sound, costume, lighting and credits.

3. We decided to start our film opening to reflect the characters on a innocent sleepover, horror film tend to start calm and reflect the characters on a casual day then build to a climax. We done this to reflect the conventions of real horror/slasher film opening also in order to engage the audience from an early stage, from using these convention the audience could identify that it was a horror.

4. We started off with a mid shot of one of the twins answering the door it the cuts to another one of the twins watching TV with her friend, this would confuse the audience because they don’t know that there are twins, this would make them more engaged and want to watch on because they would want to know how the girl went from the door to the front room so quickly.

5. We used was a tracking shot of the table, in this shot you can see alcohol, crisps, water, biscuits etc, we used this shot to establish the setting and give the audience and idea of the characters they are watching as the vodka symbolises party girls also it states in our synopsis that the girls are 16 so it is underage drinking this typically happens when parents are out.

6. We used a close up shot of Sarah cutting a carrot, in this shot you can’t see her face properly and the knife is being used forcefully. This sets an enigma code; making the audience think: why cant we see her face and why is she using the knife so forcefully? Knives are also a common prop used in horror films due to the ability to kill a person slowly, which makes it more gory.

7. we specifically chose to include is close up of Sarah locking the door so when she realised that the chain had been unlocked, it sets anenigma code, leaving the audience thing who unlocked the door? Enigma codes are a common convention of horror films because it takes the audience out of their comfort zone and makes them want to watch on.

8. We were very specific when choosing the characters costume. Firstly, we chose to have all three girls dressed in pajamas, to establish that it was a sleepover, the twins both had pink pajamas, this colour connotes: tenderness, femininity. Thisreflects the usual type of character to be the victim in horror films.

9. The lighting also signifies the genre of our film opening. Horrors always include dark/dull lighting which creates suspense and mystery and makes it more scary. The lighting in our film opening is specifically dark and dull to live up to the conventions of the genre.

10. The sound in our film also uses forms and conventions of real media products in the horror genre. we used non-diegetic low-pitched sound throughout most of the opening which creates an ominous feeling amongst the audience, the sound blends in so you don’t even realise that its playing,