Horror Film Poster Analysis 1

How I Will Achieve My Target Grade

How can independent learning help me in A2?

Independent Study means finding out the information needed by yourself before seeking help and direction from a teacher. Being an independent worker may also mean completing the task in your own time either at school during free periods or at home. 


After I compared the mark scheme with the A2 introduction text I know that I will need to plan and construct my work which I will do by carrying out extra research independently which will enable me to construct a media product that is appropriate to my technical and creativity skills. To represent my technical skills I will need to present my work on a variety of different technologies, I will do this through the use of my blog as it will allow me to effectively communicate my research. I will show my ability to undertake, apply and present this appropriate research through the use of different technologies such as; Prezi, Audio, Video and Slideshare. 

To reach my target grade of a B I need to ensure that:

• Planning and research evidence will be complete - To make sure that the evidence of my research is complete and posted on my blog I will need to ensure that I am organised and don't get behind with the tasks I have been set. 
• There is proficient research into similar products and potential target audience - to do this I will look at other work from previous A2 media studies students which will allow me to make comparisons and use various positive aspects of their work in my own.
• There is proficient organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props - To make sure that I am organised in the planning of these things I will frequently brainstorm all of my different ideas and post the evidence of this on my blog.
• There is proficient work on shortlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding - To do this I will need to make sure that I use my time effectively to plan. Using storyboards will enable me to know exactly what is happening in my video which will make my filming process more efficient as there will be no time wasted. 
• There is a good level of care in the presentation of the research and planning - To do this I will make sure that I use a variety of different technologies to present my research and planning. For example though the use of Audio, Video or presentation softwares such as Slideshare or Prezi. 
• Time management is good - To do this I will need to make sure that I work independently in my own free time to keep up with the tasks that have been set in the lessons. I will need to have good organisational skills to ensure that everything is completed for it's deadline. 

Jaws Opening Scene - Conventions Used

In the opening scene from the 1975 film 'Jaws' a wide variety of different codes and conventions of Horror films are used. The first one that the audience see's is the two characters seperating from the rest of the group and going to a secluded location on the beach which hints that something is likely to happen to them. As is shown a character dies within the first 5 minutes of the film which is a very common convention that is used in almost every single horror film to set the atmosphere. Similar to the phone lines being cut the victim in the scene is shouting and screaming however is not being heard as the other guy on the beach is out of ear shot. We also see the victim cowering trying to get away from the threat in the sea however it breaks through the surface of the water and drags her under. In this scene the audience also witnesses a warning that goes unheeded as someone tells her not to go into the sea however she doesn't listen and proceeds anyway.

Codes and Conventions of Horror Films

CODES AND CONVENTIONS

Secluded location

In horror movies the audience tends to see the characters placed in a location where there is no one around to help them. For example; the woods, a ghost town, an abandoned amusement park or a house placed in the middle of nowhere. 

Characters forget about the threat

In a horror film there is always a threat of death, danger a curse or worse however the characters at some point tend to conveniently put this out of their mind. For example someone may have just been killed yet they will go on as normal and go to a party of play scrabble. 

Power is cut

Usually at the scariest moment possible in the film the power is cut and the lights will suddenly go out. This is most likely to happen before something scary occurs and it will help to increase the fear that the audience and the character feels. 

Phone lines are cut 

At some point during a Horror film the killer will most likely cut the phone lines to stop the victim from calling the police or anyone else for help. In some cases they will even cut their own phone lines to stop contact. (Misery) In more recent Horror films it also included mobile phone batteries dying or mobile phones being destroyed or not having signal due to the secluded location. 

Someone investigates a strange noise

Someone investigating a strange noise is the most used convention in Horror films. This usually occurs multiple times throughout the film becoming more unbelievable as it progresses. It seems unlikely that you would go and investigate a strange noise in a secluded location with the knowledge that people have been dying sporadically. 

Victim Cowers

There will come a point in a horror film where a character will be seen cowering either in front of a door, wall or window which the killer will the conveniently break through and grab them. If this doesn't happen then the victim will most likely look out the window or turn away and see nothing but when they turn back the killer appears. When the victim is cowering in a corner it usually alerts the audience that something like this will happen any minute. 

Victim falls over

Sometimes the victim in the film will inexplicably fall over nothing meaning that the killer can opportunely catch up with them and either kill them or get closer increasing the tension that the  audience will feel.

Vehicle won't start 

A vehicle that before the killer showed up worked perfectly will suddenly not start meaning that the victims only escape from a secluded location is unavailable which increases the inevitability that they will die. This can happen with any vehicle including; cars, motorbikes or snowmobiles depending on the setting of the film 

The fake scare

The fake scare is the oldest and most common convention used in a Horror film. Any scare in the film that is not related to the actual threat is considered a fake scare. This includes anything such as; a friend jumps out, a door slams, the phone rings, something falls, someone is tapped on the shoulder or grabbed or a bird fly's out of a tree.

Warning goes unheeded 

There is always a point when someone warms another character to not do something but they do it anyway. They could warn them not to because of many different reasons including things such as; they had a dream/vision, there is a rumour about the place/object or the place looks dark and secluded. 

Someone is killed in the first 5 minutes

This happens in every single Horror film as it is used to set the mood for the rest of the film and it can be very effective. 

Source: http://www.slideshare.net/kbamediastudies/codes-and-conventions-in-horror-films?related=1

A2 Media Definitions

TYPOGRAPHY 

Typography is the art and method of arranging type to make written language readable and interesting. It involves the style and appearance of printed matter. The arrangement of this type might also involve selecting typefaces, point size, line length and line spacing. 

sources: https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=typography%20definition   AND http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typography

TAG LINE

A tag line is a catchphrase or slogan usually used in advertising. For example: Alien uses the short phrase "In space no one can hear you scream" on their posters as a form of advertisement. Another example is "Be afraid, be very afraid" from the film The Fly. This tag line is featured almost all of the time on the posters for the movie. 

      

Source: https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=tagline%20defintion

CODES

Codes are systems of signs that are put together in some kind of sequence to create a meaning. There are a variety of different kinds of codes that can be used including; technical codes, verbal/written codes and symbolic codes. 

Sources: www.frankwbaker.com/codes.ppt 

http://media-studies.tki.org.nz/Teaching-media-studies/Media-concepts/Codes-and-conventions  

TECHNICAL CODES

Technical codes are all the ways in which the equipment is used to tell the story in a media text. In film there are technical codes in the use of camera, lighting, editing and sound whereas in print media it is in the use of photography, fonts and lettering styles. 

Source = underlined link in print screen image.

VERBAL/WRITTEN CODES

This involves anything that is linked to language. For example; headlines, captions, speech bubbles or even the language style.

SYMBOLIC CODES

This shows what is beneath the surface of what the audience see's. For example the meaning behind; objects, setting, body language, clothing and colour. 

CONVENTIONS

Conventions are generally accepted ways of doing a certain thing. Audiences accept these things and become familiar with the mainly through repeated experiences. Conventions in film are usually genre specific, for example there are certain conventions that horror films follow to comply with the accepted ways of their viewers. 

ICONOGRAPHY 

This is used within film to help describe the visual language and genre. In certain genres we expect to see certain features. For example in Horror films the audience expect to see young girls, 'normal' objects, and the use of light and dark. These genre indicators are the iconography of the mise-en-scene or genre. 

Source: http://www.slideshare.net/spingwoodmedia/iconography-in-film-and-television?related=2

LEVI STRAUSS - BINARY OPPOSITES 

Levi Strauss was a French anthropologist who lived in the early 1900's. He believed that we understand certain words not from the meaning themselves but more by our understanding of the difference between the word and its opposite. He called this theory 'Binary Opposites'.  For example our understanding of the word 'villain' comes from the difference between that word and the opposing word 'hero'. Binary Opposites are used very frequently within films, especially the Horror genre. Many Horror films include sets of Binary Opposites such as; good and evil, sane and insane or human and supernatural. Binary Opposites used to be very simple to spot as it was usually just the difference between good and evil however in recent films spotting the Binary Opposite sets have become a lot more complex. 

Source: http://www.slideshare.net/laurenminns/strauss-binary-opposites