The document discusses how the media product challenges conventions of the horror genre. It used inspiration from films like "The Blair Witch Project" to set the film in an isolated woods location. It challenges conventions by having a female as the lead threat instead of the usual male. It also films during daylight instead of at night. The trailer aims to provoke ambiguity and leave the plot unexplained to pique viewers' interest in the full film. Music, cinematography using natural lighting and shots, and the poster drawing on "torture porn" conventions were used to develop the horror aspects while challenging expectations.

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

2. Inspiration and conventions.
• When creating our media project we
used many different films and media
texts to base our ideas on. We tried
to keep the conventions of a horror
film when thinking about the music
and the location that we set our film.
• When looking at location in the
horror genre, our characters are
usually casted in an isolated
location, such as the woods or a
castle, not usually a place we are
familiar with.
• When we choose the woods as the
location, we watched films with that
location in mind. The film “the Blaire
Witch Project” was a huge inspiration
with the film using the locations as a
strength, as its against the familiarity
of what the viewer is used to.

3. Against The Conventions.
• To challenge the conventions of a
usual horror films we presented our
trailer with the threat being a female.
• Using a female as our lead threat in
the film we are apposing the usual
stereotype that a male holds the
power in the film. The stereotype of
horror films with a usual damsel in
distress is flipped so that the only
people that we see in danger in our
trailer are men.
• Another quality that we implemented
when having our film in mind, is the
time of day in which we filmed our
trailer. The broad daylight is
Juxtaposed against the woodland
isolation and the themes of the film.

4. Ambiguity.
• Throughout the trailer we tried to keep
the structure of the trailer open ended
leaving the audience with
ambiguity, wondering what would
happens In the film.
• We kept to the key conventions of a
horror film, with the setting, tense
music, and the pace of the trailer so
that the viewer has a clear idea of the
genre of the trailer. However we have
not been straightforward with our
structure.
• We have a clear pace to the trailer
with a slow start, building into a
tension filled ending, still keeping the
structure and plot unexplained for the
viewer to wonder and to find out on
their own.

5. The sound.
• Picking a track to play over the trailer
was very important as it placed the
pace for the trailer creating the
speed and pace of the trailer that we
were looking for.
• we needed to choose a piece that
would start of slow and build as the
trailer would go on. we copied the
start of the song at the end of the
track so we could create a calmness
in the trailer whilst the credits
appear.
• The music created the speed of the
trailer and also helped me to choose
where to place the clips within the
trailer and helped me to edit the
piece, speeding up and slowing down
the pace of the clip.

6. Poster/Magazine.
• When creating the poster and
magazine we choose an image that
would strike the audience, possible
creating a sense of familiarity in the
audience with other posters and
images.
• Our image plays a lot off the back of
the idea of torture porn, holding
strong themes and links to the poster
and marketing of the Hostel
films, holding the conventions of
blood stains and tied up bodies.
• The poster needed the conventions
of a horror poster, so we used photo-
shop to place blood into the scene
and the feel for the picture turned
completely, placing a sinister feel
into the scene.

7. Binary opposites.
• We try to get across in the short
trailer the idea of binary opposites.
Levi Strauss idea of binary opposites
creates conflict with our characters
and the plot of the trailer.
• We used the location of the woods
to represent nature, this apposes the
human element within the film.
Creating the opposites of Man vs.
Nature.
• Also by making the apposing
character in the trailer a female we
are bringing the binary opposites of
Man vs. Woman, using this technique
could even raise a response from the
audience where genders may be split
against each other in wanting certain
characters to survive.
Levi Strauss – Philosopher

8. Cinematography
• When filming our trailer we tried to find a
lot of natural camera shots. By using this
technique of placing the camera within the
tress or in the center of a path it created
the illusion that the viewer is there with
the characters within the trailer.
• We used a lot of natural light, setting up
the characters so that the sunlight is
behind them. This shot create the idea
that the character is blocking the sunlight.
This suggests to the audience that there is
an obstacle blocking our characters from
reaching the peacefulness of the light.
• We also filmed a lot of our trailer using the
first person view from the camera. This
was always from the perspective of the
threat though. This would create a sense
of discomfort within the audience.

9. Conclusion
• Throughout the production we have
wanted to stay on the tracks of a horror
trailer by keeping the conventions of
horror trailer that we have seen and
researched ourselves.
• The main factors we found was the
location, the sound and the intrusive
cinematography. With all of these factors
we believe that we have created an
effective trailer that leaves the viewer
with enough ambiguity within the plot to
make them want to know what happens
within the film. With the production of
the trailer and magazine cover, we have
edited them so that it is clear that this is
trying to promote a horror themed film.
• If we were to create the horror genre
project again I think we would have done
more with sound within the trailer, this
could be from creating more of a sense of
narration or even have sound effects
within the trailer.