1).

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

In the planning stage of my media products I used search engines like Google on the Internet to find
out what typical codes and conventions the horror genre includes. I found out that most horror films
use low-key lighting, establishing wide shots, close up shot and dramatic music to set the scene. I
also researched the background of horror films and found out how horror films are supposed to
create negative emotion towards the audience. I watched various horror film trailers like Get Out
Lights Out and The Witch and carefully analysed each one. I noticed that the structure of all of the
trailers that I looked out were very similar so I made sure that mine was the same. I learnt that non-
linear structure is used frequently used within trailers so that audiences cant follow the exact
pattern of events that take place in the film.

The trailer of Light Out starts with intuitional information so that audiences can identify which
production and distribution companies were involved in the making of the film. The trailer ends with
logos of different social media and a hashtag so that audiences can be encouraged to find out more
about the film. I used both conventions within my trailer, which means I didnt challenge the genre.
This sense of branding and common house style was key to the professionalism of my products.

Tzventan Todorov believed that all films follow the same narrative theory. Todorovs narrative
theory of the equilibrium is used in many horror film trailers. My study of the narrative when
analysing a range of trailers, highlighted that trailers frequently start with a sense of equilibrium
which is then disrupted. The 5 stages of the theory of the equilibrium are:

1) Equilibrium- everything is balanced and how it should be. Beth, the main character, is seen
sweeping the floor in the barbershop.
2) Disaster happens which means the equilibrium has been disturbed. Beth spots a hooded
figure in the shop window which alarms her.
3) Recognition that something has gone wrong. The hooded figure beings to chase Beth
through the woods.
4) An attempt is made to try and fix the damage that has been done. The scenes where both
characters are fighting shows this.
5) Equilibrium is re-established and everything usually goes back to normal, which isnt always
the case. The equilibrium doesnt go back to normal because multiple people have been
killed or hurt.

When filming scenes for my trailer I tried to use a range of different shots to make my trailer look
more interesting. I included shots that were midshots, close ups, long shots, medium wide shot and
extreme close ups. A lot of close up shots were used in the trailer for Get Out. This is so that the
emotion of the characters can be captured in detail. I chose to use a midshot picture of character
from my trailer for my magazine cover so that the emotion of the character could be captured
clearly.

2) How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

When creating my production package, I used a specific house style so that my production work can
easily be identified from others. The main colours I used were red, black and white. I chose these
colours because red can be represented as danger, blood and power which is extremely relevant in
horror genre. Black represents evil, mystery and evil, whereas white can be associated with light,
purity and innocence. The type of house style I used would be successful because I used the same
type of font across all of my individual products so that each product can follow a continuous theme.
The colours that I have used appeal to my intended target audience which are female and males
between the ages of 15-22 years old. This is becauseThere is a clear continuity of fonts across the 3
of my media products. I used the same type of font so that that audiences can identify the film
Slaughter House. The products that I created link together and develop additional information
towards the audience. For example, the trailer links to magazine front cover which provides further
information about the film Slaughter House.

3) What have you learned from you audience feedback?

At the start of A2 media I created a questionnaire which included questions relating to what key
features different people prefer in a film trailer. I used a website called Survey Monkey to create the
questionnaire because it was easier to distribute it to peers, friends and teachers. From the
research, I found at that best way of opening a film trailer was with a close up shot of the location. I
took this into consideration whilst planning the storyboard from my trailer. I also found out that
most people enjoy the dramatic music within horror film trailers. Within my own trailer, I decided to
use dramatic music as it creates a sense of enigma and a fear of the unknown. 90% of people who
answered my questionnaire said that if a like a certain trailer they would mostly likely watch the
whole film. This made me demanded to create an engaging trailer that made people want to watch
the film.

When creating the magazine front cover and film poster I constantly made sure that I asked my
peers and teachers for their feedback. The images below show the different stages my magazine
front cover and film poster went through with feedback that I got at the time.
When creating my film poster, I asked for feedback from my peers. The feedback that I received was:

Title of the film should be bigger and the font should be changed to match the genre of the trailer

The picture is amazing! It really matched the horror genre

The poster could be improved by repositioning the release data of the film and maybe changing the colour
of it

Cast names should be repositioned and resized. Overall the film poster seems to be coming together
brilliantly.

Fonts should be changed

From receiving the feedback, I decided to change the size and position of the cast names. I chose to place the
names of the cast above the film title so that they can clearly be seen. I chose to add a hashtag to the poster so that
my film can be identified and searched on social media websites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Having a
hashtag means that the Slaughter House can trend' on Twitter. The hashtag is in the colour red so that audiences
can be drawn towards it. I altered the font for the poster because I didnt think it was appropriate for a horror film.
The new font that I picked looks bolder and creates a mysterious atmosphere. I enlarged the film title so that is cans
stand out more to audience members who are viewing the poster from a distance. The image remined the same
because the feedback that I received from peers said that it is really suited towards a horror film. The image sticks
to the typical codes and conventions of horror as it using low key lighting to create suspense and how the figure
cant be seen properly. This creates a sense of Enigma which is theory that Roland Barthes created.

After
Before
'Right sideof
I front cover is empty put something in I really the way you have changed the font of the
it' cover lines. The outer glow looks nice and makes the
'Cover lines are a bit too dark'
text stand out much more
'Like the anchorage text as it stands out'
'Red eyes are cool and they stand out in comparison I loved how you changed the way the font for the
to the rest of the image' magazine title appears.

After creating the first draft of my film magazine front cover, I changed the way the title of the magazine looked.

I also changed the way the cover lines looked because it was uninteresting and quite dark. I decided to use a
brighter shade of red and add an outer glow to them. Doing this would help make them more visible to viewers
who are looking at the magazine on shop shelves. I kept the image the same as it is the main focus of the magazine
and is promoting the new film Slaughter House.

Slaughter House Recut Trailer Slaughter House Final Trailer

I think the music fits with the footage well and it The trailer looks amazing. It is extremely professional. I
has a professional finish. I like the varying speeds would go and watch this film in my local cinema
of scenes and the switch from action to character
Good choice of sound effects and music, which both
close-ups
match the trailer
I enjoyed seeing scenes from different angles as it
I like the short fast paced clips that were used
made it more realistic.
The storyline is very clear. The role of each character
I thought the trailer looked very professional and
can clearly be recognised
intriguing.
The location that the film will be set in can be identified
Dont really like the cross fade that is used in the
with the use of props like the scissors, barbershop chair
transaction into text
and apron
4. How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation
stage?

Planning stage

During the planning stage of the production package, I used the search engine Google, to help
develop my knowledge on the horror genre. Using the internet allowed me to visit different
websites like YouTube, IMDb and Comingsoon.net. I watched a variety of different film trailers on
YouTube which allowed me to analyse the typical codes and conventions that are used within
horror. I also watched a few film trailers of past A2 media students to get an idea of sort of genres
and styles they selected. I used the blog that I created on Blogger to upload the research that I found
out so that it could be referred to later. I chose to use the website Survey Monkey to create a
questionnaire asking people what key features they would enjoy the most in a horror film trailer.

The type of hardware I used to fil the footage for my trailer was a Canon SR camera. I chose to use
an SLR as I thought it would produce professional high quality images and videos which is far
better than most phones. However, on one occasion of filming, the camera wasnt working so I
had to recorded using an IPhone 6s. When all of footage was downloads onto the Macs the
quality of videos could not be defined. Both the Canon SLR and IPhone 6s looked to have had
similar video quality. I made sure I used a tripod while filming scenes for the trailer. The tripod
helped the camera keep steady which means the footage wasnt wobbly. I used an IPhone 5s camera
to take pictures for the magazine front cover and film poster.

Production stage

When it came to editing the photos, I used on my magazine and film poster I used Photoshop.
Photoshop has a variety of features that were very helpful in the making of my production work. I
used tools like the brush tools, clone stamp, spot healing brush and the magic wand.

I worked in a pair when creating the horror film trailer. Working in a pair allowed me to discuss my
thoughts and ideas with someone else. My partner and I decided to allocate different tasks to each
other which helped complete the work faster. For example, I wrote the letter asking the owner of
the barbershop permission to film in that specific location, while my partner David started editing
the footage for the beginning of the trailer. We used the software Final Cut Prop, to create our film
trailer for Slaughter House. The software was beneficial because had a wide range of editing features
to choose from and

Some of the disadvantages of the software were that it was very difficult to use at first. This required
me to spend a few lessons playing around with Final Cut Pro, asking for help from my teachers and
peers and also watching various YouTube videos so that I was more familiar and confident using the
software.