1. In what ways does your media
product use, develop or
challenge forms and
conventions of real media
products?

2. Conventions used..
The flashbacks idea was taken from my research of looking at ‘The Lovely Bones’ where they use the
extremely bright glow on the old footage to show the time difference which distinctively shows the audience
that the use of this technique indicates that this particular shot is being shown from the past.
The Lovely Bones
The frequent use of black and white colour shown in my trailer and in my
auxiliary products shows typical common conventions used of a horror film
trailer. Both the contrasting colours compliment each other successfully as it
provokes a sense of mystery to the audience which immediately suggests that it
is a dark film.
The colour black has connotations of death , fear of the unknown and
isolation which are all connected with the trailer itself. However with the use
of the white, which often provides a sense of emptiness and purity it provides
the audience with a blank mind to allow their imagination to run wild.
However black clear cut shots are used in the trailer to give a moment of
suspense to the audience allowing them to have a moment to think about the
story and let them have their own indication of what is to happen in the next
shot.

3. Shot Types
The Lovely Bones Alice
Flash-back
Medium shot
Black shot
One shot onto the next

4. Conventions used..
The lighting used in my trailer shows both the codes and
conventions of a horror film trailer as the lighting changes
along with the atmosphere as the trailer progresses. At the
beginning the lighting is quite brightly lit and focuses on the
centre point of the still image, slowly the lighting becomes
dimmer after the flashbacks finish to show the audience the
instant change of mood.
I have used a variety of shot types which all display the
general codes and conventions of a horror film trailer as they
are used in a specific way to reflect the mood of the character
Above shows how I have used an extreme and what actions are to take place. These include;
close-up shot which I decided to use looking
at the lovely bones where it is used to focus on
the victims facial expressions in order to Medium and close up shots which focus on the main character
in great detail so that it fills the screen. It abstracts the subject
provoke an emotional reaction to the ‘Alice’ from a context.
audience.
Close-ups focus the attention on ‘Alice’s’ feelings and
reactions, as it shows the audience her state of emotions.
At the beginning of my trailer a sad slow instrumental song is
played known as 'Desert Flower'. This choice of music
challenges the stereotypical type used in this genre as the music
sets the scene and is used to provoke a reaction out of the
audience towards the young female character.

5. Conventions used & developed
The angle of shot shows the direction and height from which the camera takes the scene. The convention is that
in ’Horror’ film victims should be shot from a high level angle looking down on them to show they have less
power and are intimidated by the villain/opposition. In a high angle the camera looks down at a character
suggesting an air of detachment making the audience fear for the character. However I have also used eye level
shots in order to make the audience feel part of the film and to be able to connect with the child.
I have used a variety of cuts throughout my trailer for many different reasons such as to change the scene
, compress time ,change the view point of the character and to build up an image which develops in the
audiences mind. I have also used less abrupt transitions , I did this by using transitions such as fade ,dissolve
and wipe. However I decided to not use the dissolve after my audience feedback as I felt it did not fit the genre
very well.
In addition I used jump cut which showed an abrupt switch from one scene to another which I used
deliberately to make a dramatic point. Showing the beginning of an action without showing the ending to allow
the audience to have their own opinion of what happens.
Finally I used motivated cuts to immediately make the audience want to see something which is not currently
visible. An example from my trailer is the door knob moving but then not seeing what is to happen after the
suspense has built.

6. Social Media
Looking at existing horror films and their ways of advertising I have found
that social networking as a means of marketing and promotion works very
well as social media is constantly increasing and more and more people
are using it with the advancements in technology. The technique of social
media is to create a 'buzz' about films leaving the audience with a sense of
excitement as they want to see the film itself. In addition it also helps
attract my target audience of teenagers and young adults as from studies it
is clear that it is this particular age range who use the internet and social
media the most in recent statistics.
Above shows screenshots of both my ancillary products where it clearly
shows how I have incorporated we-media and online resources to attract
the audience and allow them to take an active role. I chose to do this as I
feel it would help create a phenomena around my film ‘Alice’.
I have used the hashtag ‘#haveyouseenher?’ in order for the public to
tweet about the film creating a buzz. I decided to do this as I noticed on
channel 4 and more recently a few other channels films have used a 3
second clip between adverts to entice the viewer to look online and
through various links read reviews on the film and to of course purchase a
ticket.

7. Conventions Challenged..
I have used a 'Realistic' technique where
the meaning is conveyed through the
relationship of things visible within this
single shot. I have positioned the young
girl to sit holding herself together to
reflect the narrative of the story which is
quite conventional of a magazine cover. I
have also used the main character on the
front page using the ‘rule of thirds’ theory
in order to show the importance of the
main character in the film. This technique
is used often in ‘Empire’ magazine.
However I have challenged the standard
conventions of conveying a horror film on
the front page as I have displayed my
image in black and white again to link
with the other three products. Although I
have used a dark dismal colour scheme of
red ,white and black throughout I have
adopted some aspects of old film footage
where colour was not available. I used
this as I feel it is different to what society
adopts today and to give it my own
individual twist.

8. Conventions Challenged..
I have used a similar layout to ‘The Lovely Bones’ poster advertising the film. However both these two posters
challenge the typical posters that are created for film as they are both landscape in comparison to other horror
films which follow the normality of a portrait A4 poster.
I have used the titles above at the top of the poster displaying they actors /actresses names in order to attract the
audience. I placed them in this position so they are clearly noticeable yet do not draw the eye away from the
image in the centre. In addition I have challenged the typical conventions by using a 45 degree shot looking down
on the child in order to make the audience feel more involved. I have placed the hand on the left hand side where
the lighting is dimmer to make it look more authentic and to show how the light shines directly through the
window onto the young child showing her innocence.
Finally I have used the credentials at the bottom right which is very different to other posters. I decided to do
this in order to make the poster look more professional and so it did not overlap my image which would have not
been very effective altogether.