Question 5 evaluation

2. Antagonist has
obscure features
which makes him
stand out as different –
afro and uniquely
shaped sunglasses
Hoodie allows audience
to recognize him as the
antagonist –
connotations of youth
and trouble
Character doesn’t look like a
typical antagonist from a horror
film which gave our film
something different and
interested the audience, rather
than being bored of the same
characters/storyline

3. Blonde female supports
typical stereotype of
victim within the horror
genre – audience will be
able to identify Katie as
the victim straight away
Surroundings show Katie is in an
isolated environment which increases
the tension the audience will feel.
This is because the music within our
piece will accompany this tension and
inform the audience Katie is not in a
safe environment
Apple headphones are an
easily identified brand
product, our target
audience will relate to this
which reinforces our
victim’s age and also the
realism of her situation

4. Katie is wearing fashionable sports
clothing, including branded Nike shoes.
This helps represent her young age and
the fact she is fashion conscious, our
teenage audience will relate to this. As
well as this, it reinforces that this is part
of Katie’s normal routine as by having
branded clothing she clearly takes part in
exercise often
Once again, Katie’s isolation is
reinforced by the wide shot
showing the desolate
surroundings. This shows her
as vulnerable and prone to
the danger the audience
know is there
The light sound of Katie’s
music reminds the audience
that this will be louder for her,
and therefore she is less likely
to be aware of danger
because of this distraction

5. Shot involving both characters
allows audience to see the
danger front on, and relate to
when we’ve all felt someone was
behind us/watching us. This
creates a creepy feeling around
the shot and opening
Most young people will relate
to the location, they will have
been to the woods/secluded
area and got freaked out by a
twig snapping or similar noises
therefore can relate to the
creepiness of the opening.
The amount of land in the
shot reinforces how empty
the space is, and this will
inform the audience it is not
safe which will encourage
them to continue watching

6. Fashionable
shoes/style will
attract the young
audience we were
aiming for because
they will feel they
can relate to the
characters
Comparing to the film
‘Unfriended’ in which the
characters are also
teenagers, they are all
dressed in casual clothes – t
shirts, jeans etc. This allows
the audience to relate being
the same age group and
therefore we used a similar
approach within our
opening. Unfriended is a
good example of a new
modern film which
successfully attracted the
interest of a teenage
audience
This shot = first
introduction of
antagonist and therefore
adds mystery to the
character and the
audience want to
continue watching and
find out more

7. Nike is a well known brand
for fashionable fitness wear
and will be instantly
recognized by members of
our target audience as they
will be familiar with such a
brand
Clear environment of school
changing room, once again our
target audience can relate to this
environment which will create a
sense of verisimilitude. Also, the
realization that it could easily be
them in this situation will make
them feel obliged to continue
watching
School environment and
PE kit reinforces Katie’s
age and conforms to the
stereotypical
conventions of a horror,
in which a young female
is usually the victim

8. At first, this shot was not
meant to look exactly like this
however we decided that Jake’s
expression gave him a slightly
psychotic look. In horror films
the antagonist usually portrays
this sort of characteristic and
therefore we decided it would
help interest the audience as
they would link this to previous
experience watching such a
film
A character who famously looks
psychotic from the onset of the film is
Jack Torrance from ‘The Shining’. The
photo above is one of the most iconic
scenes in horror films and although
Jake is not exactly matching this
expression, he still looks
strange/creepy (particularly because of
the glasses). This shot of Jake will help
the audience identify him as a round
character rather than flat – there must
be a reason he is acting strangely/
what has made him turn psychotic?