Question 2
- 1. 2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
- 2. The extract begins with a midshot, the image is unclear. The frame shows people very close up and some a lot further back giving the impression of a crowd. The two people in the foreground distort the frame by standing in the way of the whole picture making it unclear.
- 3. The credits come on in white which stand out because it contrasts to the darker colours displayed in the background. The credits blink on the screen making it a bit harder to read and add to the disorientation for the audience. The blinking of the credits is a running theme throughout the clip because later on it is used to flash a scary image.
- 4. The frame cuts to the same people from a different angle and immediately zooms out; this is because the camera is never still for very long as it is fast paced which is a classic convention of a horror film, because it puts the audience on edge. The angle of the camera shows the bouncer’s point of view, giving the audience a wider view of what is going on. This makes the audience more aware of what is going on.
- 5. There is non-diegetic music playing in the background; it is clubby sounding music with a strong base beat. This is done to add to the ‘club’ atmosphere. A sound bridge is used to cut from this scene to the next to make the link between the two scenes clear to the audience.
- 6. The volume of the music dramatically increases as the scene changes from outside the club to inside, there is also a dramatic contrast in what is happening on screen as it becomes a lot busier and a lot of close-ups are used which adds to the confusion.
- 7. This next scene uses a continuous tracking shot which is contrasted to the faster pace of the previous scene. This shot is used to create the effect of someone wandering around the party with a camera. This is appropriately used here, because pictures are often taken at parties. The use of close- ups and lots of movement creates the atmosphere in the club. Freeze frames are used to split up the continuous tracking shot which allows credits to be added, with, again, white writing being used to add continuity.
- 8. This shot cuts to a midshot of a boy clearly out by some bins outside. Bins are used because that is usually where you would find someone passed out outside a club. There is a contrast in dark inside the club and light outside, the contrast prepares the audience for a change in tone and mood. This then cuts to a close up of a bottle of vodka in his hand highlighting to the audience that he is passed out because of the drink.
- 9. This cuts to a series of montaged shots that have been overlayed to make it disorientating to watch. The confusion is made evident here by using shots from earlier and new shots but confusion is also made clear through the main character being lost and looking for something.
- 10. The main character is a blonde young girl; this is a prevalent stereotype for the victim in a horror film. She is also lost and isolated in the wood, a strong convention of horror films. Throughout the montage is a blinking image or a scary clown painted face which further adds to the confusion.
- 11. To add to the tension that is created by the confusing shots, scary eerie non-diegetic music starts in the background. It crescendos until the title of the film ‘Masked’ appears, written in bold white writing on the screen. Then the music comes to a sudden mute which is very effective in building tension in the audience.