Trepidation Evaluation

‘You may think it’s a feeling, but they know it’s real’
TREPIDATION
Evaluation

My short film genre:
The research that i conducted before i started production helped me in a variety of ways and to have a further
understanding of the genre that i had decided to choose for my short film brief. During my research i discovered all
of the different conventions and elements that are put into successfully creating a film of the genre i had chosen : a
psychological horror film. This aided me during pre-production and during production as i was then able to apply,
adapt and subvert these conventions, to create my final piece, in an attempt to expand the genre. I decided to look
into a range of short psychological horror movies and posters to aid my understanding of the genre and to take
ideas from other places and incorporate them into my piece. For example i looked into a range of movies such as
The Orphanage a renowned spanish psychological
horror movie whose story influenced and
inspired mine. I used elements from this and included them into my piece, such as using similar shot
types and non-diagetic scores. This also helped me to
get a clearer understanding of the conventions of my
chosen genre. I also looked into a range of influential
directors that had directed films in my genre and also
others that were good at creating elements such as
suspense e.g. Alfred Hitchcock. From this i could then
look into what techniques thy used and how they
applied them to their films. All of this has aided me to
create my short film which i hope that you enjoyed!

Characteristics of the psychological horror
genre:
● Atmosphere-the atmosphere of a horror movie is made to portray the true horror of the scene. It can be created by using a ‘creepy’ setting
and to create fear. This can also be created through the use of sounds, special effects (such as using green screens ) and lighting. The correct
type of atmosphere can be very crucial as it can heighten tension-the aim of a horror movie.
● Sound effects- sound effects are crucial with when it comes to horror movies. This is due to them being able to build suspense, add a sense
of horror to the situation (e.g. onomatopoeia) and create a fear from things we consider as innocent and normal such as using lullaby's. Songs
are usually done in a minor keys as the low keys can add suspense to the situation.
● Gruesome effects- Gruesome effects are used in horror movies to add a sense of realism. For example, we all associate blood with pain,
thus when movies use blood and breaking bones to the scene, it adds a sense of realism to the film. An example of this would be hostel. This
movie uses a range of gory effects to portray ‘torture’, something which does happen in real life. These effects can be accompanied by sound
effects.
● Fear- This is a main characteristic that contributes to the making of horror movies, as it’s a feeling that can be accomplished through horror.
Fear can be explored and used in a rage of ways through: characters, setting, sound effects, the created atmosphere, costumes and makeup and
much more….
● Surprise and mystery- surprise and mystery help entice the viewer into the story line. When the audience is unaware of what is yet to
come it makes the movie more interesting and desired. Furthermore, the writers, directors and producers are aware that the unknown is often
more desirable as it attracts people and also helps to fulfil the purpose of horror movies: to create fear.

Conventions of the psychological horror genre
Character types: Themes: Shot Types: Setting:
● poltergeists
● creepy children
● villains e.g. serial
killers, monsters,
aliens, kreditors,
vampires,
animals, witches,
demons and any
other type of
'thing' that is
deemed as scary.
● Supernatural
● Insanity
● Nightmares
● Good vs Evil
● Depression
● Suicide
● Madness
● Revenge Huntings
● Longing
● Desire
● Handheld shots help
to create a sense of
urgency.
● Ariels are good for
creating 'falling'
scenes.
● Close up shots.
● The establishing shot
● Long shots .
● Asylum
● Houses
● Graveyards
● Schools
● Abandoned
places
● Forest
● Lakes
● Hospitals
● Hotels
● Orphanages
● Churches
● Factories
● Deserted
Roads or
towns

In what way does your media product us, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
○ Ambiguity: For my short film, i decided to follow conventions of the psychological horror movie genre but incorporating elements of ambiguity,
which is an effect used to keep the audience of the edge of their seats and intrigued for what is yet to come. The whole point of this is to make the
audience feel unaware of what is happening, which makes them become active audience members as they have to look even closer and pay closer
attention to what is happening to really uncover this. I tried to use this throughout the whole piece as even when the protagonist is primarily
introduced, she is only shot from one side, the audience are never shown the full area and therefore are limited to only seeing what i need them to see
so that they are almost missing a piece of information. It also makes it seem that the camera is a wall in which the protagonist cannot get past as she
never passes it or they are never shown what is past the framing points. I also incorporated a sense of ambiguity by having an ambiguous ending, an
element my audience thought was important to include (which i found when gathering information for my target audience research). The audience
never actually get to see what the protagonist gasps at towards the end and they never really get to see if the character was really dreaming or if it
actually occurred.
○ Mise-en-scene: When i was gathering my research for my target audience preferences and what actually engages them, i asked questions based on
location and features in psychological horror movies, with examples. I found this beneficial as i got to see what my audiences opinions were and the
apply their interests into my piece, which makes it more enjoyable for them. I had a variety of options to choose from when scouting for the perfect
location such as an attic, basement, abandoned house and forest. Each of these places had its benefits and would have been a good place to film my
piece, however i felt that my shed was a much better option for a variety of reasons. As it was undergoing construction, the area seemed very run
down and empty, yet quite unsettling which is the approach i wanted to go for. In addition to this, by only filming in one corner, it made my character
look more secluded and restricted to one place, which is a metaphor for the narrative that she is unable to escape her life and her fears and emotions,
which put her in that place.

● Themes incorporated: For my short film i used conventions of psychological horror movies by including themes and narrative
structures that are typical of the psychological subgenre of horror. The whole point of psychological horror movies is to create a fear that is
almost personal, realistic and that messes with the audience's mind. I wanted my film to make the audience feel uneasy and unsettled, yet
confused and wanting more by including themes such as depression, mental health and suicide, which are all also big issues that are present
in today's society. In a way i wanted my piece to also be a message and way of showing people the effects of these things, but in a more
dramatic and terrifying way. I did this by including flashback scenes of the girl committing self harm and the demons being her
subconscious.
● Suspense and tension: In addition to using conventions to come up with the themes i used, i wanted to include elements of suspense
and tension, which is a very typical convention in psychological horror movies. This techniques can be done through the use of sound,
mise-en-scene, editing and camera work and it makes the audience remain engaged and left wanting more. It is also a good technique for
heightening fear which is a key element in creating a successful horror movie. I incorporated this by carefully selecting non-diegetic scores
and sound effects and editing them into my piece in places that would make the audience feel uneasy and unsettled, such as when the
protagonist is looking around and there are sound effects of the antagonist heavily breathing. These are examples of how i incorporated and
used conventions to incorporate tension and suspense.

● Point of view shots: I decided to use a range of point of view shots to allow the audience to be put into the protagonists
position and allow them to see what she is seeing. This is a technical convention for a psychological horror movie that is used to
heighten tension and fear. I thought that this would be a good thing to incorporate into piece as it engages the audience into my
piece, almost bringing it to life by making them feel as if they are a part of the film. This allows them to become active audience
members.
● A range of extreme close up shots and close up shots: This is another example of a
technical convention for a psychological horror film. These type of shots are used to convey the girls fear within
the piece. They are quite unsettling and off-putting as the makeup is made more apparent, which allows the audience
to see that she is not normal and that something has occurred for her to look in such a way. I decided to incorporate
these to maintain an eery and unsettling feeling for the audience.
● Straight cuts: These are film transition techniques that allow shots to be combined and continuous. I did not want to
incorporate many fades of transition effects between shots as then the shots can be made to seem more realistic and natural. This
would give the piece an overall realistic feel to it, reinforcing the idea that the audience could be present in my pice as if they are
actually in the film as well, which can help to heighten fear. This is also a technique that i have learned from my As course and
have learned and adapted into my film to show a continuation and improvement since last year. It also helps as i have decided to
use the same production company names as i helped produce last years work and it is like a continuation of my work.

The use of sound: I decided to incorporate a variety of non-diegetic scores for different sections of my short film to not only connote
a change in situation but also as a sign that something is about to occur. I also used a variety of non-diegetic sounds effects such as
heartbeat sound effects and heavy breathing to make the audience feel uneasy as it is quite unsettling hearing a heartbeat so loud, which
is quite unnatural. These are also typical convention of my genre as when something bad is going to occur heartbeats and breathing
sounds are common as they are a sign of panic in the character, which has an effect on the audience as well. I also used the technique of
increasing the volume of the non-diegetic score to make this more apparent and defined, for example, when the titles appear on screen,
the volume of the music increases making the titles almost pop out more and become more apparent to the audience. I also used the
technique of incorporating sudden sounds which is a common convention of the horror-thriller genre to build up tension for the
audience, introducing the element of fear.
The props: There are not many props incorporated within my piece which uses conventions of my genre as the main focus should be on
the narrative and the protagonist and antagonist. The more props that are incorporated almost distracts the audience away from what
they are needing to pay attention to. However i did involve small props such as the box cutter, which was a visual technique that i
wanted to incorporate to make the audience feel unsettled ad the blade is very thin and as it is in frame with her arm, they would be
made aware that she is going to be using it for self harm, which is unsettling and is a convention as it makes the audience feel more of a
sense of fear. This was a successful tool as it helped to define the message behind my piece and it made what was happening more
apparent.

The SFX Makeup: I again followed conventions of the horror and psychological sub genre by including elements of gore, which my
target audience also felt was necessary. The makeup is a tool for helping making the narrative more understandable as it is a visual
representation of pain and weakness. The makeup of the protagonist makes her seem restless as her eyes are more defined and look
bruised, which makes her vulnerable as she is tired, and the audience is made aware of this. The cut wrist also allows the audience to see
an element of gore, which is unsettling and disturbing to look at, the way the makeup is done is also made clear that it is a cut from self
harm, which again helps to answer some questions the audience may have, and it links to other elements in the film.
The use of colours on screen from editing: When editing my movie together i followed conventions by making the footage
more darker by enhancing the darker colours and incorporating more purple and darker tones which are all typical colours that are
incorporated in movies that fit my sub-genre. It makes the footage look more disturbing and draker, which in itself gives of a darker
vibe, which helps to set the tone of my film.
The typography: I used typical conventions of psychological horror movies by looking into common font types, colours and styles
they use. I decided to look into other movies in the same genre such as ‘The Orphanage’ and ‘Pans Labyrinth’ and they both have the
same font style (times new roman) and colour. As the films tend to have darker footage, the typography is commonly in an off-white
shade to make it stand out, which is also iconic as white is a symbol of purity and when used in such as way it is then used for irony as
the darkness is larger then the purity (the whole screen when compared to the font size), a typical convention. I used this in all of my
media products: my short film and both of my ancillary texts (my poster and my website).

Develop:
● The sound: I decided to use both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds to heighten tension and fear throughout my short
film, by including the sounds that the camera picked up around such as the creaking floor when the antagonist walked in
and the sound of the wind outside of the shed which occasionally seeped through the windows in the shed. I also increased
the volume on the non-diegetic score in moments that I wanted the audience to feel more tense and on edge such as when
the titles appeared and when the antagonist came into the scene.
● Developed themes: I decided to combine a variety of themes that psychological horror movies follow such as
depression, good vs evil, mental health and insanity. These combined make for a more compelling and intriguing
storyline that the audience would find more interesting and compelling. I know this as a collected a range of data ad
feedback when i was collecting my audience feedback on surveys and focus groups, before I created my narative.
● Depth of field to focus on the protagonist: Usually psychological horror movies incorporate this concept to make
the audience have one point of focus, this limits what the audience can see beyond the point of critical focus, forcing them
to see what is in focus and clearly in front of the camera. I developed this concept by making some scenes switch from
blurred scenes to become more in focus so the audience cannot actually see what is happening which would make them
feel more unsettled and heighten tension and fear,
● The lighting: I decided to develop conventions of my film genre by including two form of lighting, darker and more low
key lighting when portraying the antagonist and higher key lighting for the protagonist to clarify their roles, even though
they are in the same place.

challenge:
● The editing style: Psychological horror movies usually tend to have a slow paced editing style to create
suspense and an unsettling feeling. However I decided to use fast paced editing as I felt that is helped build more
tension for the audience as then everything is happening faster, which gives the protagonist less time to actually have a
change to fight the issue. Furthermore by doing this, I was able to make the protagonist look like she is in more danger
and it makes it seem more hopeless. It also helps to add a sense of loss of time to the production.
● The colour of the titles: I decided to use a white coloured font against a black screen, contradicting the typical
‘red’ font style in horror and thriller movies. This can be a form of both using conventions of the psychological horror
movie genre, but it also subverts it. This is because the colour of the font are actually symbolic of our themes of good
vs evil. The white is a symbol of purity and the black is darkness, so in theory good overcomes evil.
● Involvement of another sub-genre: There is a slight involvement of the supernatural horror sub-genre as the
‘emotion demons’ are not real and are a figure of her imagination, like a ghost that makes her do bad things. I did this
to make this fear of depression actually come to life in a fearful non-human form, to heighten fear and tension.

Films that inspired me: Pans Labyrinth
Pans labyrinth was a large inspiration to the creation of my short film for a variety of reasons. I felt that the movie introduced
a new side to psychological horrors and it expanded the genre which helped to make it a very unique piece. I was mainly
influenced by this movie due to the narrative and the features within the film. The film is almost like a fairytale with elements
of extreme horror, but it is all in the girl head. She comes from another place and she is living a life that she is unaware of, as
if she trapped in a dream like state. This is similar to my piece as my protagonist is also in a dream like state, however her
actions are actually taking place in reality and the demons are a representation of her true self, but like the girl in Pans
Labyrinth, she is unaware of this. In addition to this the film inspired me as the girl has to overcome different creatures in
order to become free, which i also incorporated into my piece by introducing the protagonist to the emotion demons that are
the cause of her pain and suffering and the only way to be free from them is to overcome them. I was also really inspired by
the mise-en-scene of the film because of the characters makeup and costumes which made the movie unique as they were
creatures that no one had seen before and they all had different purposes and looks. I included this element into my work by
making each of the demons looks different and be a representation for different emotions.

Films that inspired me: ‘The Orphanage’
The orphanage was one of my main inspirations as the narrative of the film helped aid me in developing
the narrative of my own pice as i found the story line to be very compelling and terrifying. The whole
concept of the orphanage is to convey how nothing is ever as it seems and the truth is kept locked away
from the audience till the end. I wanted to uses similar elements that were incorporated into the film and
add them to my piece to create a similar effect and help heighten tension. There are scenes in the film
where the supernatural children change their form with movements and the editing helps build
anticipation. For example in the scene where the protagonist is playing a game of ‘touch the wall’ to
summon the children, there are a range of jump cuts and fast paced edits to heighten tension. The music
is also quite childlike and playful at times, which is quite a sadistic element that is used as a form of
irony. I included this element in my flashback scene, by using quite ‘joyful’ music, in a disturbing
scene.

Films that inspired me: Silent Hill
Silent Hill is an interesting example of a psychological horror movie as it is an
adaption from a video game. The film really does bring some people’s worst
nightmares to life and the camera angles, diegetic and non-diegetic score and
mise-en-scene really help to reinforce this concept. The film takes place in an
abandoned town that seems normal, however when a bell rings, everything changes
and the walls begin to peel and the towns looks more terrifying, this symbolises the
arrival of the demonic characters. I looked into this movie as part of inspiration for
creating my mise-en-scene as i really liked the change in setting when the bells rung. I
incorporated this element by using large pieces of wood that were broken and had that
‘peeling look’ as the walls in the shed by carefully setting them up to create a similar
setting as that in ‘Silent Hill’.

Inspiration: ‘Lights out’ - short film
● The shot angles
● Range of shot types
● Excellent camera quality
● The actor has really embraced his role
● The story is very creative and keeps the audience attracted to the screen
● The editing pace makes the piece more tense
● Follows thriller movie conventions
● The story has been carefully selected to create an interesting and appealing opening sequence,
suitable for the selected target audience.
● An interesting way of merging reality with what is not real (when the lights turn off the girl is
there).
● No non-diegetic sound helps to heighten fear as its more realistic and the light switch sound is
louder..
● Builds up tension.
● Includes the conventions of a psychological horror movie.

Directors inspiration: Christophe Gans
I was influenced by Christophe Gans for his views towards horror movies and what he thinks really engages his audience. He
was the director of Silent Hill. He believed ‘everything in horror film is about transgression, and the young audience wants to
touch something that is forbidden, and is by function anti-establishment. It is a way for young audiences to express rebellion,
and also to deal with very modern fear but in a very playful way, in a very symbolic way’. I believe that this concept is very
important and i thought about it when creating my short films as well as when i was filming it, particularly because my target
audience is mainly aimed at people aged between 17 and 25.The whole point is to scare you audience in a way that is not
expected but is engaging and off putting. I decided to do this by including:
● Non-diegetic sound effects such as heartbeat sounds effects to heighten tension.
● Close up shots to make the audience clearly focus on the actors facial expressions.
● Low key lighting so the audience have to look closely to see what happens, and the
unknown is terrifying.
● The mise-en-scene included elements of gore.

Directors Inspiration: J. A. Bayona
The Orphanage ( known as El Orfanato in Spanish ) is a spanish psychological horror movie that was released on the
21st March, 2008. It was directed by J.A.Bayona a well-known spanish director from Catalonia also known for
directing the 2012 hit "The Impossible" and "A Monster calls" in 2016. The Orphanage was written by Sergio G.
Sánchez, another renowned spanish director and screenplay writer, who also helped J.A Bayona with "The
Impossible". I was inspired by his work as His movies all have a good sense of realism. He does this by using more
natural camera shots that are more eye level, almost making the audience feel as if they are where the camera is. This
would engage the audience and get a positive reaction out of them. He
also likes to mainly incorporate his antagonist is the majority of his shots
to portray that they are a key element to the story and have a main role- it also
allows the audience to have time to connect with the character. I also liked
the way he framed his shots and the shot types that he decides to use at times.

Directors inspiration: Guillermo Del Toro
Guillermo Del Toro was born on the 9th October 1964 and was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. He is a writer,
producer and director, most well known for directing ‘Pans Labyrinth’, ‘Crimson Peak’, ‘Pacific Rim’ and
‘The Devil's Backbone’. I was particularly inspired by Guillermo as i was in charge of makeup and costume
design, as he has a close eye for detail, which bring his characters to life without the use of CGI. For example
the makeup and costumes for the creatures and characters made the whole movie more exciting and realistic.
It also helped to identify the good from the bad. However i really liked liked his creative style which is very
penchant for dark and gothic contents which is what i wanted to include in
my short film. . By looking at his style, we could see the type of lighting
and music that he uses to make his psychological horror movies such as
‘Pans Labyrinth’ and ‘The Devil's Backbone’ so successful.
Furthermore, he has a tendency to play around with conventions and he
subverts their rules to create an original and on-edge piece. I wanted to try
this when i also challenged and subvert the conventions my my psychological
horror movie, to make it as successful as Guillermos work.

Directors Inspiration: Alfred Hitchcock
He is renowned for being known as the master of Suspense: He was born on the 13th August 1899 in
Leytonstone, London. He was a world renowned director, actor and producers, mainly known for directing
‘Psycho’, ‘Vertigo’ and ‘Rear Window’.As he was the Master of Suspense, I wanted to see how he created
tension, fear and suspense within his movies. He achieved this by using a range of close up shots, filming
from characters point of view, moving camera through public space (sense of realism).He also heightened
tension through an increase in non-diegetic music.I took all of this into consideration and decided to use his
techniques within my piece, even though he is more famous for creating thriller movies.

Narrative Theory: Todorov
Todorov is a Bulgarian-French historian,philosopher, structuralist literary critic, sociologist, essayist and literary writer who
was born on the 1st March 1939. In 1969 Todorov was appointed as the director of research at the French Centre Nationale de
la Recherche Scientifique. He came up with a theory that suggested that media texts have a circular pattern, rather than a
linear pattern. This means that the cycle can be continuously repeated and it used throughout narrative.
His theory stated that that narrative could be simplified and yet still allow a complex interpretation of film texts to be used.
His idea involved having an equilibrium and a disequilibrium which would split into five categories:
1. Equilibrium-This is the beginning of the movie and it usually involves a happy, normal situation. it should have an
equal balance of all types of powers.
2. A Disruption-this is when a problem begins to occur that disrupts the equilibrium and the balance. This will cause an
issue for the characters.
3. Realisation-the characters begin to understand the problem and the issues it has caused.
4. Restored Order-the characters attempt to fix the problem that had occurred previously.
5. New equilibrium-this is when the equality of powers from the primal equilibrium is restored, but is different; new.

How Todorov’s Narrative Theory relates to my film
1. Equilibrium- The girl wakes up in a place that she in unfamiliar with, however this is the first introduction of the
character, so to the audience, this is her beginning and what her life it.
2. A Disruption- The emotion demons come to light and the girl is confused for what is happening. The demon is a
representation for her emotions and how they have cause her all the pain that she is inflicting herself. They cause her to
do all the bad things that she has done and is actually doing (but the audience is unaware of what).
3. Realisation- the realisation is when she has a flashback and realises that she is the cause of her pain and how the
emotion demon is actually in her head that really the primary cause of everything.
4. Restored order- This occurs when she tries to kill the demon so that he cannot control her anymore an try and get rid
of all the things that are causing her so much pain.
5. New Equilibrium- This is when she realises that she has killed her family as the actions that she was taking were true
but she was so blinded by her emotions that she did not realise what she was doing. This has led her to have a new start
and a new life, but the audience is left in the dark to know what that will be.

Audience Theory in relation to my film
I incorporated a range of audience theories into my short film such as:
● The hypodermic model
This theory is when the message is injected into the audience by the media in a media text in such a powerful way, that makes the audience powerless to
reject the concept. I have included this into my short film by including a flashback scene that conveys self harm. This is such a dark and morbid thing to
include but it reinforces my idea in such a way that is made so clear to the audience that they cannot resist but take in what they have watched.
● The uses and gratification model
The uses and gratifications model explains how audiences engage with specific types of media to satisfy their needs.I have incorporated this by researching
what engages my target audience into watching horror movies or texts and make sure to apply this to my media text. I did this by carefully selecting
appropriate diegetic and non-diegetic sound effects, the camera angles i had chosen to do, the layout and what was included in the mise-en-scene and the
editing style. Each of these then helped me to reinforce my chosen genre to create a narrative that would satisfy my audience. For example i included a range
of close up shots and extreme close up shots to connote fear and a sense of panic. I also used a range of jump cuts and fast paced edits to provoke fear and
build tension within the narrative. I did this also by following typical psychological horror conventions.
● Stuart Hall’s Reception theory
Stuart Hall believed that messaged were encoded into media texts by media institutions and the meaning is meant to be uncovered by the audience which can
be dominant, negotiated or oppositional. I included this concept into my work by introducing the emotion demons that the audience then go on to uncover
are the protagonists subconscious or metaphor for her emotions that are overwhelming, that is the hidden message.

How effective is the combination of your main product
and ancillary texts : My Short Film
Strengths: I feel like my short film was successful as it follows psychological horror movie conventions which i included as
they are what entice my target audience into watching my film, however i also subverted and developed these conventions
to create a unique piece in relation to my directors inspiration which is what makes their work so successful. I feel like my
short film has a range of strengths such as the shot types and framing. The shot types vary, however are still continuous
and help to set the mood i want to create. I used a range of close up shots and medium close up shots, to help heighten
tension, a main concept for creating a horror movie. There is a variety of shots and i personally really like the opening shots
of my film as the camera tilts from shot to shots with fades, which makes the audience feel almost hypnotized as their eyes
try and follow the camera as it moves side to side. This is an effective way of making your audience feel unsettled as they
are almost being pulled into the film. I also really like the mise-en-scene in terms of the location and the makeup of my
character. They really help to bring my movie to life and give it a more realistic feel, which is the approach that i wanted to
achieve. I also incorporated the same font type in each of my media texts, which worked really well as each had the same
theme of darkness overpowering the light coloured off-white font.

and ancillary texts: My short Film
Weakness: There where however a range of weaknesses within my short film that i feel take away the effect that i wanted to
created now that i look back on it. I feel that i should have used a male voice for the antagonist as i feel that the voice (even
with an effect) sounds too feminine and synthetic. I wanted the voice to be really deep and have an eerie tone to it, however
this was not possible as no matter what voice enhanced effects i used, the voice was not really changeable. I also feel that the
narrative can be confusing at times if you do not pay close attention, and i feel that some people pay find it hard to understand
if they do not pay close attention. I could have included more flashback scenes including reasons why the girl self harms,
however i feel that ambiguity and letting the audience come up with their own reasons for why she does so, is also effective.
Challenges: When editing my short film, i faced a range of challenges that were difficult to overcome and took time
to achieve. I had a few problems with some footage being too shaky, which meant that i had to try and use a
‘stabilize footage’ tool, which was not always 100 percent effective. I overcame this by re-filming the shots which
was challenging as i had to make sure that the setting and makeup was similar to my previous shots i had filmed.
A few of my shots such as the opening shots of the protagonist ( from a bird's eye view ) were challenging to film,
as i had to gradually lower the camera, moving from a long shot to a close up. I solved this issue by using straight
cuts to make the transition from each shot more natural.

and ancillary texts: My Short Film
Future improvements: If i was to re-do my short film again, i would include a longer dialogue for the antagonist to
make the audience more aware of who they are and their purpose, which would give them a broader understanding of
the film. I would also have used a male actor to play the role of my antagonist as then the diegetic sound of their
voice would be deeper and this would then follow common stereotypes of villains and conventions of psychological
horror movies, instead of subverting them.
The main aim of my piece was to engage the audience and make them feel unsettled, a little confused ( so they think
about the narrative more ) and afraid. This is what i feel is the whole concept of psychological horror movies and
when i combine my three media texts together, they each convey these elements. I feel like i have achieved this
desired outcome as i included aspects that my target audience wanted to see, as well as including features from other
successful psychological horror movies to make one film.

and ancillary texts: My Poster
Strengths
I included a tagline, which makes the poster
seem more professional as all posters that i
had previously researched included this
element. It also adds to the concept of fear that
i want to create, as the tagline is quite
unsettling and ambiguous as it leaves my
audiences wanting to know who ‘they’ are.
The images that i have included clearly show
the protagonist who is in colour, however the
colours on her are quite washed out, which
make her look quite dead. This is effective as it
will make the audience question what happens
to her and why she is being portrayed in such a
way. She is large as she is the main focus of the
story. However the antagonist (the three
emotion demons’ are in black and white and
faded around her head, as a symbol of the
narrative and how they are in her mid but they
are so strong that she thinks they are real. The
colour also symbolises how they are bad
characters.
I also feel that the typography is a strength on
my poster as the font fits in nicely with the
overall layout of the piec and the colour makes it
stand out against the harsh background tones.
The off-white colour also shows that there is
nothing that is fully pure in the film, which is
something the audience is not fully aware of and
will have to look closer- which is similar to what
they have to do with the film.
The poster also includes previous movies
that i have created so my audience can be
aware of previous movies i have created
and it can also attract new audience
members if they liked my previous AS
pieces. The credits along the bottom all
state production companies and who was
involved, which is also clearly displayed
in my movie.

and ancillary texts
weaknesses :
I personally think that there are not many weaknesses in my
poster as i feel that i have included conventions of
psychological horror movies by including elements of fear and
uncertainty, such as by including the tagline, the difference in
font size for each letter of the title and the images i have used.
However i do think that out of the four images along the top, the
one on the far right is a different colour when compared to the
others. I think they should all be the same colour. Some of the
images are also too bright (higher levels of lighting). From the
target audience i received, my audience feel that the poster
should not include the flower petals as they look a bit odd,
however i feel that they are a symbol of fallen purity and death
as they are no longer a part of the flower, which is a metaphor
for the girl how she has lost control of her thoughts and lead
herself down a path of uncertainty and death.

and ancillary texts: My Poster
Challenges: I faced a range of challenges when creating my poster which i overcame by doing intensive research and having to
change some of the images that i included and the font types i used. One challenge i overcame was making the photos along the top of
the poster blend with the background effectively. I had to retake the images as they were too bright to blend into the dark, harsh toned
background. I wanted this effect to look good as if not they would look strange along the top of the poster and their positioning would
be rather strange. Another challenge i faced was finding an appropriate font for the credits along the bottom of the page. I wanted to use
a font i had found on a website that specialises in the font for movie credit posters, however photoshop would not allow me to insert
these into it, so i spent a long time researching and experimenting with different fonts on photoshop, which including adjusting the
character height, spacing and thickness.
Future Improvements: I would not make many changes to my poster if i was to do it again in the future, other then change
the tone and colour slightly of the top three images on the left, so they look more like the other image that has more blue tones
in it. Other then that i feel that my poster looks very professional and has come out successful.
The main aim of my poster was to make my target audience feel intrigued by it, making them want to see my film. I wanted
my poster to include all elements of my films narrative in it, which i feel have done by including the tagline which leaves
them wanting to know who ‘they’ are. The images are also placed in a way that almost tell the story and how they are in her
mind, as they are positioned above their head- representing the connection between both my poster and my maid film. The
font i have used also matched the font on my film in the title sequence and in the closing credits.

How effective is the combination of
your main product and ancillary texts
: My Website
Strengths:
● I included a range of features such as buttons and slides that make navigation around my website easier and it also allows the audience to access what
hey want quickly and efficiently. I includes a range of videos and images from my actual movie to make it authentic and grab the audience's attention
in such a way that they will want to watch my movie. The website also can give them an insight into my movie and what to almost expect.
● I also added links to other social media accounts such as instagram to allow my audience to find out everything they need about my film, on social
media applications that they are more favorable to such as facebook and instagram.
● I included information about actors so my audience can read about why i choose them and the skills they have.
● I have used photos from my film and from on set when filming to give it a more personal touch so my audience can see everything that happened
during filming, making them feel as if they are a part of creating it.
● I included links all over my website that allow my audience to visit my website quickly and efficiently.
Weaknesses:
● The website could include more features such as reviews from newspapers and movie review companies.
● The website does not include a trailer for my movie.
● I feel that i should have included more information about production and pre-production.

and ancillary texts: My Website
Challenges: I faced a rage of challenges when creating my website as there were many features that i wanted
to include in my website to engage my audience more and offer them a more personal experience. It was
difficult including video background into my piece as the writing often faded into some parts of it so i had to
play around a lot with the images and videos that i included.
Future improvements: If i was to make any changes to my website in the future i would create a trailer for
my website as that would attract my audience as the whole purpose of a trailer is to entice your audience into
watching your movie by giving them sneak peaks, but in such a way that they want to know what happens. I
would also include more information on how i created my short film.
The main aim of my website was to engage my audience with my film and poster by providing them with
access to both and the information that they need. I wanted my website to give of the same vibe that i aimed to
create in my film and poster, the element of tension, fear and ambiguity. My website included images that are
dark and i used the same font as i did in my poster and film, to show the connection and to begin to see what
could happen in my film.

How synergy was created through the combination of all three of
my media texts
What is synergy?
Synergy is a concept that explains how the value of one product would be lower when compared to when it is
combined with other products. For example my film would be a higher value when put with the poster and website
as then there is more awareness of it.
I created synergy with my work as each of my media products relate to each other and both of the ancillary texts
have purposely been created so that there is more awareness of my short film and to make my target audience want
to see it. From the previous slides, i have explained how they are beneficial in their own ways and each are similar
and create similar effects as they each have the same desired aim. I wanted all of my media products to engage with
my target audience and leave them wanting more, as they do not fully understand what is happening. Each media
text helps to answer question about each other. For example, the poster clearly shows all of the characters, defines
other movies that are similar to it due to the director and the tagline provides a storyline. The website then has
information on the directors inspiration, the storyline and smaller aspects such as the actors and their experience,
which allows the audience to relate to them, which i have also done in the camera shots of my film, by including
point of view and eye level shots to almost put the audience in the film as well.

What have i learned from my audience feedback?
Initial stages of target audience research and the influence that that had on me:
Target audience feedback is a very important concept and key part of creating a media production as i need it to base
decisions i need to make to fit the needs and satisfactions of my target audience. During the initial stages of my target
audience research i looked into age groups of people who tend to watch psychological horror movies and genres of people
online. The information and data was gathered by other people and published for everyone to see, this helped me to narrow
the questions down for when i would gather my own audience together to answer questions related to my work . I also
watched other short psychological horror films created by other A2 media students around the country to get a feel for what
they are including to engage and attract their audience which influenced my primary thought on the genre i thought i wanted
to do.
I then created a survey based on the genre i had research primary to collecting my own data, to be able to see the interests that
my target audience had. Their views are important at it is important to meet their needs and likes in the movie genre as i am
creating the film to attract them and engage with them. This also influenced me to get a focus group together and give me
verbal feedback of what they thought made a successful psychological horror film and what they felt should be included to
keep them entertained and engaged.

Feedback from first draft of my short film:
I wanted to ask my target audience their opinions on the first draft
of my psychological horror movie. Therefore i felt that by asking
what the most effective area was, i would apply more of that to
the piece and adapt them further. In this case my target audience
felt that the sound effects were the most effective and i need to
work more on the editing style and have a broader range of
camera angles.
I felt that by asking this question i would be able to see if my
audience felt that sequence opening was too long, and from the
responses i collected, the majority believes it wasn't, however i
could edit the opening shots more to make them more crisp and
continuous to make the rest of my audience feel the same as the
rest of the majority, i want to keep them engaged and not bored.

I wanted to include aspects that i had seen from previous
examples of psychological horror movies and they
incorporated a range of pans and movement at the same time
as a form of making the audience feel hypnotized as their
eyes follow the camera as it moves, which engaged them.
From the responses i collected this was a successful
technique.
Over 80 percent of the responses that i collected for
this questions believed that i am using an appropriate
font style for the genre i am doing, which is good as
the colour can be a subversion from common
conventions, which i wanted to incorporate.

When i did my first draft of my production, i did
not have much footage, so the audience could only
really see if the opening sequence followed
conventions of the psychological horror movie
genre and around 87 percent thought this was clear.
For this question i wanted to see what element was strongest
compared to the other so that i could put more focus into
what was not too strong. Therefore from this data collection
i could see that i needed to focus more on having a wider
variety of shot types and the opening titles needed to be
changed to fit the style more and match the editing

This question helped me to understand if the
editing techniques that i was using throughout
were effective or not. All of the responses that i
collected were positive and i then took this into
considerations and used this editing style again
where appropriate in other part of my film.
For the final question of the survey, i wanted to
see if my target audience thought that the close
up shot of the cut wrist was appropriate for the
genre i am doing and about 89 percent of my
audience felt that it was good to include this as it
its is a visual device used to show pain and
suffering.

Feedback from my first draft of my poster

Feedback from my first draft of my poste

What are the benefits to using different forms of feedback?
There are a range of benefits to carrying out different forms of target audience research whether that be doing a screening, hosting a
focus group or carrying out a survey. Each of these things allow you to interact with your target audience in different ways such as in
person over digital technologies. There are also different ways of collecting the data such as verbally, written and in the form of simple
and to the point answers.
Screenings are a useful way of collecting target audience feedback as it allows them to see your product and give their opinions on the
strengths ( so you can focus on them and do more of them) and the weaknesses so that you can adapt and change them.
Holding focus groups allows you to narrow your target down to a number of people (i had 10 people) and get them to watch or look
your media product (my short film, poster and website) and verbally give me feedback on the strengths and weaknesses. By them
verbally telling me (and i make notes), their responses are more detailed and precision, whereas when compared to being written as it is
harder to express thoughts when writing.
However collecting target audience feedback through the use of surveys and questionnaires on websites such as surveymonkey, allow
you to receive quick and simple answers to questions that you need answering about things such as opinions on an editing element that
you have included or a type of camera shot you have used and if it is effective.

Feedback from the final draft of my film

Analysis of feedback from the final draft of my film
I decided to hold a focus group of 15 people to critique me on my final draft of my short film. I wanted to do this so that i could have an
outsider's view on my movie and if they think that the editing, mise-en-scene and cinematography all fit the psychological horror movie
genre, and if it all looked good. Everyone that participated in this was within my target audience range of 17-25 year olds and they all
enjoyed watching psychological horrors, which would give them experience to be able to judge mine. I have also asked to get some of my
responses through google classroom, however due to technical issues i am unable to screenshot them so i have written some of them out. I
asked my audience to write me some strengths and improvements of my first draft based on the:
● cinematography
● editing
● mise-en-scene
● sound
Strengths weaknesses
● Good use of sound effects
● The slit wrist effect looked very realistic and helped convey
he genre very well, it also was very scary.
● The cracked doll look was really good.
● The mise-en-scene helped to set the mood of the movie and
made it more engaging as you want to find out where they
are.
● The sound effects help emphasis actions taking place and
they also help to build tension.
● The demons voice was not creepy
enough and need to be made lower.
● one problem is the devil's voice. It
sounds too human and not
sufficiently creepy. It also jumps
around abit.

Changes made because of feedback
I made a range of changes after collecting all of my target audience feedback for all three of my media texts (my
film, poster and website). These were both visual and technical changes that had to be made.
My Short Film My Poster My Website
● The audio could be improved or
changes
● Tighter editing
● Some of the shots are a bit too shaky
● Film missing shots or areas that are too
confusing
● Frame some of the shots
● Re-shoot some of the shots of the
antagonist.
● Adjust the voice of the antagonist to be
deeper.
● Make the title of the film larger to
grab the reader's attention more.
● Change the date along the bottom to
only include the month and not the
date as well.
● Change the font of the tagline and the
‘directed by’ line to by the same but
different to the titles font.
● The credits also need to be inline with
the title and not take up the whole
bottom area.
● The images needed to be made a bit
larger along the top.
● Change the wording of some of the
sections such as the directors
inspiration, to make it seem like a
quote taken from the director.
● Include a page about the actors and
what they have done.
● Include ore images of from the
movie and spread them equally
throughout the piece.
● Make the size of the poster image
larger
● Enlarge the title of the movie on the
home page.

What is the effectiveness of collecting feedback?
Audience feedback is really important in order to find out what the audience like and dislike and their expectations
are based upon the media product that is shown to them. They say that it is a type of interaction associated with the
use of audience response systems that are used to create interactivity between the present (myself) and the audience.
Therefore collecting target audience is effective as it allows you to:
● Increase knowledge retention
● Improve attentiveness
● Track individual responses
● Confirm audience understanding of key points that you include
● Gathering data for reporting and analysing
● They help us to understand our audience more
● See what attracts them to watching my chosen media genre
● They have an interest in the genre so they would have opinions based or other media products they have seen.

How would i approach my brief differently if i was to do it again in the
future?
If i was to do my brief again in the future i would:
● carry out a broader range of target audience feedback for each of my media texts (e.g. do a
survey, focus group and screening for all of my media texts). This would enable me to have a
broader range of answers to see and use to adapt my piece.
● I would also create a trailer to tease my audience with features that could be used in my media
piece and give them a sneak peek of what there is. This would allow them to see if they are
interested in the movie or not and i could collect target audience feedback from this too.
● I would also have more actors so that each of the demons were played by a different role to
make doing the makeup a quicker process and re-filming easier.
● I would also possibly change the ending of the piece and include a singular shot of four dead
bodys, to make the audience question who they are and think about their relation to the four
emotion demons. That would have been a better ambiguous ending when compared to the one i
have.

How did i use media technologies in the construction,
research, planning and evaluation stages?
Research
● Survey Monkey: This was very useful in terms of getting audience feedback and helped with the development of my final piece. It was also
very simple to use and sped up the production rates of my piece. I used survey money to collect data on what my audience felt make
successful psychological horror movies and what they include.
● Google Classroom: This was another helpful method that enables me to receive detailed comments from my target audience and class
friends to see their opinions on what is included in my chosen genre brief.
● Youtube: this allowed me to watch a range of psychological horror movie examples that could influence me.
● The internet: this allowed me to research different conventions of my chosen genre and different example of videos, photos and inspirations
i could look at and incorporate this into creating my idea.
● Google: Google was the main search engine that i used for research on conventions, how to do things on Imovie that i was unsure of when
editing, researching fonts, music and so on. I also used this to research different directors and their styles and what they do do make
successful films.
● Online tutorials: This allowed me (the makeup artist) to have a look at different renowned makeup artists such as ‘Made You Look By Lex’
on how to create an effective bruising marks and open wounds, which i would then go on to learn how to do so i could use them in my short
film, for the gore elements.
● Downloading fonts: This was a simple process to do as we only needed to download the primary font for ‘Blue ice productions’, as the
other fonts were accessible on Imovie.
● Blogging: I used wordpress to document all of my research and planning and write about the information i had collected, including
conventions of my genre, my inspirations and so on, to begin developing my ideas for my final product.

Planning
● Search engines: I used search engines for a range of things to aid my planning such as researching into genre, mise-en-scene, audio, editing
styles and examples and inspirations. Each of these helped me to develop my understanding of what i wanted to create and then helped me to create
my planning documents.
● IMDB: I used this to research my inspirations whos concepts and ideas i then applied and adapted into planning my own work.
● Presentation software:I used presentation software when i was researching into my chosen genre to make a powerpoint on different
conventions of the psychological horror movie genre. I also prezzie to make a slideshow to the different inspirations and directors i had researched
and how they have aided me with planning my production.
● Youtube: I used youtube to aid me in my understanding of how to create an animatic and then to publish it on there so that i could then later post it
on my blog. I also used it to see how to use a camera effectively by watching tutorials on different concepts such as how to do different techniques
with a camera. I also used youtube to publish my camera work and tutorials i created as inspiration for my planning of my final production.
● Imovie: I used IMovie to create my animatic, test audio and add it to my animatic, to practice editing small practice shots together and edit them
together. I also used it to put together my makeup tutorials that i would use in my final production and to display how i had done them.
● Digital Camera: I used a digital camera to film the footage of my makeup tutorials, to test different editing to see what sounds i could create
myself and record them using the camera and to also practice filming different places. I also used it to take photos of my test shots in the location i
can chosen to use.
● Blog:I used my blog to document all of my research and planning and write about the information i had collected, including conventions of my
genre, my inspirations and so on, to begin developing my ideas for my final product.

Construction
● Software used, IMovie: I decided to use Imovies to create my short film as I did not have much access at home to premiere.This
was not the first time that i had used this software, however it had been a while since i had, so I had to look at a range of tutorials
online on how to add effects and so on, onto it.
● Tripod: I decided to use a tripod whilst filming my media product as I felt that the outcome would look much better is it was not
entirely handheld. However I did not use the tripod much as when I wanted to pan the camera, it was not a smooth turn such as
in the opening credits when the camera zooms into the house.
● Hand held digital camera: I used a hand held camera throughout the majority of filming my media product. I did this because it
gave the footage a more rough look, which I believed would be better than smooth looking shots, as it gives of an unsettling look
as its unsteady. It also makes filming some of the shots such as the birdseye shots of the protagonist easier to film.
● Youtube: I used youtube to see how to use the camera to create specific types of shots effectively such as my opening shots and
also how to add specific effects and transitions when i was using my editing software.
● Downloading fonts: This was a simple process to do as we only needed to download the primary font for ‘Blue ice productions’,
as the other fonts were accessible on Imovie.

Evaluation
● Search engines: I used search engines when writing my evaluation to help me research information about my different director
inspirations. I also used it to get photos of different corporations for my slides such as the surveymonkey logo and the youtube logo. I
also used it to find my blog address for informations, access my target audience informations and access my website, short film and
poster for this course.
● Presentation software: I used google slided to create this slideshow and present all of my evaluation data and information in one
place that is easy to access and explore around.
● IMDB: I used this to collect information about each of my director inspirations to see information about them and evaluate that to
write about it. I also used it when i was evaluating different psychological horror movie examples.
● Survey monkey: I used survey monkey to print screen my results to analyse them when answering the question on target audience
research. This way i could directly access my results i had previously collected.
● Digital camera: I used a digital camera to take photographs from my media product and to film the film production which is
embedded throughout my evaluation.
● Blog: I used my blog to screenshot different aspects of responses i had collected from writing group focuses and part of target
audience research. I also used it to refresh my memory of influencers i used and the conventions i followed and subverted in my film.
● Youtube: I used youtube to access my final film and trailers and scenes from my influence films.

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