A2 Media Studies Evaluation- Forms and conventions in Media products- horror trailers, film magazine front covers, film posters.

1. THE FORMS AND
CONVENTIONS OF
REAL MEDIA
PRODUCTS.
The forms and conventions in real media products-
Horror film trailers, film magazine front covers
representing horror, and horror film posters.

2. FORMS AND CONVENTIONS
 Through this slide I intend to show what the forms and
conventions are of each real media product I have analysed
and produced. I obviously went by forms and conventions to
get to my final pieces, but what are forms and conventions?
 Forms and conventions are features that build a media piece.
They represent the techniques, angles, language, colours, etc.
that go into the making of a piece, yet aren’t recognisable as
they are used in every media product. They are features that
make the product flow and look professional.

3. FORMS AND CONVENTIONS IN FILM
MAGAZINE FRONT COVERS.
 MAST HEAD- The mast head is the title of the magazine. The colours, size, font, idea of the names are always influenced by the main image being
advertised.
 PRICE- The showing of price is dependent on the physical price . If the magazine is cheap then it is a big feature to emphasis the fact it is cheap, so it’s
normally put in a star burst or a bubble to bring it out. If the magazine is expensive, then the price is normally hidden away, this is because they don’t
want to publicise the fact it is expensive, but the layout of the magazine normally shows the price range.
 SELL LINES- The sell lines are to attract the buyers. They are lines across the page which includes titles of stories, names, and celebrities etc. that are
included in the magazine. They can also add an extra point across about the film and the main story. The sell lines have to be appropriate for the
target audience, for example, a woman’s weight watching magazine will have sell lines like ‘How to lose a 10 pounds in 10 days’.
 DIRECT ADDRESS- A direct address is normally about the main image, the point it is trying to cross and who they are addressing. It emphasises how
the readers see the magazine and image. The direct address can give off several effects such as intimacy, fear, love etc.
 COLOUR SCHEME- The colour scheme is what colours are used on the page. Normally there are only 2 or 3 colours unless it’s a child's/teenagers
magazine. The colours also normally link with the type of story being advertised for example, if it was a horror film, then it would be dark, gloomy
colours.
 SKY LINE- The sky line is the quote across the top of the page. It can involve advertisements, quotes, boastful facts, information etc. The line calls out
to the readers about some special attractions. The sky line also fits in with the colour scheme, it also stands out.
 SLOGAN- The slogan can be the sky line sometimes, but can be anywhere on the front cover. The slogan normally is to boast, claim the magazine is
special, be catchy, emphasis how ‘good’ the magazine is.
 BARCODE- The barcode is important for the company as it is to show the batch number, how many are sold etc. It is normally printed small onto the
magazine so it doesn’t get in the way or take the readers eyes away. It is a must have, but isn’t important for the advertising part of the magazine.
 ANCHORAGE TEXT- The anchorage text is the text that explains and runs along with the image. It can either be a quote, sentence, description or
name, as long as it links with the main image and gives off some sort of information.
 MAIN IMAGE- The main image is for the target audience, it is seduce the audience into buying the magazine. The shot will vary and the effects
played on the images also. The point of the image is to attract readers, and explain what is in the magazine.
 LAYOUT- The layout always represents the type of magazine it is, if the layout is organised and simple, it represents formality. If it is all over the place
and colourful, it is informal and for younger target audience. The colour scheme also links with layout as it is part of it.

4. FORMS AND CONVENTIONS IN
FILM POSTERS.
 Graphic images that relate to scenes in the trailer/film.
 Film release date
 Film name- and typography to relate to the film.
 Well thought of colour scheme, preferably dark colours
 Low key lighting
 Mise-en-scene- representing horror
 Captions
 Anchorage
 Name of producer/director and the crew
 Tag lines/sell lines

5. FORMS AND CONVETIONS IN
HORROR FILM TRAILERS.
 Blackouts
 Film Name
 Film Company
 Captions
 Release Dates
 Credits
 Show the best bits of the film to attract viewers.
 Sudden signs of typical horror features. E.g, ghosts, shadows, death etc.
 Disruption of normality.
 Titles shown mainly at the end so the name doesn’t give away too much before seeing the trailer.
 Music and soundtrack volume and pitch lead to the frights and jumps.
 Isolated locations.
 Last scene interrupted by credits.
 Each cut/shot interrupted by voice overs/credits.
 Dramatic camera angles to show the characters off more.
 Common dialogue of ‘Who’s there?’ ‘Is anybody here?’ ‘Come out wherever you are.’
 Dark gloomy atmosphere, lanes, graveyard, forest etc.
 High pitch screaming and dialogue, shows fright.

6. TERMINOLOGY FROM EDITING, MISE-EN-SCENE, SOUND
AND CAMERA WORK THAT BRINGS THE CONVENTIONS
TOGETHER.
 EDITING- The term editing refers to the changing shots within a piece of film. The speed with which this happens has important role in creating
atmosphere. For instance, if there is a car chase on screen, the editing will be rapid, making us excited. A countryside picnic scene, on the other hand,
will probably feature slow editing, we relax and take in the details on the screen.
 Title graphics- The way in which the title and credits of a film are written and the colours chosen for both them and the background tell us what type
(genre) of film to expect. A horror film might employ a red Gothic font, whereas a science fiction film may use a bright green colour on a black
background
 Cut- A visual transition created in editing in which one shot is replaced on screen by another.
 Continuity Editing- Editing that creates action that flows smoothly across shots and scenes without jarring cuts. Establishes a sense of story for the
viewer.
 Cross Cutting- Cutting back and forth quickly between two or more parts of action, indicating they are happening at the same time.
 Dissolve- A gradual scene transition. The editor overlaps the end of one shot with the beginning of the next one.
 Eyeline Match- The matching of eyelines between two or more characters. For example, if Sam looks to the right in shot A, Jean will look to the left in
shot B. This establishes a relationship of proximity and continuity.
 Fade- A visual transition between shots or scenes that appears on screen with no picture. The editor fades one shot to black and then fades in the next.
Often used to indicate a change in time and place.
 Jump Cut- A cut that creates a lack of continuity by leaving out parts of the action.
 Sequence Shot- A long take that extends for an entire scene or sequence. It is composed of only one shot with no editing.
 Shot Reverse Shot- Usually used for conversation scenes, this technique alternates between over-the-shoulder shots showing each character speaking.
 Wipe- Visible on screen as a bar travelling across the frame pushing one shot off and pulling the next shot into place. Rarely used in contemporary films.
 Graphic Match- Where a cut in the film edits between either two different objects, two different spaces, or two different compositions in which an
object in the two shots graphically match, often helping to establish a strong continuity of action and linking the two shots metaphorically. For example,
we see a ball get thrown in the air, the cut then dissolves into the next cut but the ball slowly dissolves into a metor, following the same route the ball
would go.
 Match On Action- When something happens in one scene followed in the next cut but from the last scene. For example- Seeing someones hand opening
the door, the next cut would show them walking through the door.

7. TERMINOLOGY FROM EDITING, MISE-EN-SCENE, SOUND
AND CAMERA WORK THAT BRINGS THE CONVENTIONS
TOGETHER.
 MISE-EN-SCENE – What is in the scene/cut. The physical props and figures.
 Setting and props
 Costume and make-up
 Body language and facial expression
 Lighting and colour
 Lighting- Lighting quickly creates an atmosphere on screen. If it is dark and shadowy we might be
made to feel uneasy, as in a thriller; if the lighting is bright we feel happy and confident. The
filmmaker can use lighting to draw our attention to a person/object or equally, to hide them.
 Sound- There are three elements to a film soundtrack:
 Dialogue – This can be used to give us clues as to character and what might happen next.
 Music – This creates atmosphere, affecting us on a very emotional level.
 Body language and facial expression- This conveys the meanings behind the effects happen, when
there is a reaction we are set in a mood that the trailer intends to set.
 Sound effects (SFX) – Again, very effective at creating atmosphere. These sometimes do not fit with
the image that we are seeing, thus creating a disorientating effect.
 Costumer and make-up- Darker colours tend to bring the audience into a mood setting atmosphere,
it also links with the rest of the mise-en-scene to set a dark scale to emphasis mystery.

8. TERMINOLOGY FROM EDITING, MISE-EN-SCENE,
SOUND AND CAMERA WORK THAT BRINGS THE
CONVENTIONS TOGETHER.
 SOUND-The soundtrack, music and tones to emphasis what is going on in each scene.
 Digetic Sound- The sound which should logically be there in the realistic ‘world’ e,g, the applause in
an award show)
 Non- Digetic Sound- Sound which would not logically be there in the realistic world, mostly the
music, overtones, voice overs, sound effects.
 Sound Bridge- The sound of the next clip starts while the current clip is playing; bridges the two.
 Ambient Sound- Natural sound.
 Sound Effects- Sound added. May not be natural, but emphasises. For example, a ‘bong’ sound
when a ball drops, the knocking sound when you see a door, the traffic noise when looking at a city.
 Sound Motif- A sound associated with a character or place. A character might have a particular
musical figure that plays when they appear or when they sort out a problem. For example, James
Bond, Jaws, Scream etc.
 Dialogue- The sound made by the characters when talking to each other. Sometimes this is
rerecorded in a studio with the actors attempting to lip-sync to the footage, this is called Foley
Recording.
 Voice Over- Non Digetic sound that gives the audience information. Often this voice tells us the
story and may be the character within. A narrative.

9. TERMINOLOGY FROM EDITING, MISE-EN-SCENE,
SOUND AND CAMERA WORK THAT BRINGS THE
CONVENTIONS TOGETHER.
 CAMERA WORK- The different shots and angles to emphasis the actions going on and
the characters.
 Long Shot – Shows background, establishes where you are.
 Mid shot — Shows torso and some background.
 Close-up — Head and shoulders, usually used to show emotion. Draws our attention to face or
object.
 Point-of-view shot – Helps us to see the action from a character’s viewpoint and empathise with
them.
 High angle shot – Camera looks down on person/object, making them look vulnerable.
 Low angle shot – Camera looks up at someone/thing, making them appear powerful.
 Panning shot- Where the camera moves slowly across from side to side from a fixed axis
 Tilt shot- Where the camera moves up and down from a fixed axis
 Crane shot- Where the camera, mounted on a crane, moves around at a distance above ground
level.
 Tracking shot- Where the camera follows the action, moving along tracks laid for that purpose,
often pulling backwards from a scene.
 Hand held – This technique is often used to suggest a greater sense of authenticity, for example it
could be used to be used to provide ‘eye witness’ accounts of situations, linked to the point of view
of a particular character or characters.