This document summarizes how the media product of a film trailer challenges conventions of the horror and slasher genres. The trailer includes costumes, props, and an all-male cast that are typical of the genres but challenges conventions by not including female victims. The editing uses cuts and fades between clips like other horror trailers analyzed, but challenges forms by including slightly longer clips to avoid audience confusion. Research was conducted on existing trailers to identify genre conventions to develop and challenge in the new trailer.

1. Media evaluation
Q1. In what ways does your media
product use, develop or challenge forms
and conventions of real media
products?

2. Media evaluation
At the beginning of this project I decided to do a
film trailer of horror and slasher genre, which
would be effective to attract the audience and
promote the concept horror and slasher to the
target audience.
In order for my trailer to be successful and to
promote the genre clearly I carried out some
important research and analysis on horror film
trailers to get an idea, which was significantly
relevant to the construction of my film trailer.

3. Media evaluation
First of which I had a look at the forms and
conventions of existing horror trailers to
identify what to include in my own such as
sound, mise en scene, cinematography and
editing. I had a look at Halloween 2007
(remake) and other trailers of the same genre
to gain an idea of what props and items of
scenery – mise en scene to include.

4. Media evaluation
First I had a look at the costumes.
I saw that the killer is wearing dark clothing in Halloween so therefore I decided that
for my trailer it would look better if the killer wore dark clothing compared to light-coloured
clothing.
Halloween Vendetta Face (my trailer)

5. Media evaluation
I also had a look at which item of props to
include for my trailer to match the
conventions of horror and slasher as close as
possible. They include:
Knife Mask

6. Media evaluation
Black parka jacket Black gloves
These are all props that match the conventions of
horror and slasher and would fit in well. They can also be genre signifiers
because they convey in a number of ways to horror and slasher
particularly the knife as that is the main representation of slasher films,
without it being shown on posters viewers wouldn’t think the film will be
a slasher genre and the genre of ‘slasher’ wouldn’t exist if it weren't
shown in films. These props are consistent throughout my trailer to
promote the genre of horror and slasher and create narrative.

7. Media evaluation

8. Media evaluation
The way in which I have established the characters in my
trailer is similar to existing trailers such as Scream 4.
There is a clip establishing the characters hanging out
with each other at school socialising with one another
whereas, in my trailer I decided to film them being at
one of the characters; David’s house playing
PlayStation 3 game, FIFA 14. I established them in this
way because since they were all male characters FIFA
14 and the game console PlayStation 3 are two aspects
mostly popular to males and they enjoy playing.
Therefore, this develops a convention and the idea of
including football game FIFA 14 represents a
stereotype of men being obsessed with football.

9. Media evaluation
Scream 4
Vendetta Face

10. Media evaluation
However, I have challenged a form and convention
of a real media product by establishing characters
in my trailer. In every horror film trailer I saw as
part of my research I noticed that they all
contained female characters who were victims of
the killer. My trailer consists of all male
characters, which shows that I have challenged a
convention of not including any females in it but
have spotted a niche in the horror film market as
from what I researched there aren't any horror
films consisting of only male characters, which is
why I think this idea will succeed as it is unique.

11. Media evaluation
The editing in my trailer consists of cuts and fades in
between the different scenes shown at a pace of
maximum 3 seconds per clip. This is because to give
the audience a clear structure of the dialogue, what’s
going on and leaving each clip at a cliffhanger to make
them want to go and watch the film in the cinema. I
noticed in my research that most horror trailers have
fast cuts in between the different clips shown but
however, I believe that exposing more of the clips
would sit better with the audience as they wouldn’t get
confused to an extent that it would put them off from
wanting to go and watch the film.