Evaluation Activity 1: In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real

media products? In my opinion our media product incorporates many forms and conventions of real media products. Our aim was devise a plot for an opening sequence, film and edit footage to a high standard. As the horror genre is very broad, we thought that our target audience (teens and young adults) would be able to relate to the horror films, as most horror films are aimed at younger people. Our USP was the fact that we twisted things around, our antagonist (the little girl) is not your typical villain shes smaller than her victim which is unusual. We wanted to incorporate the horror genre and the supernatural genre as a sub genre, as the antagonist possesses supernatural powers to teleport herself from one place to another, and that is not a natural human attribute. Apparation/Disapparation is the correct terms for the power our antagonist has. We observed films like The ring and Devil which we incorporated into our piece. Setting and Location: Our production was filmed in a school, we wanted to make it a familiar location, that relates to the actor/actresses roles and also a location that the audience can relate to. Its realistic as it is set in a surrounding that is normal/ neutral so it creates suspense, as you wouldnt expect something super natural to happen in that environment. Through research and analysis of the horror genre we found that common settings for horrors included grave yards/ cemeteries, abandoned houses and outdoor dark places e.g. the woods/ forest. We broke the typical

Our opening sequence it starts with two girls in the classroom, which is a surrounding the majority of the audience is familiar with e.g. the classroom chairs, books and tables ect. The actresses then move on to the corridors which is a typically well known place in schools as well as the classrooms, and we used the lift for the closing of our 2 minute sequence, we got the idea of using the lift from the film Devil. Title font and style: Unlike most we had the title of our film come on the screen at the end of the sequence, but the actors/actresses names were visible at the

start and also my group members names and their role, (Director, Camera Person and Editor).

Our font and colour used was very simple, but clearly visible for the audience to see. The group members names are printed next to books/ folders this fits into the setting as these are props associated with school. The font used was Arial black and this font is striking and bold, so it catches the audiences eye.

The use of red fits into the horror as its associated with blood and alertness. Red is associated with caution. Also as out title is the last part of the sequence the audience are more likely to remember it as it is the last thing theyll see on the screen. Also it is very bold as its on a black background. Also the transition in which the title comes on the screen is very clear. It appears on the screen to a large scale then shrinks and then the sequence ends.

Costume and Props: The costume for our protagonist was very casual, but here character has a lot of attitude so the black coat suggests that she is street wise and she is dressed like a typical young person. She plays the role of a student who is well known around the school, but she gets her work done and revises a lot so we didnt want her to be dressed like too much of a rebel even though she has a lot of attitude. Although shes in school, shes not wearing full uniform and is wearing a hat which could imply she is a slight rebel. The costume for our antagonist was a pale robe/ dressing gown. It is very simple but yet her makeup helped to make her look scary. The inspiration for her costume and makeup came from the horror film The Ring as the antagonist in that film Samara is of a similar height, weight and has pale make up similar to our antagonist. The pale face and dark eye makeup symbolizes death and decay. We wanted to make her look as threatening using makeup as she is small in size compared to the protagonist. We left her hair down like the character Samara from The Ring as I felt shed look scarier and it covers some of her face which makes her much more mysterious.

Props: We didnt use major props in our sequence, but there were a few minor props used. At the start of the sequence the two girls are clearing away their books, which is a common object around school and the audience would be familiar with this. Then as the exit the classroom they walk down the corridor with their phones in their hand. This is typical of teenagers, as their mobile phones are one of their most prideful possessions. And this is also another thing the audience can relate to as technology is a key part of many young peoples lives. The fact that they are on their phones suggests they are oblivious to the fact that something bad is going to happen to one of them. This also makes the scene more realistic as it is common to walk with your phone in your hand. Genre and how the opening suggests it: The horror genre is a very broad genre. Horrors build up tension and mystery then reaches its climax. Our opening sequence immediately creates a sense of mystery. Two girls are in school after dark and no one else is around this gives the audience the impression that something bad is going to happen. Aaliyah hears noises and looks around to see whats there and they audience at this point will be

wondering what is going on and then when Aaliyah gets to the lift/ elevator and sees the scary girl and the dead body, the audience automatically be wondering what is going to happen next. Its a build up of tension and suspense. Aaliyahs facial expressions give the audience the impression that she is shaken by what she has seen and is trying to find a way out. At this point the audience would imagine themselves in the situation that Aaliyah is in and feel scared like Aaliyah does. The sounds used also built up tension and is commonly used in horror films. How the characters are introduced:

The two girls (Aaliyah and Layla) are firstly introduced sitting at a desk doing work. They look very concentrated and focused. It shows they are oblivious to what is going to take place. Aaliyah is a hard working student and this is evident straight away as she is seen studying after dark, you see through windows its after dark and school has finished. The fact they stayed after school to study shows how dedicated they are to their studies and achieving high.

Our antagonist is firstly introduced in the lift, her head is down facing the dead boy then when the lift opens her head comes up and the audience sees her face. The way she is touching the dead boy indicates that she killed him; also there is no blood on him so this adds mystery to the sequence, as the audience doesnt yet know what powers she possesses. The fact that shes in the lift with a dead body creates an enigma. Why is she there? And what did she do to the body next to her? In addition the audience can clearly see she is a small girl, but she looks scary so the audience would be startled by her first appearance on screen.

Camerawork, Editing and Special Effects: The use of the high angle shot was very affective. We used the mirror on the wall to make it seem like someone was watching her every move. At that point you hear a heavy breathe/ sigh and Aaliyah looks around to see if anyone is there. She looks scared then after looking around she thinks theres nothing/no one there so she continues walking looking at her phone again, then the spooky music begins this automatically tells the audience something bad is going to happen.

This extreme close up of Aaliyah shows the fear she is feeling and also helps the audience identify with the position Aaliyah is in and sympathize with her. Theyll also put themselves in her position and think about what theyd do if it was them. This particular shot is called the chucker shot and close ups are used to show detail, it empathizes Aaliyahs emotional state and exaggerates her facial expressions, in this particular part of the sequence she looks very scared.

This shot was edited at a faster pace; it is the scene where the mysterious girl grabs Aaliyah. She comes up for behind her and Aaliyah is not expecting it so its a surprise to her and also to the audience. The chop sound effect makes the scene a lot more sinister and adds to the climax, she is snatched away by a mysterious girl and it ends there.