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.
Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
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,
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.
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.
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.
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