The document discusses the film "Dreams" created by the author. It challenges some horror film conventions by showing the protagonist in high key lighting rather than darkness. It was inspired by "Nightmare on Elm Street" but changes some elements, such as setting a scene in a park rather than outside a house. The film engages audiences through ambiguous characters and mysterious endings. The author believes Universal Pictures would be a good distributor due to its experience with low-budget horror films. Studying media helped develop the author's production skills through learning camera techniques, editing software, and the filmmaking process.

1. By Urwa Safdar
Critical Reflection

2. How does your product USE or CHALLENGE
conventions and how does it represent social groups or
problems?
A ‘CONVENTION’ is a set of agreed, stipulated, or generally
accepted standards, norms, social norms, or criteria, often
taking the forms of a customs.
The genre of film ‘DREAMS’ is Horror/Thriller as it is one of the
genre preferred by the audience because of its unique style
and an element of suspense, for example the film Ring.
However, the convention of a typical horror film has been
challenged yet used side by side by my film DREAMS.

3. The antagonist has
been shown
conventionally in the
horror/thriller; coming
out of the dark room,
wearing a dark
clothes that
camouflages with the
dark background.
However, the
convention has been
challenged when the
protagonist, in he film,
is filmed in the high
key light, breaking the
norms of a typical
horror/thriller film.

4. I have seen many horror/thriller films but I find Nightmare on elm
street appealing. It was the inspiration to my work. The antagonist of
nightmare on elm street ‘Freddy’ is used as a conversion in my film
such as long nails, although, protagonist is challenged. The actor
seems to be healthy in appearance rather than slim, blonde and
typical blue eyed.
One of the scene has been copied in my film. In nightmare on elm
street when Christina (katie Cassidy) wakes up in her dream and
find herself outside the house. However, it is not fully copied and
some changes in the film Dreams are made. The character finds
herself in a park rather outside of the house.

5. How does your product engages with
audience and how would it be distributed
as a real media text?
The USP (unique selling point)
through which my film engages
audience is its music. The music
inserted in the film is taken from
different types of films. Conjuring,
Insidious and Nightmare on elm
street.
Specialty of the music chosen from
Conjuring is the music which has
been used for the dead boy’s toy; it
is exhibited as a slow and soothing
lullaby in my film Dreams. The music
signifies softness and relaxation in
my film which in reality portrays
horror.

6. Furthermore, there are characters in the film
undefined. This creates suspense and curiosity in the
audience and ultimately leads them to watch the
film. The mystery remains hidden when the film ends
on the peak point where the antagonist is about to
enter and kill the person which he does not.
Something which is interesting about the film Dreams
is that people are dreaming and nothing is
happening in real which again is inspired by
nightmare on elm street

7. I would prefer Universal as my media distributor to distribute my
film Dreams from the famous big six of the Hollywood. This is
because the high budget and low budget of Universal Pictures.
The wide range of horror/thriller films distributed by Universal
Picture/ Universal Studios such as Insidious, Annabelle, The Purge,
Paranormal Activity, Jurassic Park provides a wide budget range
for my film.

8. Universal Pictures being
one of the biggest
conglomerate of
Hollywood helps in
distributing and
recognizing my work.
It also deals with all types
of genres which makes my
film best fit for Universal
Picture as distributors.
Being a low budget film,
I would prefer Universal
even because it deals
with all budgets. It would
be difficult to find
production companies
that offer to distribute low
budget films however
Universal will.

9. How did your production skills
developed through out this project?
There is a clear
difference seen in my
production skills before
and after studying in
media studies.
All the technologies
and the use of camera
with correct angles
made a big change.
It helped me in training
and practicing different
gadgets on the
fieldwork. Such as I
learn to harness a
variety of media
technologies including
cameras, digital movie
cameras and audio
recording equipment.

10. Media studies taught me how to create
imagination real by filming your ideas.
This required time and energy however lessons
taught by our sir, Khurram Rizvi always came in
handy that made our debut to the new world of
media.

11. How did you integrate technologies?
Media Studies is and entertaining subject that
brought new ideas and use of technologies
with its studies.
The use of tripod techniques taught me a jerk
free video recoding/film making.
Use of zoom in and zoom out correctly.
Due to this study I got familiar with the
terminologies of film making and camera
angles.

12. The difference between camera angles, use of
dolly shoot, rule of third taught me how to handle
a camera.
It even helped be become a better photographer
by the use of correct depth of field, silhouette and
meaning of these terminologies.
Furthermore, I learnt the use of blog and editing
techniques for film making.
The use of diegetic and non diegetic sound when
required.

13. I leant how to edit pieces of videos and turn them into
a film through Media Studies. The use of moviemaker
first time, helped me in creating my very first film.
Moreover, the introduction of production, distribution
and exhibition taught me how the process is carried
forward.
Overall, in my opinion, it was a really pleasant
experience learning about the norms of media world.
It made a better film critique.