In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of

real media products?

Titling

• Elimination shares common conventions with many horror films for example the title of ‘Scream’ and ‘It’ is red with a black background. Black typically symbolises death and red is naturally a powerful colour.

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Camera Movement• In our film, we use tracking when following the

victim. Tracking is used in Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, It and also Saw. All these films use tracking to follow the victim-so the audience is introduced to the character. In this way, not only is the audience introduced to the character, but often, the tracking is used to enhance the equilibrium at the beginning when conventionally, the victim is unaware of what is to happen, in order to enhance the climax. For example in Scream, the victim is cooking popcorn and as the girl casually walks to the phone, tracking is used to follow her. We use tracking in Elimination when Lisa is walking through the park. This is an equilibrium where the victim is on the phone to her boyfriend, completely oblivious of what is to happen next.

Framing Shots• Many horror films use a long shot at the

beginning of the film so that the location, and place that the film is set is presented to the audience. For example Halloween’s first shot is a long shot showing the house in which the killer lives and where most of the film takes place. Scream uses a long shot of the victims house which is where the killing happens. In our film, we used a long shot of the girl walking through the park so that it is clear to the audience that the location is a park and that she is completely alone apart from her boyfriend talking to her down the phone. The long shot presents to the audience a sense of loneliness and vulnerability for the victim and also it conventionally presents the location where the murder takes place.

Camera Angles• Camera angles are used conventionally in

horror films to present levels within different characters. For example the first shot of the killer in Halloween is introduced via a low angle. This makes him look powerful and domain and frightening because he also wears a mask. However, in our film, we present the killer to be weaker compared to the bully. For example at the beginning in the flashback, the bully pushes him to the floor and as it’s a point of view shot, the bullies look down on him. We use a low angle point of view shot of the the bully which makes him seem more dominant and threatening as it is viewed from the boy on the floor.

Mise En Scene

Conventionally, in horror movies, the lighting is usually dark when the murder/killing happens. For example in scream, the killing is set at night and we believed setting our film at night, would create a scary and tense atmosphere because the the picture isn’t clear and naturally humans aren't used to living in the dark.

Editing Directions

• We used a reaction shot which is conventionally used to enhance the climax of the film. We also used fast rhythm which is also seen in Nightmare on Elm. Also our media project had many fade in and fade out transitions.

Sound

• Non-diegetic sound and music is used in many horror film to create emotion in the audience. We used music which follows the conventions of Nightmare on Elm Street and also sound effects such as a heart beat to make it more dramatic. We also used diegetic sound such as rustling in order to stimulate a reaction shot.

Actor’s positioning and movement

• In the flash back Lisa and Harry’s movement is quick and purposeful, which makes them seem more powerful. However, later Lisa walks slowly through the park which indicates a sense of vulnerability as she is completely unaware of what is happening next.