Josana Leung
Media Studies AS Foundation Portfolio
Candidate number: 2104
Conventions
A convention in film is the way in which things are usually done. There is usualy conventions to do with specific genres. Examples of conventions are:
Types of Conventions:
Logos
Logos are used to attract audiences through familiarity. If an audience associates a good movie with a specific studio, then they will want to watch other movies produced by the same studio.
Characters
Specific character archetypes are featured in specific genres. They have specific coding in how they are represented which can link to stereotypes etc. An example of a character archetype would be the jock. Troy Bolton from High School Musical fits this stereotype well.
Titles
The title of a movie is instrumental to how it is percieved. People are more likely to remember, catchy, short titles that represent what the piece of media is about. For example,
Settings
The locations in a film help to build atmopshere for the scene which help the audience to recognize the genre of the film. This may reflect where the characters would likely be found and details associated with them or the future of the story could linger in the background. This scene taken from Coraline shows the movie will take place in the house and the atmosphere of the movie will be tense.
Credits
Names of directors and actors are used to attract audiences through familiarity. If an audience is fond of that person, then they will want to watch other movies which feature them. This example from a poster for Pulp Fiction lists important actors this way.
Costumes
Costumes help the audience recognize the archetype characters are meant to represent. They can establish time period, personal style and colour codes. Additionally, specific clothing can become an iconic motif that helps the film to stand out, like the mask of a killer like Micheal Myers.
Props
Props can also be used to symbolize something within a movie. For example, the lightsaber is used to symbolize the character's goals, emotions and approach to the Force. The color coding representing their morality.
Scream (1996)
Analysis
Representation
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Casey as a woman is presented in a very stereotypical way, seeming excessively interested in guys, not very smart and overall, more fragile and helpless. This asserts the notion that she is more vulnerable to the killer and is likely to die, especially when being preyed on by a man.
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This can make it easier for audiences to guess where the story is going and to be able to understand more of the character a lot quicker. However, to a modern audience who want more representation of women breaking gender norms, it could come off as quite sexist and unoriginal.
Mise en Scene
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The setting is based in a house at nighttime. There is no one else at home and the area is very spacious, giving off the feeling of isolation. This contrasts with the usual depiction of homes as comforting and secure, another good tonal choice to emphasize that even within the place that she should feel the safest, she is still in danger.
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The inside of the home at first is lit up brightly, contrasting with the darker outside area. This contrast of light and dark is representative of good versus evil, with her peaceful innocence and the danger lurking outside. This theme continues as the light dims with Casey slowly getting more panicked as the words of the person on the phone become creepy and threatening.
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The house appears extremely undefended too, with many windows allowing for the killers to easily peer inside
Genre
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Because of all the stereotypical tropes used, it is clear from the beginning what kind of movie this is meant to be. Usually in slasher movies like this follow the format of a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually using bladed or sharp tools.
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There are additionally roles such as the ‘First Girl’ and ‘Final Girl’ which follow what their title suggests: The ‘First Girl’ is usually portrayed as less intelligent, causing her to panic and make rushed decisions leading to her immediate death whilst the ‘Final Girl’ is resourceful and smart, helping her to survive the longest.
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From observing her character, we can guess that Casey will take the role of the ‘First Girl’ and will die the quickest because of how well she fits this role. Additionally, we can guess that perhaps later in the plot more characters will be introduced as new victims of the killer and there will be a ‘Final Girl’ there to put a stop to the killer.
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Like other slasher movie franchises, the main characters are all very young and make some careless decisions. Both the police along with every responsible adult seem unable to help. Casey’s parents are currently out, and the police aren’t considered an option because they would take far too long to arrive.
Characters
Casey Becker:
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Casey is shown wearing light blue jeans along with a white jumper. She appears neat and delicate with her natural makeup and blonde combed hair, alluding to innocence and beauty.
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This hinges on the idea of the ‘First Girl’ trope, a girl who typically dies first in horror movies. She is often depicted as unintelligent and promiscuous, typically attractive with blonde hair.
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This is supported by her actions throughout the phone call. She starts off friendly but brushes him off at first. As the scene progresses, the conversation almost feels flirtatious, when he asks her if she has a boyfriend and in turn she lies and tells him no. This could be interpreted as her being potential interested, not wanting to mention that she has a boyfriend so that he may try to pursue her.
‘Ghostface’
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The caller has a distinctively raspy voice that makes him sound intimidating. The tone in which he talks is almost taunting so that when combined with the eerie words he says it makes him feel like he knows what he is doing whilst Casey and the audience do not. This serves to highlight him as an intimidating figure who currently has all the power in the situation.
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The choice to introduce the killer through a phone call without revealing the killer’s face is successfully able to heighten suspense as to the identity of the mysterious caller.
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Whilst the audience is witnessing Casey in her private home with her real face, the caller is completely anonymous. The anonymity of this heightens the feeling of power imbalance between the two of them. The caller seems like a force of nature rather than an ordinary person because what an audience makes up in their head is usually scarier than any visual horror they could provide.
American Psycho (2000)
Similarities and Differences
Similarities - As horror films, there are naturally many similarities between these opening sequences. For example, in both of them tension is built through the long duration of each shot, feeling as though each shot is building up to something.
Differences - Whilst both of these openings surround similar genres the way they go about creating tension differs greatly. For example, in Scream the narrative is mainly told through the dialogue between the two characters, with a focus on playing on typical character tropes within the slasher genre. This contrasts with American Psycho in which there is only one character monolguing, this feels off-putting as though he is speaking to the audience and breaking the 4th wall. Additonally there is non-diagetic welcoming music which makes the audience feel as though something is just slightly off, which is used to create tension. In the camerawork, Scream relies mostly on dutch angles to distorient the viewer whilst in American psycho, the camera is always leveled but all of the wide shots make the audience feel as though they are in his house, creating the effect that the audience isn't welcoming, intruding on the main character's private life.
Indiana Jones
Raiders of the Lost Ark
(1981)
Christian Metz Genre Theory
Christian Metz was a French film theorist that believed that genres have a cycle of stages during their life. This is split into four stages:
01
Experimental stage
This is when the genre is first established. This is done through constant experimentation, using trial and error to find out what works together to form a conhesive genre and atmosphere that can be easily replicated and used in other stories. An example of this would be Night of the Living Dead.
02
Classic Stage
03
This is the point at which the genre and its conventions become well established and are repeated throughout many pieces of media for a simple, effective format that is sure to gain attention by appealing to those who enjoyed the originals. The rules become established and usually aren't broken at this point. For example, Dawn of the Dead.
Parody Stage
This is usually at the point where people become bored of the repeated, predictable conventions that have been overused and no longer hold the surprising and innovative feelings present in the originals. People start to mock the common conventions and formats, becoming satirized and made fun of. For example, Sean of the Dead or Evil Dead.
04
Deconstruction stage
This is the final stage in which the conventions of a genre are reevaluated and added upon. Convensions can be altered, subverted or changed to give new life to a piece of media and surprise audeinces who are used to the conventional tropes of the genre. For example, World War Z or 28 days later.
Questionnare
Results:
Conclusion
Using these results I can deduce that my main audience is girls around the ages of 16-18. Through this questionare I have also decided to work on the horror genre with an emphasis on subverting expectations regarding representation, particularly of women considering they are my target audience.