G321 Emma Graveling

Our media product conforms to the codes and conventions of the horror genre because, we input a lot of the stereotypical horror and slasher characters, locations/settings, props, music and story-lines into our plot.

We cast a 'final girl' who has short blonde hair, despite this being a slight counter-type as it is usually blondes cast for 'scream queen' roles, the short length of her hair would liken her more to a boy than a female which signifies a lack of glamour in her appearance, it also helps avoid her appealing to the male gaze. She is also dressed conservatively which signifies she isn't sexually active.

We could compare our 'final girl' to Laurie Strodes character in 'Halloween'

We cast a 'scream queen' who is killed off in our opening, she matches the stereotypical image of a 'scream queen' as she has long blonde hair, and she is wearing some revealing and tight fitting clothing, this is seen in existing media products such as the opening scene of my bloody valentine it is also signified that she is sexually active, and also, unlike the 'final girl' she is drinking, which all adds to image of somebody who lacks morals and therefore is one of the first to die. As well as her visual image; as the title 'scream queen' would suggest, the girl we cast was made to scream a lot during her murder scene.

We cast our 'scream queen' a 'Jock' type boyfriend, he is portrayed as a rebellious character by smoking, drinking and being sexually active. This would match the conventions of existing media texts such as the film,'Scream' and 'Sorority Row'.

There is also a psychotic character stalking and killing the characters which is stereotypical of the narrative in most slasher movies, for example 'Friday the 13th'. Also in keeping with the conventions of existing media texts our killer has similar motives for killing the people he does; for being sinful and immoral.

We have composed some music for our film which fits in with the horror genre, using the method of interfering with the heartbeat. This is an effective method of creating tension and a 'jumpy' atmosphere amongst an audience and is therefore an aspect of every horror film ever made, without it a scene would be bland and the audience would not be able to take the same enjoyment out the film.

We have set our product in a desolate location, which is the moors. This signifies horror as a location out in the wilderness such as a moor, or a wood/ forest or deserted lane is very commonly seen in horror films. It can be seen in the classic horror films such as 'Friday the 13th' and the more modern films such as 'Severance'.

BREAKDOWN OF A MEDIA TEXT
SHOT#	START TIME	DENOTATION	CONNOTATION/NOTES
1	0.57	All 4 characters in long shot Mise-en-scene: tent, location in the background Sound: dialogue “hey” Handing 2 beers “beer?”	Location is desolate, signifies that the group are alone and vulnerable. Props such as tent and beer help to achieve verisimilitude, beer also connotes that the group are typical teenagers partaking in underage drinking. This is also illegal which suggests they are immoral and therefore are likely to be killed off throughout the film.
2	1.00	Straight cut to medium OTS shot of the characters taking the beers Sound: dialogue “cheers”	The informal idiolect of ‘cheers’ instead of thank-you portrays a more realistic image of the teenagers, and helps therefore to relate with the target audience.
3	1.01	Straight cut back to long shot of all characters sat around the tent Mise-en-scene: more location scenery Sound: diegetic birds chirping	Added shot for a variety of shot angles.
4	1.02	Medium close up of female ‘scream-queen’ character Sound: dialogue: “is anyone else kinda cold?”	Close up of her clothing, a revealing top, and her face and body to attract a male gaze. The dialogue further anchors that she is wearing very little.
5	1.04	Straight cut – shot/reverse/shot Sound: dialogue – characters response to question “put some more clothes on” Scream queen response “shut up George!”	Shot reverse shot used to signify she is having a conversation with the other group members. Dialogue’s aim is to be humorous for the teenage target audience, though could also be found amusing by both older and younger age groups.
6	1.07	Straight cut to long shot of group again Character goes to stand Sound: dialogue “right I’m off..”	Long shot is used to show the groups activity.
7	1.08	Continuation of same action from different angle, medium close up. Dialogue: “..for a slash” Character walks of the edge of the screen Transition fade out to black	The cut has been used to make use of a variety of shot angles and also portray editing talents. The closer in shots of the female faces show their eyes following the male character off screen, this could connote sexual desire.
8	1.10	Fade back in to close up of knocked over beer bottles Sound: diegetic birds chirping	The fading cut has been used to signify the passing of time. The close up of the beer bottles spilling out portrays the teenagers in a stereotypical way, as destructive, reckless and vandals.
9	1.14	Straight cut to medium two shot of couple holding hands Sound: dialogue “maybe we should get a fire going” “yeah shall we go get some fire wood?” “Okay yeah I’ll catch you later” slight zoom Both characters walk off screen in opposite directions.	The two shot, and the physical contact further signifies a relationship between the two characters. It is also a different perspective to film a conversation from the previous shot reverse shot we used. The dialogue anchors the idea in the audiences’ mind that the ‘scream queen’ is about to walk off on the desolate moor alone, this foreshadows a possible attack from whoever is watching them, if the had audience picked up on the preferred reading of the point of view shots used earlier.
10	1.20	Straight cut to long POV shot Shaky camera work Blue filter Mise-en-scene: scream queen character walking down path alone Trees cut across the shot Non-diegetic sound of music	The blue filter is used as it is a common convention of horror film to signify an oncoming attack. The shaky camera again is used as a point of view shot to signify the characters are being watched by someone. The trees across the shot are used to signify that whoever is watching is also hiding and doesn’t want to be spotted. The music has begun at this point also to signify an attack is imminent and to affect the audiences’ heart beat, to make them on edge.
11	1.26	Straight cut to similar shot of character moving closer Shaky camera work Blue filter Trees cut across the shot Non-diegetic sound of music	The shot change is used to signify that whoever is watching her is continuing to follow her as she goes off alone to find fire wood.
12	1.30	Straight cut to a medium long shot of character from behind Shaky camera work Blue filter Long take Zoomed in closer towards the end of the take Camera pans down as character drops her bottle Non-diegetic sound of music Diegetic sound of footsteps	The shot change is used here to show that the follower is much closer now, and the audience can expect some sort of jump very soon. Though the length of this take is used to build up more and more tension. The diegetic sound of footsteps is used to create verisimilitude, as they stop when she drops the beer and therefore stops walking. The zoom signifies the follower is close enough to make his move now and the pan down at the end continues to help the audience interpret a point of view shot. The dropping of the beer also provides the stopping point, perfect for an attack to begin.
13	1.39	Straight cut to close-up shot of characters face as she is pulled back by a hand Man in black hoody Blue filter Non-diegetic sound of music Diegetic sounds of screaming	The close up is used to show the characters emotion. The scream adds to the emotion and also will signify scream queen to the audience. The killer dressed in black with a hooded or disguised face is a common convention of horror and therefore suggests to the audience that this is a violent attack. The hoody also disguises the killer and he remains anonymous which again is a common convention, as there is often a big reveal of the killer at the end of the film and sometimes it is an unexpected twist such as in the movie ‘Scream’.
14	1.40	Straight cut to same shot from over the shoulder angle Blue filter Non-diegetic sound of music Diegetic sounds of screaming	Change of angle and perspective of the attack.
15	1.41	Straight cut to same shot from the front angle Prop – large kitchen knife Blue filter Non-diegetic sound of music Diegetic sounds of screaming	The kitchen knife is a basic tool for murder, but none the less it does signify that the scream queen is about to be killed.
16	1.42	Straight cut to a shot from behing Girl is out of frame large kitchen knife Blue filter Diegetic sounds of screaming	Having the girl out of frame meant that we could hint at violent stabbing without actually having to show any knife piercing the characters skin and use special effects.
17	1.42	Straight cut to close-up of knife drawn back out fake blood on knife Blue filter Diegetic sounds of screaming	The zoom was used to gain clear focus on the fake blood on the knife to emphasise the blood and gore in the film in order to fit with the conventions of slasher horror genre which is renowned for the violence and gore.
18	1.44	Straight cut to close up of tree Fake blood on tree Blue filter Diegetic sounds of screaming from off camera, then stops Diegetic sound of birds chirping is heard again	This was used as a cut-away shot, an idea we saw in a Friday 13^th film where there was a cut-away to a bed sheet and the blood splattered across it. We were unable to achieve the affect of blood splattering, so instead we filmed the spot on which the blood splattered after it was thrown. The stopping of the scream is to signify that the scream queen is no longer either conscious or alive.
19	1.46	Straight cut to medium shot of body being dragged across the frame till out of shot Top covered in fake blood Blue filter Diegetic sound of birds chirping is heard again	This shot is used to signify that the character is now dead. Dragging her body off screen creates narrative enigma as the audience don’t know what the killer intends to do with the body next. This would help to hook the audience, now that they, as fans of the horror genre, have witnessed the first killing they will hopefully want to watch on to see what happens next.