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

Detailed analysis of particular conventions -

Using conventions :
From the start of our title sequence, we wanted to begin with an establishing shot of a location that would reflect the tone of our film. When researching location establishing shots in real media products, we began to search outside the boundaries of our genre, and found this in 'Manhattan'. The bill-board sets the jazz art - Deco mood of the film in it's title sequence, and we felt a similar sign researched on location in Worcester would create the same effect. Although, unlike 'Manhattan' our film is not titled 'Northwick', from the start of our sequence until five seconds in we feel we have used a common convention from a real media product successfully.

In the first 30 seconds of our film we used a mix of long takes & slow fade In's to establish a dark ominous, scene setting piece of film. We realised this idea of editing from our research for our genre, when studying 'Psycho' by Alfred Hitchcock. (Below) Hitchcock uses a slow fade-in to reveal the first location of the film.

We used this convention , common across the majority of real title sequences, as a means of editing to establish our location.

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Cinematography is always key to producing a successful real media product that is camera - oriented. We realised this when creating 'Hurt', knowing that editing would not be enough to create a successful title sequence. We knew we wanted from the beginning a long take that would establish sound and film together. Inspired by the long take in the 'Fallout 3 Trailer' , we set about using a record player and a steady cam to try and ensure we used the same track back which was used so effectively throughout the entire trailer's sequence. Even though the trailer does not apply from our own category of genre, it remains a real media product that reminded us of traditional media conventions and the importance of well positioned shots.

Developing conventions :

Our use of sound uses common conventions of the psychological horror genre, then developing this to create something that allows us to differentiate our score from those of other real media products. For example, the first 30 seconds of 'Hurt' uses a raw, screeching synth
to disturb and unsettle the viewer. This is because when planning and researching earlier, we discovered many films of the genre, such as 'Seven' which share this convention of using sound to unsettle their audience, connoting danger from the 'get go'.

We then decided to

develop our use of Title sequences' soundtrack by editing a trademark free version of Tschakovsky's 'Swan Lake' and using it for the latter 2/3's of the film. (Download Number 6. http://freeplaymusicclassic.com/search/keyword_search.php)
When researching fonts for titles in other films of our genre, we came across flamboyant styles of text most frequently, such as the font found in 'The Others (Right).

We felt to differentiate our film from others in the Psychological Horror category, we had to use a font that would subvert the usual common font. So no extravagant font was used, merely a simple, capital lettered font underlined with the title of the film. (Left)

Challenging conventions :

Common throughout the majority of title sequences, is the use of many titles - establishing directors, producers, actors etc. However, we felt if we

refused to do this, and simplify a title sequence by showing only the film title, thus reducing it to it's simplest form. It would be unique against a genre (and industry) that uses titles to such an extent that the audience's attention levels would decline. In my research I found only one other film to keep informative titles hidden, as to remain focus on the film not the titles - this being Capello's 'Apocalypse Now'.
Mise-En-Scene was a convention of film that we immediately wished to challenge. Rather then use literal, cold instruments seen in Seven, we aimed to challenge the use of objects on stage by permissing Mannequins, Masks, Suits and

Roses inside our unique filming location. (Below) We used such items to allow the audience to interpret meaning from our title sequence, not just a summary idea of the purpose of our title sequence, but the meaning behind each shot, each item. For example ,the rose falling with a slow motion effect positioned on the clip could connote romance dying, falling - the possibilities with interpretive objects truly are limitless.