Evaluation: Part 1

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

When planning my trailer I had to make sure I was actually creating a horror trailer by understanding and creating my media text by abiding by the generic features of horror movies and following them. We had studied Thomas Schatz’s Hollywood Genres (1981) in class and were made fully aware of how powerful generic conventions could be in creating a successful film. A film like Dawn of the Dead (2004) is successful partly because it uses so many generic conventions well. The body horror used throughout is very convincing; especially in the scene on the bus where Monica, the final girl, gets accidently sawed, nearly in half, by Glen. Another generic feature used effectively is montage editing, the film has many fast paced, exciting scenes and the editing contributes to the effect and makes it enjoyable to watch. We adopted this same approach in our trailer, focussing on recreating and developing the generic conventions from real life horror films.

In terms of characters & representation, Ford starts off the trailer as a typical teenager, but as the trailer progresses he goes missing in the woods, becomes possessed and adopts the role of the psycho killer. Courtnay plays the role of the final girl, and Faye plays the role of the female victim. Faye is only featured briefly in the trailer but it is evident that she is the female victim as she is blonde and then is missing by the end of the trailer. Evidently Courtnay is the final girl, as she has survived throughout the trailer. However, in the final scene, Ford attacks her but it is unclear what happens. Restricted narration comes into play here as the trailer is left as a cliff-hanger, so the audience assumes what happens to Courtnay and me.

All through the trailer low-key-lighting is used, the only light source came through a head torch I had on that replicated a light on the camera. The final part of the trailer is recorded in a cellar, an enclosed location where we find Ford. Recording this scene in an enclosed location – also seen in Psycho with Bates Motel - makes the audience feel as trapped as the protagonists.

A slow series of shots were used during the first half of the trailer to introduce the narrative, but as the trailer progresses - especially after Ford goes missing - the pace of the trailer intensifies in speed. This is the technique of “collision cutting,” and it exaggerates the different in speed and mood of the build up against when the students frantically run in the forest. It is also used right at the end when Courtnay and I are walking slowly down into the cellar, long takes are used but then we approach Ford as he turns around revealing that he has been possessed, the takes suddenly get shorter. I was influenced to do this by the montage skills of Hitchcock, especially in Psycho, where Det. Milton Arbogast is walking up the staircase, the suspense builds as he walks up the stairs and then suddenly Norman Bates, dressed as his mother, runs out of her room and starts stabbing Arbogast. This happens very quickly and music is also added to aid the effect.

Close ups and skewed angles are used throughout The Possessed trailer, but the most significant use is at the end when we are left with an extreme close-up of Ford’s face. Close-ups are very powerful in horror trailers as they provide the audience with an emotional response from the characters. They are also effective in scaring the audience. The whole trailer is recorded with a hand held camera; I think this worked effectively as it provides the viewer with the feeling that they are there and made it feel more real. By using a hand held camera all the shots were from my point of view so it puts the viewer in my shoes, a technique also used in REC, Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project.

In comparison to real life trailers, apart from the fast unexpected scene at the start of 30 days of night, the trailer starts off at a slow pace. Intertitles are used to provide an insight on the narrative, also fade transitions are used to help with the slow build up. These aspects were replicated in my trailer. Also the ending of 30 Days of Night is similar to the ending of my trailer in the way that it ends in fast paced montage editing, and is an open ending. All in which encourage the audience to watch the full film. As evidenced by the success of The Blair Witch Project trailer.