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

Whilst making our media product we compared our trailer to other horror trailers in the recent industry, a main example of this is “paranormal activity”. We chose the “paranormal activity” trailer, as it has the conventions of a demon which we were hoping to have in ours. The trailer also has activities, where the character becomes possessed. This is a major feature we have chosen to focus our trailer around.  

We have taken features from the “paranormal activity” trailer, as they inspired use to use them in our trailer. These features are things such as text cards, fast paced cuts and an eerie non-diegetic soundtrack. These are typical conventions of real media product; however we have developed on them by using a minimum amount of actress in the trailer as well as focusing the storyline around only one character being possessed.    

Studying the two Theorists, Vadlimir Propp and Tzvetan Todorov, we linked our trailer in with their ideas. Todorov’s theory is based around “Narrative”. It consists of five stages; these five stages are [Equilibrium, Disruption, Disequilibrium, Solution, and New Equilibrium]. As we are creating a horror trailer not all of our storyline will link in with this. We will not have a “Solution” or a “New Equilibrium”, as this means the film would give away the ending and not attract the audience to come watch it.

Equilibrium: A young girl having a dream, which turns into a nightmare.         

Disruption: The demon from the dream becomes reality.

Disequilibrium: The young girl tries to escape.

Solution: No Solution is seen.

New Equilibrium: No Equilibrium is seen.

Propp’s theory focuses more around characters within the storyline. It consists of the “Hero”, the “Helper”, the “Donor”, the “Villian”, and the “Princess”.

The Hero: No Hero is seen.

The Helper: A passer-by, when victim is breaking down.

The Donor: This could link in with the helper as they have similar goals.

The Villain: The Demon.

The Princess: The young female victim.

We discovered that our trailer links in with Todorov’s theory more than Propp’s. We believe this is because our trailer uses the typical conventions of a horror trailer rather than challenging them. Our piece doesn’t particularly involve characters; however this is because if there were many characters seen in the trailer, the audience may become confused. We are hoping for our trailer to be seen as a stereotypical horror trailer, as it consists of all the conventions such as “unknown death”, “demon”, and “a vulnerable victim”.