Q1.

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

For our opening production, we used inspiration from various horror sequences such as:
The Ring

Insidious

These two films were within the sub-genre of supernatural horror which we wished to replicate.

Our opening production intended to conform the conventions of supernatural horror and we attempted this is numerous ways:
The camera work used in our opening conforms the sub-genre in that we included numerous low angle shots to restrict view of what is happening as well as imply dominance to people and objects such as the caravan. However we challenged numerous favourable and conventional camera work such as POVs as we felt that our sequence would create more suspense with reasonably simpler shots.

 Our non-diegetic sound used throughout our opening sequence is conventional; we included amplified sound to anchor the suspense being created visually which attempts to shock our audience through chilling and discomforting noises. Diegetic sound is equally used to create a sense of tension. For example, we have included detailed sounds such as the crackling of the candle lighting. As a result a sense of realism is also formed.

 Our location is very conventional to the horror, as the plot of land we filmed on gave a sense of isolation and seclusion creating enigma, however it is reasonably less relevant to our sub-genre as typically the location for supernatural horrors are the protagonists home as it attempts to cause the audience to feel terrified in a place which is meant to comfort them and provide security (Movies such as Paranormal Activity and Insidious are prime examples). Therefore our opening challenges the dominant ideology of supernatural horror locations. However our protagonists refuge is portrayed as safe as the character falls asleep and his rest suggests comfort.

 Another aspect to mise-enscene which constructs our narrative conventionally includes our set design and props. For instance, our book which included numerous sinister drawing and cuttings of newspaper articles related to murders. The audience then understand that it is likely that the serial murderer is going to strike again on the homeless boy.

The mise-en-scene such as lighting is an aspect in our opening which conforms to the supernatural genre; our lighting is low key and the source for some of our shots in particular come from candle light creating tension, and reinforcing fear to the audience.

 Our characters in some respects conforms the conventions of supernatural, for example our antagonist is a young possessed female, which is common to the genre for instance films such as The Grudge and The Exorcism. However our protagonist is homeless with the dominant ideology of vulnerability, stereotypically the victim in this subgenre is a young female, therefore our male stock character is reasonably unconventional.

 The editing style we used was again a way in which we conform to the conventions of supernatural horror. The editing style is very conventional as the cutting rate is fast paced on occasions from when we wanted to scare our audience after tension has been built, for example the reveal of the antagonist at the end of the sequence. During this scene the suspense is built through fast paced montage editing sound as the antagonist is revealed. This is an iconic way to end an opening sequence within supernatural horror as it establishes the form of the rest of the narrative.