1. Question 1 -In what ways does your
media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions
of real media products ?
By Louise Fisher 6081

2. Video automatically
Titling Video Response starts when viewed.

3. Camera Movement
A sci-fi horror film conventionally uses tracking shots
to establish the characters role as a victim, as the shot
may suggest they are being followed or watched, our
opening sequence challenges this as we have used a
handheld camera through-out.
We did this as we believed it would make our media
product more successful as the audience is now put in
the position of the victim making the opening
sequence seem more realistic and terrifying. However
this unconventional use of shots is becoming more
and more popular in the 21st century of horror films as
producers are using it to present films as actual
documentations to make the audience believe they are
real, for example paranormal activity which has no
Example of handy cam film
opening title or credits and simple informs the
technique in ‘Paranormal audience that the footage has been ‘found’ and is a
Activity’ true story.

4. Framing a shot and Camera angle
Conventionally, close up shots and extreme close ups are
used to capture the emotion that the character is feeling
and builds tension for the viewer. For our opening
sequence we used a combinations of close ups with the
handy ham, which exaggerates the characters sense of
distraught and panic in the scene. The extreme close ups
used on the characters face when she looks away from the
camera scared create a sense of mystery as the viewer is left
to their own imagination to visualize what the character is
seeing. From our opening sequence ‘Feedback’
The film ‘Cloverfield’ also uses close ups with the handy
cam to reveal the characters deep emotions and to
establish a connection with the viewer to feel as if they are
in the position of the character. High camera angles are
also used to imply a characters position; generically in
horror movies the victim is shown from a high camera
angle to signify their weakness. However we challenged
these conventions and used low angles affectively in order
to emphasize and captivate the characters distressed state
of mind. From Cloverfield

5. Mise-en-scene
Generally low key lighting is used for the perpetrator which
The Blair connotates evilness, darkness and wrong doing. This is
Witch contrasted with high key lighting for the main protagonist
Project
in the film to show their vulnerability and innocence. By
challenging these conventions and using dark lighting
throughout my media product, a bigger sense of fear is
introduced to the audience in which they immediately
Our film sympathise with the character. For example The Blair Witch
‘Feedback’ Project the lighting is constantly shone on the protagonist
face to reinforce her exposure and helplessness.
Dark clothing has the same connotations with the evil
characters, where as the victims in horror films are
usually seen as more vulnerable with the fewer clothes
they wear. We aimed to use this convention by showing
the character ripped tights in order to communicate to
the viewer her predicament. For example Psycho has a
famous scene in which the protagonist is naked in a
shower and with a combination of extreme close ups is
shown as a targeted and weak character.

6. Mise-en-scene
For our opening sequence we chose the
location of dark woods to isolate the
characters from the world in order for them
to appear more helpless and as if they are
being trapped inside.
This is similar to Blair witch Project which
also used the location of a woods in which
they became lost and trapped, to be picked Feedback Location, Streatham Common
off one by one. This is a typical convention
of a horror movie in which we wanted to
follow in order to make the film seem
realistic as the location would be a familiar
site to the viewers.
The Blair Witch Project Location

7. Editing
Sci-fi/horror films tend to use sharp cuts, these are used to keep a fast pace
narrative and to build tension throughout the opening, long takes are also used to
create fear and suspense.
Typically a horror/sci-fi film is never shot in the order that the events
happen, partly because they want the audience to feel included and to try and work
out the storyline.
We developed this convention by filming the end of an event first, which draws the
audience straight into the action and leaves them wanting to watch more to find
out what happens to the protagonist.
In our opening sequence ‘Feedback’ we used this convention of sharp cuts to build
up a sense of speed and keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The film
‘aliens’ also uses sharp cuts throughout the narrative to keep the suspense of the
fear of the unknown.

8. Sound
Disturbing sounds are especially important in horror
and sci-fi films, generally low pitched and dreary music
helps to set the mood and scene, however occasional
high pitched sounds create tension and make the
Click for a typical horror audience jump. Horror films tend to emphasize
movie non-diegetic ambient diegetic sounds like footsteps and rustling
sound from the film from bushes, they also use non-diegetic sounds like
‘Psycho’ heartbeats to emphasize the fear. We challenged this
convention by not using any particular sound in our
opening sequence, however we used diegetic sounds
like footsteps and heavy breathing to build up fear, also
we didn’t want to include any music to keep the film as
realistic as possible, the blair witch project also doesn’t
Click for example of use music for this same reason – arguably the silence
‘Feedback’ digetic itself can be more frightening than music.
sounds used throughout
the opening sequence

9. Narrative Theory
Horror films generally vary their beginnings, the majority begin with an
equilibrium (Tsvetan Todorov Theory - all stories start in a state of
equilibrium, which is then disrupted, setting in a motion a chain of events. The
resolution of the story is the creation of anew/different equilibrium) and as the
storyline progresses it develops into a disequilibrium. However, we decided as
a group that we want our film to start off with a disequilibrium as it will keep
the audience on the edge of their seat, trying to figure out what is going on.
We can compare the beginning narrative of our film Feedback with the film
Memento because it also begins with a disequilibrium as a hand at the
beginning of the opening scene holds a Polaroid photograph of a bloody
scene.
Memento Feedback