Evaluation Question 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop, or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Aims
- To explain the ways in which our film uses, develops or challenges forms and conventions of real media products, and to explain my points using clips and pictures, and compare them to my own film.
Objectives
- To identify and illustrate the genre/style of our horror/thriller.
- To identify and Illustrate how our film uses, challenges or develops forms and conventions in the horror/ thriller genre.
Identifying and illustrating the typical conventions of the horror/thriller genre
Media Language: Cinematography
In horror/thriller films, the cinematography captures overly dramatic shots and a lot of suspense. A lot of low budget horrors use hand held shots as it brings the audience into the film, making them feel as close as the character being chased - or the one doing the chasing. An example of this is The Blair Witch Project, which uses a handheld camera to make the experience seem more real. Horror also tends to use long shots and tracking shots because it is the best way in drawing people in on one specific action. For example, if a character in a horror film hears a noise and goes to see what it is, there is usually a hand held shot following that character, or a long tracking shot which holds them in focus all the way until the moment of impact. This is good for building suspense, and it is helpful for viewers because it draws them into what's happening. It also stops them being distracted by fast moving shots or sudden god shots which draw the eye of the viewer away from what's actually happening. A good example of long tracking shots appears in Let The Right One In which uses tracking shots and long still shots to show characters at their most vulnerable. They also help to fill as much of the story in a shot as possible by showing many emotions and a lot of the location. A good example of this type of shot in particular is the swimming pool scene where the character Oskar is swimming in the pool when the school bully's brother comes in to teach Oskar a lesson.
Here in this scene we can see Oskar under water. The camera, for a lot of the scene, is positioned underwater, only focused on Oskar. We see all sorts of movement around him, but the camera continues to focus on Oskar. This means whenever the viewer's eye is caught by something in the background, it is almost automatically brought back to Oskar and what he's doing. Also, the suspense of the one long shot represents the amount of time Oskar has to hold his breath, which makes the viewer almost hold their breath in suspense.
The cinematography is similar in Michael, which is more thriller and shows the life of a 'normal' man who, in reality, is a paedophile. The shots in Michael are a lot slower and mostly filmed with a tripod, but consist of the same use of pauses and long shots. For example, the beginning of the film shows Michael setting up for dinner with long medium and close up shots, but as the scene goes on we see him go down the stairs and, with one long medium shot, open a locked and bolted door where there is a black space behind it. The shot goes on for a couple of seconds until we finally see a young boy come out and the screen goes to title.
The cinematography is similar in Michael, which is more thriller and shows the life of a 'normal' man who, in reality, is a paedophile. The shots in Michael are a lot slower and mostly filmed with a tripod, but consist of the same use of pauses and long shots. For example, the beginning of the film shows Michael setting up for dinner with long medium and close up shots, but as the scene goes on we see him go down the stairs and, with one long medium shot, open a locked and bolted door where there is a black space behind it. The shot goes on for a couple of seconds until we finally see a young boy come out and the screen goes to title.
The filming in both of these films uses sharp and clear shots and is mostly naturalistic cinematography. In our film we would like to take that further by keeping the same naturalism but instead of having lots of shots, we will be using only one tracking shot for the whole two minutes, and then cutting when we want the title to come up (similar to Michael).
Media Language: Mise en Scene
Horrors and thrillers use mise en scene in a key way. It brings the whole film together by using locations, actors, costumes etc. In horror films in particular, location is essential as it sets the atmosphere and usually bases the plot around it. For example, a typical horror could base a film around a single small house in the middle of a forest, at least half an hour from the nearest village, and the scenery around it is usually dull, dark, and cold. These settings help put the viewers in the right frame of mind, because it puts people in a uncomfortable position, as most viewers wouldn't like to be in those situations. For example, in Let The Right One In the location is in a small town and the base of the film lies around a block of flats. This location is key for the film as it shows shots that slowly explain how the character of Eli is actually a vampire. This is only clear with little hints shown in the film up until her first kill. The film is also shot at night and in snowy conditions, but still keeps this soft bright lighting through the film which shows that a light box was probably used. The key thing about the lighting in Let The Right One In was that so much of the film had to be shot in the dark. This was key because it showed that Eli was only allowed out at night because of the sunlight - which helps the audience to understand the darkness of her character.
Horrors and thrillers use mise en scene in a key way. It brings the whole film together by using locations, actors, costumes etc. In horror films in particular, location is essential as it sets the atmosphere and usually bases the plot around it. For example, a typical horror could base a film around a single small house in the middle of a forest, at least half an hour from the nearest village, and the scenery around it is usually dull, dark, and cold. These settings help put the viewers in the right frame of mind, because it puts people in a uncomfortable position, as most viewers wouldn't like to be in those situations. For example, in Let The Right One In the location is in a small town and the base of the film lies around a block of flats. This location is key for the film as it shows shots that slowly explain how the character of Eli is actually a vampire. This is only clear with little hints shown in the film up until her first kill. The film is also shot at night and in snowy conditions, but still keeps this soft bright lighting through the film which shows that a light box was probably used. The key thing about the lighting in Let The Right One In was that so much of the film had to be shot in the dark. This was key because it showed that Eli was only allowed out at night because of the sunlight - which helps the audience to understand the darkness of her character.
The film Michael also portrays a lot of the same situations, like outdoor shoots in natural small industrial areas, but there are a lot more that use natural light or small indoor house lights. Because Michael consists of a lot more thriller elements then horror, it concentrates more on the storyline and location than costume and characters jumping out suddenly to scare the audience. For example, in one shot, Michael the adult is shown walking through a go-kart track looking for other young children who he bring back to the already kidnapped child Wolfgang. The location of this shot is key as it shows the children in it being interested in cars and motors, giving Michael something to talk to the children about and to try to lure them away with. These settings and locations, particularly with their natural lighting, will do well in our film because we are focusing on keeping our film realistic, so that the audience are not aware of the real circumstances, and feel uncomfortable when the young girl in our film is suddenly grabbed, out of shot.
Media Language: Editing
The editing in both horror and thriller films is one of the most important parts of the film process. This is because editing brings the film together and can determine whether the film is a successful addition to the horror genre. Editing is key in creating a fast tempo, especially in horrors. Running scenes or attacking scenes need this fast-paced style to enhance the drama. Editors can use fast cut editing so the film moves from one shot to the other very quickly, or they can use montage, over laying shot, repetition etc. In both Let The Right One In and Michael, the editing of the shots is quite naturalistic and cuts together neatly, but Let The Right One In uses some special effects. The editing of these special effects is dramatic as they have to show Eli flying, a girl catching fire, a man falling from a hospital etc. The main editing in all these photos is the colour grading, which we will be using in our film, because I think it will be effective to have the perfect colour and contrast. The colour grading can come down to just a small amount of colour and it can change the way a film can look, affecting the audience's perception.
The editing in both horror and thriller films is one of the most important parts of the film process. This is because editing brings the film together and can determine whether the film is a successful addition to the horror genre. Editing is key in creating a fast tempo, especially in horrors. Running scenes or attacking scenes need this fast-paced style to enhance the drama. Editors can use fast cut editing so the film moves from one shot to the other very quickly, or they can use montage, over laying shot, repetition etc. In both Let The Right One In and Michael, the editing of the shots is quite naturalistic and cuts together neatly, but Let The Right One In uses some special effects. The editing of these special effects is dramatic as they have to show Eli flying, a girl catching fire, a man falling from a hospital etc. The main editing in all these photos is the colour grading, which we will be using in our film, because I think it will be effective to have the perfect colour and contrast. The colour grading can come down to just a small amount of colour and it can change the way a film can look, affecting the audience's perception.
Media Language: Sound
The sound in horror films is very important as it sets the scene for the audience and puts them into the right frame of mind to be scared. This can be done using both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. The diegetic sound in Let The Right One In involves a lot of human sounds, such as breathing, rustling of clothes, footsteps to get across the emotions that humans experience. There isn't much non-diegetic sound in both Let The Right One In and Michael, which is typical of the horror/thriller genre. The silence used in both films helps to build tension and makes the audience focus on what is happening in front of them. In the opening scene of Michael we hear a lot of domestic diegetic sound like the sound of plates and cutlery being put on a table. There is no music to accompany the scene, especially in the bit where Michael unlocks Wolfgang from his room. This makes the scene a lot more naturalistic and also complements the thriller style. In our film we will not use non-diegetic music with the scene because I think that like the two films compared here, it will be more effective without music. Silence is very important in the thriller genre to create tension so this is what we will use.
The sound in horror films is very important as it sets the scene for the audience and puts them into the right frame of mind to be scared. This can be done using both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. The diegetic sound in Let The Right One In involves a lot of human sounds, such as breathing, rustling of clothes, footsteps to get across the emotions that humans experience. There isn't much non-diegetic sound in both Let The Right One In and Michael, which is typical of the horror/thriller genre. The silence used in both films helps to build tension and makes the audience focus on what is happening in front of them. In the opening scene of Michael we hear a lot of domestic diegetic sound like the sound of plates and cutlery being put on a table. There is no music to accompany the scene, especially in the bit where Michael unlocks Wolfgang from his room. This makes the scene a lot more naturalistic and also complements the thriller style. In our film we will not use non-diegetic music with the scene because I think that like the two films compared here, it will be more effective without music. Silence is very important in the thriller genre to create tension so this is what we will use.
Representation
The representation of disease in these two thriller films is very interesting as it represents both a physical and psychological portrayal of disease. In Let The Right One In, being a vampire is seen as a disease, which we can see when the character of Virginia realises what she has become while in the hospital. Eli has to hide away like most vampires because of what the world thinks of her. In Michael we see a different type of disease - the 'disease' of being a paedophile. Michael also has to hide himself and what he has done away because of what people will say about him. The characters in both films see these afflictions as diseases and are ashamed of how they are.
The representation of gender in both films is also very interesting. Eli is seen as a more masculine character in Let The Right One In and Oskar is seen as more feminine. This is represented through Oskar being bullied and being represented as a weak character. Eli has a supernatural and strong representation and is seen as Oskar's saviour on more than one occasion. She keeps rescuing him and without her he would be hurt a lot more. In Michael, both main characters are male, and we see more of a father/son relationship. But the relationship is obviously very strange and not a normal family relationship. Michael is the more masculine and stronger character and shows control over Wolfgang. However because Michael is shown as being a paedophile this also makes him seem weak and he has to hide this side of himself.
The representation of disease in these two thriller films is very interesting as it represents both a physical and psychological portrayal of disease. In Let The Right One In, being a vampire is seen as a disease, which we can see when the character of Virginia realises what she has become while in the hospital. Eli has to hide away like most vampires because of what the world thinks of her. In Michael we see a different type of disease - the 'disease' of being a paedophile. Michael also has to hide himself and what he has done away because of what people will say about him. The characters in both films see these afflictions as diseases and are ashamed of how they are.
The representation of gender in both films is also very interesting. Eli is seen as a more masculine character in Let The Right One In and Oskar is seen as more feminine. This is represented through Oskar being bullied and being represented as a weak character. Eli has a supernatural and strong representation and is seen as Oskar's saviour on more than one occasion. She keeps rescuing him and without her he would be hurt a lot more. In Michael, both main characters are male, and we see more of a father/son relationship. But the relationship is obviously very strange and not a normal family relationship. Michael is the more masculine and stronger character and shows control over Wolfgang. However because Michael is shown as being a paedophile this also makes him seem weak and he has to hide this side of himself.
Ideology
The ideology of both films is based around the typical type of ideology used in thriller/horror films in this genre. ideology in most horrors has a twist almost like a puzzle that the audience has to work out about how the killer or monster came around. in let the right one in the ideology of the film has a twist to normal horrors because it shows typical signs of a love story because although there are lots of deaths and horror scenes the relationship between oskar and Eli
The ideology of both films is based around the typical type of ideology used in thriller/horror films in this genre. ideology in most horrors has a twist almost like a puzzle that the audience has to work out about how the killer or monster came around. in let the right one in the ideology of the film has a twist to normal horrors because it shows typical signs of a love story because although there are lots of deaths and horror scenes the relationship between oskar and Eli
narrative
the narrative in both films
the narrative in both films