Evaluation Activity 1

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

For the title of our film we used the antagonists name 'MADDISON'. This gives the audience a link to the film and helps them make a connection to the film. The way our titles look and appear plays on the two main charcaters Maddison and Scarlett. Our font for the main title has bits missing from them looking as if they are hidden this gives the link to Maddison as she is in Scarlett's mind and no-one else can see her. This is the audiences first hint towards the film and helps them to understand the plot. The red 'S' which appears slowly and is red creates the link between Scarlett and Maddison. Throughout the titles the colours white and red are used to show Maddison is innocent and pure however the res suggests the dangerous element she brings. The fact that the 'S' is red just gives the aundience another link as it is the first letter of Scarlett the protagonists name. Other films such as 'Chucky' use the anatagonists name as the name of the film. Overall we fiollow conventions in our main title as you can see where our inspiration comes from in real media products.

Main settings commonly used in Psychological horror films are big houses; forest/woodland areas; ware houses; schools; hospitals and surburban areas. These types of settings create realism for the target audience as they are able to relate to the film on some level, having seen/ been or currently living in these settings. This increases the fear for the audience because they begin to picture themselves in these positions. Our film follows these conventions with locations such as the surburban village, house and hospital.

Our film once again follows conventions through costumes and props. Overall in our opening sequence we dont really use any props. However things such as the hospital beds follow conventions of what hospitals look like. Our costumes are used as main conventions using colours to connotate the antagonist and protagonists charcaters. Other films which we looked at such as 'Orphan' see the girl in white suggesting their innocence but the red ribbon again which links to the titles is used throughout films to suggest danger. Scarlett wears quite dark clothes in comparison which connotates mystery and overall darkness. Which in this case is Maddison being in her head.

Psychological horror aims to create discomfort by exposing common or universal psychological and emotional vulnerabilities and fears instead of other types of horror. The story of our film follows these genre conventions with Maddison being the main one to create fear in the audience as you are unsure at first to what part she plays in the film. Because Maddison is in her head it also links to phycological problems. Maddisn is'nt ever introduced to you in the film you just see her apperances with Scarett and the audience make their assumptions on what is going on therefore creating that fear of the unknown.