Evaluation Question 1.

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

When we created and filmed our trailer we decided to fit this trailer into the genre of horror and thriller. This genre of film allowed us to explore different ways and techniques that would create atmosphere and tension for the audience. We wanted to give them the scare and mystery pleasures that are typically seen in these types of films. We followed many of the conventions that follow the forms and conventions of the these films. The most important element of our trailer that we wanted to relate back to conventional thriller and horror films was the idea and concept of the antagonist's hidden identity. This element of the narrative is conventional to many horror films and is a concept that tends to work well in this genre of film. We wanted to follow this convention as it creates an ominous atmosphere for the audience and could be used as a tool for the audience to keep watching the film in order to see the reveal of the character. The idea of a mystery identity to the antagonist adds another dimension to the trailer and becomes more inclusive to the audience as they can guess the identity of the character.

In order to mimic and follow the conventions of an antagonist character we decided for the costume that we would dress the antagonist in dark clothing. We decided to predominantly use the colour black as it has a lot of connotations- mostly of death and mystery. We thought that the dark clothing would make this character distinguishable as the villain in this trailer.

The inspiration for our trailer based on this convention was Scream. We found that this narrative structure and the effect it had on its audience would be a good idea for our trailer. In order to make our trailer's narrative differ slightly to Scream we used a different prop in order to show a development from when Scream was created. The different prop that we used for our trailer sequence was an IPhone. We used this as it would appeal more to the modern audience and our target audience of teenagers to mid adults. The use of this modern prop made the protagonist character more relatable to this audience. This prop could infer that if you have the same phone it could happen to you. The phone prop is an icon of our trailer and the narrative. We liked how the narrative was strung along by the incorporation of a telephone conversation. Therefore we mimicked a similar situation in our film.

Another way in which we tried to follow the conventions of the thriller and horror genre was the type of shots that we used. Within our trailer we tried to incorporate a variety and range of different shots which would keep the viewer entertained and interested. A shot type that we tried to include in our film which would follow the convention were close ups and extreme close ups. These shots add emphasis to certain things in the shot view- things that could be significant to the narrative. One of the most important shots of the trailer was an extreme close up of the mobile phone ringing. This shot exhibited to the audience the importance of the phone in the trailer and the effect that it has on the narrative. The framing and composition of the shot allows the audience to see that 'blocked' is calling. This small detail captured by this shot introduces the dual narrative and infers to the audience that the narrative is developing.

Another extreme close up shot that we used in our trailer was in the dual narrative sequence that was incorporated into our trailer. An extreme close up shot of the antagonist opening the gate introduces this character into the trailer- this shot connotes that this character is sneaking into the garden. It connotes that they shouldn't be there. We used an extreme close up shot of the knife in a dark location. The use of this prop introduces the mysterious character as a threat in the trailer. This characteristic is further supported  by the dark and eerie lighting. The framing and intensity of this shot shows to the audience that this character is a threat. The prop used follows the conventions of the horror genre and the weapons typically used.

As well as Scream we were influenced by Nightmare on Elm Street. This film is where we found that the inspiration for the dual narrative element. From watching the film my partner and myself liked how the film switched from two different perspectives and points of view. We found that this added contrast to the film and the characters that it focused on. We used this technique in our trailer as the different lighting and locations contrasted well with each other and emphasised to the audience how different the two character are.

Our film fits into both genres of thriller and horror. Within in our trailer we have featured elements that are typically seen in these genres. Predominantly through our trailer the main genre of horror has become stronger. The sub genre of this film exhibits a Slasher film. The elements in this trailer that relate to a Slasher film are mainly the narrative, location and props. The narrative structure of this film follows the conventions of a Slasher film as it includes these stages:

• Introduction- everything seems normal.
• Something happens which infers a threat.
• A problem is happening and is trying to be solved.

However the last stage of the structure which is an equilibrium is not shown in our trailer. We decided to do this as we didn't want to spoil the narrative and reveal too much to the audience as to what is going to happen, we wanted to keep the element of surprise and mystery. From looking at other Slasher films like Scream the location of the trailer is very important in order to set the atmosphere and tone for the trailer. The setting of our trailer is a typical suburban house- this location infers and exhibits a normal everyday life. This location also shows to the audience that anything could happen in a normal situation. In order to contrast this location as part of the dual narrative we introduced the antagonist to be 'living' in a garage type of location. This location was dimly lit which created a tense and scary atmosphere. The props used in the background of the location inferred a sinister tone as there were tools and saws upon the wall. This signifies that this character is a danger.

As well as the Horror elements that are predominant in this trailer. There are also some features of a Thriller in this product. For example as there is evidence of conflict within this trailer between the two characters, this is shown a lot conventionally in thriller films. The use of a weapon and the stalker sort of narrative relates back to narrative themes that have been exhibited in other thriller films like The Boy Next Door.