Explain how significant were the Conventions of Real Media Texts in your development of creativity across your 2 years of production work

The use of conventions have been significant across my two years of production in terms of the development of my creativity and according to Burton's theory, conventions are rules which must be followed in order to meet the expectations of the audience. For example, with the genre of supernatural, its typical that you'll see acts of possession or a theme of religion. Furthermore, if these conventions are followed within the genre of supernatural then it would fulfil the expectations of the audience. However, the repetition of conventions can be boring and predictable which would result in some people breaking the rules to portray their own subtext and deeper meaning instead of using the repeated conventions.
In my AS Foundation Portfolio, I created a hip hop music magazine. While creating my music magazine, I was successful in terms of meeting the conventions of a typical hip hop magazine as I used real media texts to guide me. Although, in my A2 Advanced Portfolio i created horror movie teaser trailer of the sub-genre supernatural.When creating my horror movie teaser trailer I was more successful in terms of following the semiotics as I carried out research prior to creating my trailer to develop my understanding of why certain conventions are followed and the subtext of conventions which are used.

The first task which I carried out in AS is my preliminary task which involved me creating a front cover and contents page for a school magazine. The front cover had to include a medium close up of a student. As i had not carried out any research and planning prior to this, I was unsure of how my magazine should have looked conventionally; therefore, my school magazine was unsuccessful as according to Burton's theory, the conventions were not followed accurately which would result in my audience being dissatisfied due their expectations not being fulfilled. My creativity skills were also limited as I had to follow a set structure and template of a school magazine.
In contrast, my second task during AS was to create a music magazine and my chosen genre was hip hop. This task was more successful as I carried out research and planning. An example of research was by researching other hip hop magazines such as VIBE and The Source which provided me with typical hip hop conventions such as colour schemes and house styles. The use of real media texts were significant however it did not develop my understanding of why conventions are used the way they are. This also limits my creativity as i cannot apply it in my own terms by using the influences of real media texts and creating my own idea.

In my A2 Advanced Portfolio, prior to creating my horror movie teaser trailer, I carried out a range of different research and planning tasks which enabled me to develop an understanding of the conventions. For example, I watched teaser trailers from real media texts which included conventions such as locations and for horror movies of the genre supernatural, they are typically set in churches as there is a theme of religion. My trailer is based in a church as the sub-genre is supernatural. The location is beneficial to setting the mood of the trailer, therefore, it can also create a deeper understanding of the subtext. This also impacts on the audience as if the location sets the tone successfully, this can create a sense of suspension and fear in which they are expecting (Burton).

My skills have developed significantly as a creative producer as I have a better understanding of why conventions are used. This has helped me in terms of meeting and fulfilling the expectations of my audience. In AS I lacked in this area as I was following a set structure, however, as I moved onto A2, due to the research and planning which I carried out prior to creating my teaser trailer, I was able to gain a greater understanding. This is beneficial as I was able to apply the information obtained to my own work.

Research and Planning Skills

My Preliminary task involved creating a college magazine, i then went onto creating a music magazine for my foundation portfolio, then for my advanced portfolio, i created a horror movie trailer. When completing these tasks, it was vital that i carried out research and planning in order for me to develop an understanding of certain conventions and structures etc. Over the two years of carrying out research and planning for these tasks, my skills have developed massively.
The idea of creativity links in significantly when it comes to research and planning. This is because of the special term "intertextuality" as when creating something new we have to recycle elements from the past in order for it to be successful or work.

For my preliminary task, I had to create a college magazine. When creating this magazine i had to include a front cover, contents page and double paged spread. As i hadn't carried out any research or planning prior to my preliminary task, and was just given a set structure/template to follow this had an impact on my creativity. Furthermore, my creativity was limited as i wasn't inspired by previous work.

My research and planning skills started to develop when creating my music magazine. Prior to creating my music magazine, i carried out many planning tasks such as photoshoots where i would look at how music artists in real media texts would pose and try to influence these ideas into my own piece by making my models pose in a similar way. I also carried out moodboards in which i gathered images from my set genre of hip hop. I found images which displayed certain colours, poses, props which i could use in my magazine. Therefore, my creativity skills were flourishing and the idea of intertextuality was progressing, However, when carrying out my secondary research task, i asked people questions from my questionnaire who weren't particularly familiar with the genre of hip hop or who didn't buy or read hip hop magazines therefore, this may have impacted on my work as i didn't obtain the right information i needed in order to improve my understanding of certain conventions and how to apply them to my magazine
However, i have taken into consideration the importance of carrying out secondary research properly as it will develop my understanding which can then be applied. Furthermore, i can use the information which i have obtained to appeal to my target audience as i would be able to fulfil their expectations successfully.

My skills for research and planning developed even further when creating my A2 horror movie trailer. My first research and planning task i carried out was my summer trailer. Carrying out this task was extremely useful as i was able to see what went wrong and what went well and apply this to my final trailer.
The use of textual analysis was advantageous as i was able to link the different theories in with my own work. This was effective as i could understand the conventions and also apply them to my own trailer. For example, i have used a range of different typical conventions of supernatural themes within my own trailer from different existing media texts such as the exorcist and carrie. Therefore, my trailer is a bricolage as i have been influenced by a range of different media texts and applied them to my own my merging them together to create something new.
Furthermore, this shows that my research and planning skills have developed greatly in comparison to how they were when creating my preliminary task: And this is because i have been inspired by real media texts.

In conclusion, i now understand that in order to create a successful piece of work, you first have to influenced by previous media texts. Although, there are set conventions and codes which have to be followed in order for it to fulfil the audiences expectations.

Creativity

As I’ve developed as A Level media student, I’ve gained new skills. This is because I’m living in a Post-Modern society therefore, many aspects have had an impact on my understanding and development such as technology, intertextuality etc.

Technology in a post-modern age has impacted on creativity in many ways. For example, new technology such as gadgets like smartphones have become a part of our lifestyle as they are widely used among many people within our generation. Therefore, technology has advanced our creativity by the use of different technology platforms. This can be explained further as we now have more access in this post – modern age. For example, in previous times, in order to watch DVDS, we would have to go to blockbusters to rent or buy DVDS, however, due to the uses of technology and the internet, we can now have free and instant access to movies from home using pirate sites etc. 

This relates to media as I can use these pirate sites to watch horror movies which will benefit me when creating my own horror movie trailer. Another way this can be explained is that we also have access to social media and YouTube in which we can watch tutorials which can help us when using certain software programmes. Therefore, i can develop greater creative skills.

Intertextuality is also significant in terms of creativity as we have to use some elements of the past in our work. For example, in during A Level media, we have watched horror movies which have influenced our current ideas. This relates to my final horror movie trailer as the sub-genre of our movie is supernatural, therefore we have used certain elements of previous supernatural movies to influence our current idea, for example, the theme of religion is often used therefore, we used that theme to influence the main ideas in our trailer. This also relates to audience’s pleasures. If I use previous elements, then I’ll be fulfilling their expectations. This also relates to Levi-Strauss’ theory of ‘bricolage’ which explains the idea that creativity is the skill of using accessible materials and reusing them using a different structure in order to create something new.

No originality also relates to the concept of creativity in a post-modern age as there are so many different ideas from the past which are still being used today or have influenced main ideas today. For example, in AS we had to create a music magazine, and by doing this, we had to follow a set structure of a magazine. We copied the main conventions of previous music magazines.

In conclusion, I believe that intertextuality and the idea of originality challenges the idea that we are all original as everything has already been used before as we are living in a post-modern society, so we are recycling previous materials and ideas from previous generations,

However, the use of technology has developed our creative skills as we have more access and the different technological platforms are becoming easier to use, therefore, people can express their creativity in different ways. 

Media Language

Media Language is useful when it comes to media texts as it is the code and conventions which are used to suit certain genres to make them effective. When it comes to the genre of horror, there are uses of symbolic codes, technical codes, audio codes and written codes. These codes are used to denote certain signs or symbols which then create connotations (semiotics). For example, a cross may denote religion and Christianity, however, others may be have different interpretations of it; this links in with the fact that denotations create different connotations for different people.
Codes which I listed above are often used in media to convey sub-texts to impact on the audience.

In the horror movie trailer which i will be making, i will make use of props as symbolic codes to create a deeper meaning. For example, based on our script, the antagonists mother will use a cross, bible and candles as a way of healing her daughters "devilish" ways. As the sub-genre of our horror movie is supernatural, the theme of religion is typically used, for example, with The Exorcist and Carrie. Therefore, our trailer will live up to the expectations of the audience. This can be an advantage as we are living up to their expectations, however, it may be boring or predictable.

There will also be a use of technical codes in our trailer through the use of equipment such as camera. For example, a close up shot of the protagonists faces. This will help to show their emotions which will have an emotional impact on the audience by fulfilling their emotional pleasures (Altman). For example, a close up shot of one of the protagonists screaming or crying could create a sense of fear which would impact on the audience. This will set the tone of the film which is typically used in horror movies to create tension or suspense. Another technical code which could be used through camera work is a long shot. This will help to show the characters clothing and the location, and this is useful as it will set the tone of horror. For example, if the protagonists are shown with bloody clothes, this could impact on the audience as this will make them feel that something bad is going to happen.

Audio codes will be used when creating our horror movie trailer through the use of different sound conventions such as non diegetic sound (such as soundtracks) and sound effects.
The use of soundtrack in our trailer will be useful when creating a certain mood. For example, towards the end when there are quick cuts and fades, the soundtrack will be used to match the pace, therefore, this will have a physical impact on the audience such as a fast heart rate. Sound effects such as ascending tones can also be used with quick cuts and fades to create tension and suspense. For example, in our trailer, we plan on using ascending tones with the use of quick cuts towards the end of trailer when there will be a series of scenes showing the possession of the characters taking place.

In conclusion, when creating our trailer, we will make great use of symbolic codes, audio codes, technical codes in order to impact on our audience and highlight the main sub-text of our film. Although, the use of written codes will not be greatly used in our trailer as we plan on mostly using quick cuts throughout our trailer to create tension and suspense on our audience.

Audience Essay

Horror movies are designed to create a negative emotional response by the viewers by playing on their primal fears. For example, in my summer trailer, when my main character has a vision that her and her friends died this may cause the audience to be fearful.

In addition to this, there are two main types of audience responses to horror. One of them is Mass Audience in which audiences respond passively and will act out by what they see in media texts and they cannot resist the power of the media. For example, if someone watches a film or plays a game which includes extreme violence, they will copy what they see. This also links with the copycat theory. Moreover, media texts control their audience when they respond passively.

The second type of response is, Active Audience, in which audiences question media content, therefore, the media cannot restrict or control this type of audience. For example, with my summer trailer some people may question why certain things have taken place.

The Hypodermic Needle theory suggests that the media injects the audience with certain beliefs, images and values. For example, if the sub-text of a horror movie was that single parent households / family types have a negative impact on children, especially if the head of the household was female, then this may alter some peoples beliefs and encourage them into believing this. This also links in with the Mass Audience theory. With my summer trailer, this theory applied, as the sub-text of my trailer was that peer pressure and rebellion can have severe consequences, and this could possibly have an impact on my audiences beliefs. Therefore, this significant when creating my final trailer.

The Uses and Gratifications theory states that "people use the media to their advantage to meet their individual needs". An example of this is that some people may use horror movies as a way of fulfilling their intellectual pleasures of figuring out what the movie is about. They could also use it fulfil their emotional pleasures such as fear. This is also links with Catharsis' theory that people consume the media to rid of their negative emotions such as fear or anger.

In conclusion, i believe that it is beneficial that these theories are applied when creating a horror movie as everyone responds differently to elements of horror, and for some people, these elements are satisfying, therefore, is significant that i apply some of these theories when creating my horror movie,

Representation Essay

My trailer represents a feminist and modern approach of women, therefore, it does not make use of the male gaze theory or the final girl. However, there are some uses of teen punishment and females taking power and control over others which is not typically shown in most horror movies.

The media represents (changes or interprets ) or constructs meanings about the world we live in. This links with many theorists and their views.

Berger believes that when it comes to the genre of horror, "men act, women appear" This basically means that men do all of the acting in horror movies, whereas women are seen as sexual objects and only appear to be sexualised and for the satisfaction of the male audience. Berger also suggests that we define male and female and masculine and feminine in different ways. For example, male and female is biological classification whereas, masculine and feminine is a social construction. This relates to the genre of horror as males are often represented as being dominant, strong, authoritative whereas, females are represented as being submissive, weak, emotional and sexual.
This theory does not apply to my summer trailer as my antagonist is a female, therefore, she may be seen as having masculine characteristics.
Although, another way of looking at it is due to the fact that my antagonist became possessed, this could mean that she is weak and is victimised by an evil spirit.

Mulveys theory of the Male Gaze suggests that women are controlled by the male gaze as their body is shown in section to satisfy the male audience as they gain erotic pleasures. This objectifies women. This theory does not apply to my trailer, however, it may be something which i should consider using when filming my trailer as it is typically used in horror movies.
This theory contrasts with Clover's theory of the Final Girl in which a girl is one of the last remaining characters still alive. She tends to have masculine characteristics and fights back against the antagonist. I did not use this theory as it did not apply to the sub-genre of my summer trailer as this theory typically used in Slasher films.

Furthermore, my trailer did make use of teen punishment. This was shown in my trailer through a wide angle shot of two teenagers peer pressuring their friend to smoke. The idea of the antagonist becoming possessed and killing her peers emphasises the theme of teen punishment.
However, this was not constructed through a misogynistic way as the antagonist was a female, therefore, there is no hegemony of teenagers by a male character.

In conclusion, i have used some elements of these theories, however, they was not widely used based on my plot. I used a modern feminist approach.

How Narrative applies to the genre of horror and my trailer

How Narrative applies to the genre of horror and my trailer

Narrative is used in media as a way of telling a story and is used by organising the different elements of a story to create meaning. 

The narration of my summer trailer is linear as it shows a group teenagers walking out of a cinema , then as the story continues , it becomes more tenses when the antagonist has a vision. 

Torodov's theory of narrative is often used in horror movies. This is significant when allowing the audience to gain an understanding of the film, as it includes an equilibrium, disruption and a resolution. In my summer trailer, I used Torodovs theory as shown a group of teenagers are firstly introduced as they exit a cinema then as it continues, the disruption stage begins when the antagonist has a vision , then finally the resolution when the protagonists die at the end. This theory is significant when creating a horror movie, however, when creating a trailer, it tends to give too much away to the audience. Therefore, i must ensure that when creating my next trailer i should only use one/two elements (equilibrium or disruption stage) of this theory,

Altmans "a set of pleasures" theory is used in horror movies to allow the audience to respond accordingly to the sub-text of the film. These set of pleasures include; emotional pleasures, visceral pleasures and intellectual puzzles.
Emotional pleasures are important when creating horror movies as they create strong emotional responses by the audience. For example, sympathy for characters. Emotional pleasures are shown in my trailer when the antagonist is peer pressured into smoking. This can create a empathetic response by the audience as some groups of people such as other teenagers may be able to relate to this situation.
Visceral pleasures are responses made by the audience which may be physical such as a fast heart rate, The use of fades and text have been useful when creating a visceral effect as it may create a tense atmosphere for the audience resulting in a fast heart rate. Although, this could have been improved in my trailer by using quick cuts and increasing the speed towards the end.
Intellectual puzzles provide pleasure for the audience of trying to figure out the meaning of the film, like a mystery or puzzle. This is shown in my trailer towards the end and this is useful when allowing the audience to think about the deeper meaning of the story. This contrasts with Torodov's theory of narrative.

Levi Strauss' believes that narratives operates to present a certain Binary Opposition. The importance of his theory is that there is a certain structure which enforces binary opposition. Binary is a key term  as this means that elements of horror movies such as lighting, props or characters etc. have to be as opposite as possible to create certain impact on the audience.
This theory can apply to my trailer as it shows a numerous amount of binary oppositions. This is shown within my trailer when my antagonist becomes possessed. This presents the idea of good vs. evil. This can also present empowered vs. victim as she is a victim of an empowered spirit which as possessed her and taken over her mind and body.

Barthes theory of narrative codes used in horror movies include 5 different narrative codes; action, enigma, semantic, cultural, and symbolic.
The action code applies to a small action which leads up to an event (destruction). This is shown in my trailer when the antagonist smokes which causes her to become possessed. Symbolic codes are also used throughout my trailer. Such as the cigarette which is represented as something which unleashes an evil spirit. This also links in with Strauss' theory of binary opposition. The use of text in my trailer such as "3 normal teenagers living their normal lives" conveys that one event can change your life drastically from being normal to abnormal; this is a semantic code.
This theory applies to my trailer as i've used most of the codes.

Propp believes that there are specific characters which create certain situations and reasons for things which happen. For example, the villain creates complication and the hero restores the narrative equilibrium. I have only used one of the character types identified by Propp which is the villain. This is because, typically, the characters identified by Propp tend to be used in other movie genres, therefore, Propps theory is not significant when it comes to the genre of horror.

In conclusion, narrative can be used in a numerous amount of ways and the different theories help me to develop a greater understanding and also apply to my horror movie. Although, not all elements of the different theories have to be used when creating my horror movie trailer as they are not significant.

Summer trailer evaluation

I have attempted to follow the 3 act structure in my trailer. I have attempted this by including an equilibrium where the characters are introduced as being normal and average teens who go out and enjoy their lives. This is accompanied the text "3 normal teenagers living their normal lives." This part of my trailer is then followed by the disequilibrium which shows my main character being persuaded and pressured by her friends to smoke. The reason i have included this scenario is to introduce a theme of the final girl. However, this was met unsuccessfully as "The Final Girl" is typically shown in slasher films, therefore, this was not a typical convention of a supernatural film. The final part of my trailer shows the last scene of my movie which desensitizes the audience. This is a huge disadvantage as it won't come across as scary to my audience and they would already be aware of how the movie is going to end, therefore, i must ensure that i do not do this in my next trailer. 
The use of lighting and location has also impacted on how scary my trailer is. I have used a high-key lighting which is not a convention of horror movies as they typically use low-key lighting. The location of my trailer was filmed in a local park. This is an extremely bad location to film a horror movie trailer, and after carrying out more research into horror movies, they are usually filmed in dark, mysterious locations which can create a sense of enigma to the audience such as warehouses etc. 
Another convention of horror movie trailers which i should've used is stock scenes. This creates a feeling of suspense and would attract my target audience. Therefore, i must ensure that i use this convention when creating my next horror movie trailer. 

Immersion Presentation by Matt Hopkins

https://www.emaze.com/@AZTZWQFL/immersionby-matt

Question 1B

Genre

The term 'Genre' is significant when it comes creating horror movies as it sets up a structure which is recognisable for the audience and their responses. Genre is a good way of setting tone for the movie and this can be constructed through the use of characters, setting (location), props, makeup etc. Typically, in horror movie trailers, stock scenes are used to create a feeling of suspense and tension for the audience to fulfil their expectations. Therefore, this shows that in terms of genre, different conventions can be used to fulfil the audiences expectations in different ways.

Burton's definition of genre includes six key elements. One of these elements is the "Protagonists" which was a group of teenagers in my horror movie trailer. They were shown being punished for consuming drugs. As the sub-genre of my film is supernatural, I have used a convention of another sub-genre - Slasher, in which you tend to see teenagers being punished. Since, I have used this convention which is not typical, I would not have met the audiences expectations. Another one of Burton's key elements is background decor, which in my trailer was not met successfully in terms of horror conventions as my horror movie was filmed in a park in the daytime. The use of background decor is significant when meeting the audiences expectations as it sets the tone of the movie. For example, I should've used locations such as an abandoned warehouse as it create suspense and tension. This also relates to Altman's theory of pleasures; emotional, visceral and intellectual puzzles. These set of pleasures apply to my horror movie trailer as intellectual pleasure is shown towards the end of my trailer. The purpose of this is to make the audience think about the story and why certain things have taken place. Emotional pleasures is shown in my horror trailer when of my characters (the antagonist) is peer pressured into smoking. This can relate to young people such as teenagers. This scene can create a sympathetic response by the audience.
The use of fades and text was useful to create a visceral pleasure as it may cause a feeling of excitement which may result in a fast heartbeat, although, I could have improved this by including quick cuts and increasing pace towards the end.

Neale's perspective on genre suggests that within a film there must be repetition and difference and that genre is defined by how much a film conforms to its conventions so that it can be identified as a film of that genre and also how much a film can subvert conventions so that it is seen as being unique and stands out to its audience. This relates to the concept of my trailer as the idea of possession is taking place which links in with the sub-genre supernatural, therefore, this would be recognisable by the audience. It also relates as the idea of the main character having a vision of herself and her friends dying however. there is a twist where she becomes possessed and kills her friends. This makes the film unique as it is unusual. For example, in final destination, the main characters always have visions which end up coming true, in contrast to my my idea in which there is an interesting twist.

Metz' theory on genre covers 4 stages; experimental, classic, parody and deconstruction. 

My horror movie trailer demonstrates the stage of deconstruction. This is because the genre of horror has emerged with the sub-genre of supernatural or psychological. This is shown in my trailer through an extreme close of the main characters eyes when she has a vision. This is effective as it allows the audience to be aware of what is happening and allows the audience to see certain situations through the eyes of the characters. 

In conclusion, the four concepts which i have studied have identified the ways in which Genre is significant when it comes to making horror movies and creating a response from your audience. These concepts which have been delineated by these theorists have applied me with knowledge and understanding of Genre and how to to apply it when creating a horror movie trailer as i will be able to fulfil my audiences expectations. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAqIttalo_Q

Media Notes from Media AS - A2 Transition Booklet

Timeline