In

what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge

forms and conventions of real media products?

The Film

We looked at the typical conventions of both feature length film and short film when
creating our media product; many of these conventions were developed and used in our
work.
One of the conventions of a feature length film is variety of characters; stereotypes are
also used here, especially to quickly portray a certain character. There is usually a
protagonist and antagonist involved and we were able to use and develop this
convention in our work. Although we only had one real character as our protagonist, we
were able to establish the inanimate object that was the box as our villain, as it shows
strong threat towards our main character.
Another convention of a feature length film is a linear plot. Here events occur in the
same order that they would in real life, including a beginning, middle and end, and a
climax and resolution. We both developed and challenged this convention in our project,
as we have a climax at the end, when our character is awoken by the box for a final time,
but there is no resolution. We decided to put a resolution to the problem that is the box
in the middle of the film where it is buried, however this is not a permanent resolution
as the box returns, so challenging the convention of a resolution to end the film as our
film is left with an open ending, leaving the audience to question what will happen next.

When looking at short film, as the budget is a lot smaller, the conventions change. Unlike
feature film where continuity editing is normally used, ranges of editing techniques are
used in short film as there is not enough time to play the film in real time. We used a
variety of editing techniques in our film including a montage whilst our protagonist is
travelling to the forest as it adds an air of urgency and helps to swiftly move from place
to place without spending too much time.
Another convention of short film is that very little characters are involved; usually there
are only one or two main characters. By keeping the amount of characters low the
audience are able to connect with the characters over a short space of time. We followed
this convention as we only used one character in our film. Michael Carter, who plays the
protagonist, is a relative of Mollys, and has had no previous acting experience
beforehand, meaning we were able to keep our budget to a minimum.
The structure of a short film also varies, as it is not always a linear structure like in
feature length films, there can be twists and open endings. We used an open ending in
our product, implying to the audience that the box has killed John Reynolds, but it is up
to the audiences own interpretation.
Another convention of short film is that there is very little or no dialogue in the film, we
used this in our own product as in the film we only have 3 lines of dialogue.

We classed our film as a horror and psychological thriller, one of the most common
conventions of this type of genre of film is darker lighting and backlighting, creating
mystery and suspense, which is an integral part of any horror film. We used darker
lighting in our film, particularly in the later scenes when the tension is stronger, as it
helps add to the forbidding atmosphere we wanted to create. This low lighting is also
used in the bedroom scenes, as not only is it night-time, but it creates unfamiliar
shadows and shapes on the wall around the actor.

A further convention of this genre is a creepy setting, this is often an isolated area, and
this is very common in horror films, including Cabin in the Woods, Texas Chainsaw
Massacre and The Shining. We used this in our film by using an empty house. Although
this is in an urban area, which is in no means isolated, the house itself is empty, showing
that the protagonist is alone in the house with the Box. The forest we used in the film is
an isolated area, there is not sign of anyone around giving the feeling that the
protagonist is alone in his struggle and nobody can save him.
In addition, another convention of horror is the use of high and low angles, to emphasise
how vulnerable the victims are. We decided to use these in our product, we developed
this convention by using a tracking shot in the end scene to imply that the character is
being watched and followed, instead of using a point of view shot.
Another convention of horror is an open ending, this was used in our film, implying that
the character has died, but leaving it upon the interpretation of the audience as it is not
100% clear.
A further convention of horror is strong use of sound effects and music. We
incorporated this into our project by using tense music throughout, along with loud
sound effects including creepy whispers, heartbeats, crashes, and slams.

Radio Trailer

As a group we listened to a variety of radio trailers from the films The Children, Cape
Fear, Dawn of the Dead and The Last Picture Show. By listening to these trailers, we
were able to find similar conventions that were similar in each of them.
One convention we found was the repetition of the film name; this was especially
present in the trailer for The Children. We used this in our work, and developed it so
that even the clip we used from the film included the Box in it. Along with this clip the
narrator also repeats the film name, so the audience will remember it.
Another convention of radio trailer that we found was audio clips straight from the film.
We have used this in our radio trailer, by reusing the whispers, crashes, ringing, and fire
alarm, which are taken from vital parts in the film. We were able to develop this by
using audio clips from the dialogue in the film; this helped us to also tell some of the
story without giving too much away.
Another convention we found in the trailer for The Children was that a voiceover was
used in order to give some information of the film. This included simple fact about the
film without giving too much away, the narrator also talks directly to the audience,
involving them in the film themselves. We incorporated this convention in our work by
using our own narrator. We decided to use a male voice as this seemed more
appropriate for a thriller/horror film. We also used rhetorical questions throughout the
trailer, without revealing too much about the film and spoiling it for the viewers. This
involved the audience without giving too much away. The end of the narration directly
addresses the audience, by saying Coming to a cinema near you. We used this instead
of naming individual places it can be found because it shows that anyone will be able to
watch the film, and saves time, whilst also addressing the audience allowing for them to
become involved in the production.
An additional convention we found in some of the radio trailers was Vox pops of people
who had just seen the film, and their opinion of it. We chose to challenge the
conventions and not to include Vox pops in our trailer, as they would lighten the mood
of the trailer, and we wanted it to stick to the horror genre.

Another convention of radio trailers is to mention the rating and awards given to the
film; this is seen in The Children and in Cape Fear. We used this in our radio trailer,
by mentioning our films awards and ratings; this was developed by including the rating
given to the film in the magazine review we completed as a promotional material for the
film.
Furthermore, another convention of radio trailers is a tagline or slogan so that the film
can be remembered. This relates to the film and sometimes has some word play within
it. This is shown in the radio trailer for Dawn of the Dead. We used this convention in
our work by creating our own tagline. We decided to stick with the box theme, making
our tagline We deliver you a package you wont forget. By using the word you twice,
we directly address the audience, openly involving them in the trailer, which would help
them to remember it easily. Another reason we chose this tagline was because it not
only relates to the theme of the box, but also the horror genre, as you wont forget
implies that there is something sinister within the Box, and because of this, the audience
will never be able to forget it. This may also cause for more people to watch our film, as
they are curious of what they will see, and whether they will forget it.

Magazine Review

When creating the magazine review for The Box we looked at an example of Empire
Magazine and their review of Green Zone. This helped us to find conventions of
Magazine Reviews that we could incorporate and use in our own work.
One of the conventions that were strong in this review and another on The Girl with
the Dragon Tattoo was the structure of the magazine. They both use columns to order
the review itself and screenshots from the film to show what can be expected. We used
both columns and pictures in our reviews. We chose two pictures from the film that we
thought best portrayed it without giving too much away. This included one of the
protagonist sat across from the Box, and then another as he enters the forest. We
developed this by including a small comment making fun of the picture and adding
some light-hearted feeling to the review.
Another convention we found was a clear title. In other magazines this was just the title
of the film, because of this we decided to call our review The Box, sticking to the
conventions of the media product.
We also found that there was a small section at the beginning of the review giving basic
information on the film, including directors, running time, and a basic plot. We used this
in our work and developed it by including the actors name and certificate. This would
help for someone to quickly understand what the film is about, especially with the plot
information, and the ending is not spoiled for them.
Another convention of magazine reviews is a verdict section. This included a short
sentence or two on what the writer thinks the film is like in a nutshell, along with a
rating out of five stars. We used this and stayed close to the conventions in this area as
we were unsure on what else we could use to summarise the film. We ended our review
with a short sentence to sum up the film, and a rating of 4/5 stars, this makes it easier
for readers to get the impression of how good the film is without having to read the
whole review, and is an effective way of concluding the review itself.