Edward' Evaluation of Horror Conventions

7/28/2019 'Edward' Evaluation of Horror Conventions

1/10

1. In what ways does your media

product use, develop, or challenge

forms and conventions of real mediaproducts?

The opening title sequence of Edward


2/10

1

The title Edward can be said tobe a typical title of a horror film.

The use of the single name, adds

an intriguing tone to the film-

immediately capturing the

attention of the audience, due to

its short, punchy nature.

This technique has been seen in

other horror films, such as Carrie

in 1976 and Jason X in 2001.

These are examples, much like

Edward, however contrastingly, a

typical horror film would not be

the name of the protagonist.

We got our inspiration from the TV seriesDexter, which adheres to the crime drama form.

This is also named after the main character,

which achieves intrigue, much like Edward.

'Dexter' Opening Title Sequence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESicykvHUykhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESicykvHUyk


3/10

2The setting of Edward does

conform, and develop, theconventions of a typical horror

film.

Most horror films would include a

desolate, dark setting in which a

vulnerable character is entrapped.

We chose the setting of a forest as

we felt it would be an ideal place

to portray the vulnerability of the

girls, as they run to save

themselves.We also took the inspiration of the setting, andrunning of the characters from the opening title

sequence of Heavenly Creatures, in which two

women flee from danger through a forest.

'Heavenly Creatures' Opening Title Sequence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4_HltjFpX8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4_HltjFpX8


4/10

3The costumes and props used in Edward can be said to

challenge the typical horror conventions.

For example, one girl can be seen wearing a bright red

dress- which would not be typical in a horror film today.

Today, most females protagonists tend to wear ordinary,

dull clothing, so as to bring a domestic, everyday tone to

the horror of the narrative.

We as a group chose to portray danger and murder through

the red, connoting the narrative of the film Edward.

The female protagonists in

The Hand that Rocks the

Cradle , and The Othersappear to wear plain,

domesticated clothing, so

as to give a sense of eerie

normality to the film. We

have challenged this

convention with the brightly

coloured dress.


5/10

4The camera work in Edward

connotes the rapid tone to theopening, as the girls are being

chased through the forest. This is

also conveyed through the rattling

of the iron gate, which produces an

unnerving, sudden sound-

developing the typical conventions

of a horror film.

The camera angle of this shot also

depicts the horror convention due

to the close up of the hands, and

the vibration of the iron gate.

This is the close up used in Psycho- which illustrates the

horror convention through the graphic match. The

transformation of the eye into the plughole, has been focused

upon- much like the hands on the bars, in Edward.


6/10

5

The element of several girls running, does

develop a key convention of a horror film; the

classic final girl pursuit.

We chose to adhere to this typical convention

so as to ensure that we focused on the horror

genre, and did not steer away from the

thriller, or action form.

We kept to the horror genre but capturing

several girls, and not only one, however we

have kept one girl in particular as a central

character.

Chase Scene, 'Scream'

This feature is present in the film Scream, in which

Drew Barrymore is being chased around her house by

the killer. Although this is different t Edward due to

the domestic setting, the convention of final girl still

applies, and has been developed in Edward in order

to specify the horror genre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulykPn5ZUVshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulykPn5ZUVs


7/10

6

The opening of Edward immediatelyconveys the narrative due to the fast

paced action taking place.

The first shot is a POV angle of

someone running through the trees.

This fast action immediately sets the

tone to the rest of the opening-

consequently adding tension and

heightening the horror element.

This POV shot challenges the way in

which a typical horror film would

convey the narrative, as usually the

opening starts slowly, like in Insidious

and endures the horror atmosphere,

however we chose to include the

dramatic element at the very first

instant so as to build this throughout.


8/10

7The horror genre is particularly

adhered to in Edward throughthe use of flashbacks.

The analepsis here is used to

convey the horror of the past, and

thus heightens the tension and

thrill of the opening for the

audience.

We chose to use flashbacks to

present the murders in the past,

and the previous chase of the

girls.

The use of flash backs is also seen in Heavenly

Creatures as we see a sudden graphic change in the

setting- in which the two women run through the

setting of a party, in monochrome.


9/10

8

This is the first character we see in Edward- agirl running through the forest. This

introduction is not typical of a horror film, as

usually the character would be in a domestic

environment, doing normal day to day tasks.

However we have challenged this convention

so as to build the tension even further, and

immediately create intrigue amongst the

audience. The fact that we first see a girl

running serves to build the horror form, and

raise questions amongst watchers.

This does however, contrastingly

demonstrate the classical final girl pursuit

element of a horror film, in which a

vulnerable female is being chased through

an isolated setting- therefore developing a

typical convention.


10/10

9

We added in a special effect in Edward in which the title

flickers at the end known as Blink. We added this so as to

leave an unnerving impression on the audience, right at

the very end of the opening.

This is not typical in a horror film, and we have challenged

the usual convention of a slow, soft font. In Insidious, the

font is much softer than that of Edward and fades off the

screen, lingering for a moment.

Documents

Edward' Evaluation of Horror Conventions