Evaluation Question 1

TRANSCRIPT


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

In our trailer, we used typography, using the font 'Subway Novella', in order to inform the audience of what is going on with some of the characters, without giving too much away. The font was a grunge style, which we then added the effects of flicker, blur and scatter to in order to create a distorted image.   This also involves the viewers personal thoughts, as its based on friendship and could lead to them questioning their own peer groups. For instance: 'do you trust your friends?'. Also, we decided to have the release date in October, as this is the month of Halloween and when most successful Horror films come out in cinemas worldwide. Furthermore, we used a review from Empire magazine which adds some realism to the trailer.

We have included some aspects of Vladimir Propps eight broad character types:

• The Villain - This character is used, but it isn't given away in the trailer who it is. 
• The Donor - This character isn't used, as there isn't one particular hero but instead they are all portrayed as victims but trying to help each other get away. 
• The Princess - You could argue that this character is used, as Tyra is portrayed as the most vulnerable as she wanders off and gets discovered dead by the group of friends. 
• The False Hero - This character is used, as one of the friends is the killer, but acts as a Victim/Hero with the rest of the friends, but this character is never revealed in the trailer in order to keep the audience guessing. 

We challenge and develop some of the broad character types, especially the False Hero. However, there is also some that we don't conform to, such as The Helper, as it says above this is no Hero. 

We also used some stereotypical characters in our trailer: 

• The Wanderer - This is Tyra, who hears a noise and decides to wander off on her own in order to investigate. She is then found dead in the Voids. 
• The Final Girl - This is Danielle, who's security is taken away from her when she is left alone. 

We didn't use character such as 'The Jock' and 'The Popular Girl', as we wanted to challenge the forms of these stereotypes, and have all the characters seen as equals. This links in with 'Mulveys Male Gaze', which is the theory that the camera is from the point of view of a male, sexualising women, which we didn't conform to, as I said above we wanted to repel against the normality of having girls shown as sexual objects in Horror films and have them seen as normal people. We challenge this theory by including a brave female character, and using the 'Final Girl'. 

We did follow Todorov's Narrative Theory to some extent: 

A state of equilibrium of the outset - Our trailer starts with a disruption of the equilibrium by some action, with the end being shown at the beginning which goes against Todorov's Narrative Theory, as it normally starts with a state of equilibrium of the outset.

A recognition that there has been a disruption - This is when Tyra is then found dead by one member of the group. 

An attempt to repair the disruption - The rest of the group try to escape the Voids, and keep everyone safe. 

A reinstatement of the equilibrium - This isn't included as it creates suspense as to how the characters solved some of the problems shown, rather than given two much away. 

We chose to use the Voids in Acland Burghley as the main setting for our trailer, as it has a creepy atmosphere and is extremely dark; making it appropriate for a Horror film. Also,
 we used parts of Acland Burghley school including dark areas, as it is supposed to be based on a normal event which turns for the worst and a school is seen as a safe environment.

Our trailer also relates to some aspects of the Uses and Gratification theory, especially diversion and personal identity. Personal identity as they are able to relate to the characters, as they are portrayed as normal teenagers, therefore may find some similarities between a character and themselves. Also, diversion as they watch how the characters are shown suffering, and they can be thankful that they aren't going through this making their own lives seem better.