Critical Reflection Task 1: ‘ How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues.’
- 1. Creative critical reflection Media conventions
- 3. Genre Genre refers to the category that identifies the certain style of a film. Genres are used to group works with similar characteristics, themes, or techniques together, making it easier for audiences to understand and engage with them. For example, common genres in film include action, comedy, drama, horror, science fiction, and romance. Each has a set of conventions and audience expectations. Genres help both creators and consumers understand the type of film that they are going to be making or watching. It also helps studios understand who their target audience are going to be. In our opening sequence, our genre was horror. Our horror film tried to elicits fear, thrills, dark themes, entertainment, escapism, and social commentary. We picked the genre horror because we wanted to entertain and thrill people, making them want to watch further.
- 4. Films that I am going to be using: ) • Tell me how I die • Skinamarink • Patients of the Saint • Cabin in the woods • Hostel p1
- 5. What is a media convention? Conventions are the ingredients/elements that make up a genre. Without typical, stereotypical conventions, viewers would not know where to look for a specific movie that they want. Below are typical media conventions that make up a genre. Romance: 1. A woman protagonist and a male protagonist with a complex situation between them. 2. Portrayal of love and passion coupled with a powerful ending. Comedy: 1. Location in a busy area so characters can get embarrassed in front of other people. 2. Play off offensive stereotypes. 3. Cinematography – aims to be naturalistic Sci-fi 1. Time Travel 2. Fictional worlds 3. Technology is very important 4. Setting outside boundaries of real world. 5. They can challenge stereotypes.
- 6. What are media conventions Stereotypical conventions -> Fears and any hidden truths about the character or what they have done -> Ordinary people who are usually the person creating the horror not the other characters which makes it difficult to identify who the killer is. -> The works of this character is not shown until the end or when the story of the horror is fully established. -> Enigma code, Barthé creating a story throughout. Characters -> Main protagonist (usually the victim or hero) -> Villain (often from supernatural, killer, zombies, psychopaths and more) Typical locations: -> Abandoned cabin in the woods -> Schools -> Hospitals -> Forests Typical camera shots that are used: -> High angle to show the villains power in a scene -> Over the shoulder shot to show the difference between the villain and victims. The location that we used was a shipping container. This gives a universal connection for viewers’ because they do not know which part of the world that they are in. Stereotypical conventions that we used was the weak woman and a strong man who is empowering her. This corresponds with Judith Butlers theory of ‘gender performity.’ However, we subverted against stereotypes because our actress looked quite brave and strong (will be seen clearer in the next slides) We did a low angle shot of our villain to show that he is the one with the most power in the scene Typical conventions used: -> Strong man and weak woman -> shipping container in the middle of no where, isolation.
- 7. Tell me how I Die The director – D.J Viola Year – 2 September 2016
- 8. following technical conventions: sound Both of the sounds in the two sequences showcase the theory that less is more, which is why we followed this convention, to show that the use of non-diegetic sound can be quite powerful because it makes more of a mystery to the audience. They do not know when the action is going to start, making it unsettling.
- 9. Camera: Movement, angles and composition Camera: movement, angles and composition:
- 10. Symbolic conventions: costume, hair makeup, props, setting/location and lighting: The mise-en-scene of both actors are very contrasting. The look and costume of the victim from ‘Tell me how I die’ does not challenge society’s stereotype on a depiction of a victim. She is blonde. Her ethnicity is white, blue eyes and petite. Whereas, our victim in our opening sequence subverts against the tendency of women being casted who look more innocent, the ‘girl next door type.’ The victim has natural, minimalistic makeup, showing her purity and innocence The actors hair is voluminous, curly. This contrasts with the stereotypical image of a horror film victim. The hair symbolizes strength, independence, and unpredictability. These qualities contrast against the typical horror film victim that would be seen as very innocent
- 11. Opening title sequence, ‘Tell me how I die’
- 12. Character introduction of the opening sequence The character introduction in the opening sequence appears with the mise-en-scene of a child drawing of a family, a mother, father, and little girl. This hints to the viewers’ that what is going to be happening in the family involves a family. The drawing shows what the family looks like, the father with brown hair and a beard, the mother who is blonde with a pink dress (adhering to typical conventions of women victims in a horror film) and a little girl, with brown hair holding the mother’s hand. A child’s drawing connotes a sense of innocence and vulnerability, which may make it more emotional for the audience. the juxtaposition of innocence and horror is very common within horror because it evokes suspense (hence why our victim was a young woman). The drawing shows clues about what the family structure is going to be, without giving too much away. But how does this adhere to typical conventions within horror? The showing of a happy, normal family through a drawing shows the base of normalcy, which highlights how their lives will probably turn upside down.
- 13. A couple shots later, a man appears, who is very similar looking to the Father in the drawing, with the brown hair and brown beard. This follows typical conventions of horror because he seems to be protecting the household, looking around, so it is very clear that something bad is happening or is about to happen. The man is wearing a blue shirt that is buttoned all the way to the top, while it is night time. This suggests that he has not had time to sleep because he might be worried about the impending doom that he will encounter later on. It also shows the lack of relaxation that he is experiencing within this time frame. He always has to be on alert. His serious expression suggests that he is aware of the threat and is in the process of protecting his family. From the previous image of the child drawing, we would most likely believe that he is doing what he is doing to protect his family. the portrayal of the man as a protector adheres to traditional gender stereotypes that is often seen in horror films. Men are typically depicted as the ones who confront danger directly, while women and children are the ones that are shown who needs the protection. This follows typical horror conventions because it is normally the male who does the protecting of the wife and children - adhering to gender stereotypes.
- 14. The title is positioned in the central of the screen, drawing immediate attention. The placement ensures that the viewers’ focus is on the text. The font is clean and looks very digital looking, with sharp lines. This suggests the lack of humanity that is going to be shown within the film, making it feel more sinister. The white text against the darker background, makes the titles stand out. The contrast grabs the viewers’ attention straight to the credits, giving them their moment. The spacing between the words and letters is wider than normal, which creates isolation and coldness.
- 15. Narrative The narrative starts with an establishing shot of a house with a Christmas tree, suggesting that it is December-winter time, and showing that they might be a Christian family. It suggests that it is not a period film, or at least not prior to the Victorian age. Secondly, it is very likely to be located in a Western country. This is followed by the shot of a office with drawings inside the draw. This adds a sense of mystery within the narrative because the viewers’ would not know why these were drawn and who drawn them. The man seems very surprised when he sees them, suggesting that it means something. Next, there is a woman on the sofa, who looks like the Mum from the drawing. She is staring blankly and not doing anything, she almost looks very numb. There is no appearance of the young girl from the drawing, suggesting that she may not be there anymore. Hence why both parents are so tense.
- 16. What social groups/issues are present within our opening sequence In our opening sequence the themes of prejudice are quite subtle but they are apparent. This is because the man is the villain and the victim is a girl. She would have been snatched on the streets because she looks more vulnerable compared to a man. This has a social impact because the theme would link to people in very different ways. For example, as a man watching it, they may feel a sense of anger that someone from the same gender is treating a girl that way, it can go against their morals. As a woman or girl watching it, they may sympathize a lot more because they may understand how it feels. This does not mean that all girls/women have been kidnapped. However, it does mean that most women have experienced a form of sexism and prejudice in their lifetime.
- 17. Patients who are ill, healthcare workers and more For people who have a medical problem, medical horror can amplify the existing anxieties about their health and treatment. The depiction of the man using his medical abilities against the girl can evoke fear because it may give them an underlying, unrealistic fear that the same thing will happen to them. the subgenre addresses the lack of control that patients feel. Healthcare professionals may find medical horror more disturbing due to the knowledge about medical practices.
- 18. Director – Kyle Edward Ball Year – 25 July 2022
- 19. Trailer ‘Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father missing, and all the windows in their home have vanished.’
- 20. Technical convetion: Sound • The technical convetnion of sound that we again used can be seen in Skinamarink is very similar to what we used in our opening sequence. They incorporate the use of diegetic sound that heightens the eerie and mysterious tone. The ambient nouses consist of, creaking floors, whispers, and hums. This would immerse the audience and make them feel uneased. This is similar to what we used in our opening sequence where we thought that less is more. the choice of using non-diegetic elements would enhance the naturalism and also would make a space for the viewers’ where the ordinary becomes unsettling.
- 22. Patients of the Saint
- 23. ‘Undertrial prisoners are subjected to numerous experiments inside a jail on the St Leonard Island. However, things take a terrifying turn when a procedure goes horribly wrong.’ Director: Russell Owen
- 24. Mise-en-scene The Mise-en-scene in ‘Skinamarink’ displays a shot of leaking blood that still looks fresh. This indicates a sense of danger and demonstrates two layers of film language. The technical areas that are used shows a deeper meaning that the audience would deconstruct on their own, often without realizing. The denotation of the mise-en- scene’s blood in the shot connote a sense of worrying for danger, not knowing whether the victim is going to be alive or awake. From this, we used it as inspiration because we believed that it would create more of a suspenseful impact towards the audience, like it did to us.
- 28. 'The film is about a Slovakian criminal organization that lures innocent foreigners into their hostels, where wealthy sadists bit upon them for torture and murder.’ Directors: Scott Spiegel and Eli Roth
- 29. Combined elements that creates the mood and atmosphere • Claustrophobia, enclosed space, no windows – Mise-en-scene • Dim Lighting creates an unsettling mood – Lighting • Dirty and grimy walls create a sense of unease – mise-en-scene • The camera is aimed at the midriff of each character. Composition wise, man is center and woman is on the right. - Camera • No idea of the location, making it more mysterious. – symbolic convention • The circumstance of the man is worse, been stripped of his clothes and tied up. – mise-en-scene Typical conventions used in horror to keep the suspense up. Typical use of convention, makes the atmosphere feel more eerie. Also, dirt is used a lot within horror to make the audience feel uncomfortable. Not a typical convention camera wise for us, normally the victim is positioned in the center of the frame. Typical convention used, to create more suspense and impact. Hopefully, making the audience feel more claustrophobic. Challenges conventions because normally the circumstance for the women are worse.
- 30. Typical media conventions that is used • The camera shot is taken from inside the room. The audience sees the villain leave, leaving the victims on their own. Themes of isolation are present. The viewer is left pondering the fate of the victim. • Different styles of editing.
- 31. REPRESENTATIONS
- 34. Editing/Age The pacing of our sequence is very slow paced. This contrasts against what youth is supposed to be. What is about to happen to her is metaphorical because the slow pacing denotes how her life has come to a pause and is probably going to dramatically change. Whether our victim is going to live, she is still going to be incredibly traumatized or if she dies. Therefore, the slow pacing fits well because it corresponds with the horrific doom that the victim is encountering.
- 35. Mise-en-scene The mise-en-scene that is shown within our opening sequence showcases a young woman wearing black cargos, brown heels, a silver top. This showed that she was younger because it portrayed that she was in a party the day before, making her seem younger and in the middle of her youth years.
- 36. Mise-en-scene gender • The Mise-en-scene for our villain who is a male is shown to wear a butchers apron (which is typically a men’s job), a checkered shirt, gloves, a gap, and hiking boots. This adheres to the typical conventions that horror movies use for males because it is seen as typical work clothes for the outside, that woman are not expected to wear because conventionally, they are supposed to work from home. A gun is typically associated with masculinity because it is something that is handled by men, not normally women. Therefore, we followed traditional gender stereotypes of men tending to be more strong.
- 37. Camera/Gender At the beginning of our sequence, we had our victim in the right hand side of the frame. This framing inherited the rule of thirds where placing a character at the edge of a frame can show their lack of power within the scene. The victim’s placement makes her appear out of place in comparison to the environment that she is in, emphasizing her vulnerability. This composition portrays her as being dominated by the surrounding space. This is very common within horror films because it highlights the characters helplessness. In contrast, when the villain enters, he is positioned in the center of the frame. Centre framing typically conveys strength, authority and control. By placing the villain in the middle, the cinematography suggests that he commands the scene and is dominant within his territory. The contrast within the framing shows the juxtaposing character dynamics within the scene. In terms of gender representation, the victim who is a girl is depicted as vulnerable and inferior, reinforcing stereotypical norms. Her positioning of the frame diminishes her power and aligns with the historical portrayal of women in need of rescue. The central framing adheres to the stereotupe of male charcetsr being more dominant and in control.