Reviewing Conventions andComparing ‘Paralysis’ with real texts

By Tim Loe

Auteur and Genre Theory (Recap)• After research and planning we established that our product

was a mixture of both the genre and auteur theory. This was because we wanted to be creative and apply our original ideas, however we thought it would be best to emulate generic conventions as well, in order to make our product successful, and portray the genre effectively.

• Evidence of the auteur theory in our production is the use of focus pulling, and evidence of genre theory in our production is the use of lighting , colour(desaturation and blue tones), conventional character types (the supernatural, the vulnerable victim) and use of camera (regular close ups).

Are they in Paralysis? (yes = )

Iconography Characters Narrative Setting Colour/lighting

Blood Antagonist - supernatural

Endings are usually left ambiguous

Woods Desaturated

Knifes, axes Protagonist – vulnerable

Narrative always revolves around the concept of death

Graveyard Blue tones

The supernatural Expert During the protagonists quest she will be exposed to extreme isolation. However the help of an expert is usually required. (e.g. Psychiatrist)

Castle Low key lighting is mostly used, even if the protagonist is present (usually to imply that the antagonist is watching them).

Solitude African American House

Anti-religious ideologies

Bimbo Countryside

Religion Sceptical person Empty school

The survivor Places of solitude

Conventions of a Horror Film

Meeting Conventions- Trailer

Use of TitlesOur text screens meet convention, which we thought would be best to emulate since it is proven to be successful. We used a grunge texture as a background, which is similar to ‘Sinister’ and presents a menacing tone, and the background’s texture adds depth to the frame.Our titles also had a conventional animation. We key framed the position so that the title would zoom in. Overall our use of titles meet convention.

Use of Logos• The institutional structure I followed is based on conventions

of the relationship between the distributor and producer for a horror film. Firstly the production company is usually small and independent, whereas the distribution is usually mass market, an example being paranormal activity 1 (production company - Blumhouse productions, and distributed by Paramount Pictures).

• I thought it was sensible to expose this in the trailer, which is why there is a ‘Sinister Pictures’ logo at the beginning. This suggests that I have followed convention, as the production companies logo is usually displayed in a horror trailer, whereas the distribution company is not.

• (Note: production company is not relevant to the magazine front cover, which is the reason the logo is not on there.)

Technical form• Our trailer was uploaded at 16:9 aspect ratio, matching the

industry and it adds an element of professionalism to our product.

• Also due to the small amount of dialogue it meant that ADR could be used, this gave our trailer crisp and clear dialogue, and made our audio sound a lot cleaner, which is vital due to the substantial role of sound in the horror genre.

Camera• The camera played a vital part in allowing us to meet

conventions, the use of the 50mm lens enabled a shallow depth of field for close ups, which we felt was necessary to exploit, and is the reason for the regular use of close ups (as well as to meet conventions, and also to connotes anxiety, and exposes the distress of the actors. (see slide 12 for theory analysis).

• To enable a contrasting light, we had to change the exposure and aperture on the camera so that more light was let in, and we could fully manipulate our shots with artificial light. This use of light connotes intensity throughout the trailer.

Conventions we have rejected• In order to follow our research, we needed to reject some conventions to

follow the auteur theory.• This was firstly done by a regular use of focus. (out of focus to in focus). This

connotes disorientation, and helped the audience to determine the boy as being vulnerable.

• The use of optical flares in post production also reject convention, since they do not contribute to a colder look (although they look more aesthetically pleasing).

Conventions we have followed• We also had to follow conventions, since in our research we stated that a

mixture of the auteur and genre theory would apply to us. The conventions we followed are:

• Colour – Desaturated blue colour grade• Characters– vulnerable child, caring mother, expert, supernatural

antagonist. • Narrative – The mother is on a quest to cure her son’s condition, and is

forced to do it in solitude, when no one can help her.• Shots -regular use of close ups. This establishes characters expressions

more effectively, which is vital for a horror• Lighting – ambient lighting used for outdoor scenes, artificial light used for

all indoor scenes, and positioned to create a contrasting light on the actors.• Sound -stings, atonal score, atmospheric sound• Location – The woods is conventional of the horror genre since it connotes

isolation, a house has also become conventional with the rise of the domestic horror.

Connotations• A wood was chosen for one of our locations,

as not only because it was conventional but the vast landscape connotes loneliness, and entrapment.

• Low Key Lighting was often used, to connote the antagonist’s presence and also feelings of sadness, and suspense.

• Composition and camera were often manipulated in order to present solitude. An example is the research scene where the mother is on a laptop, and she is composed to the right of the shot in order to emphasise the space in the frame, connoting her loneliness. The over the shoulder shot also connotes she is being watched, which builds suspense.

Similarities with Insidious• De-saturated, blue colour grade – the blue tones have connotations of

coldness and the desaturation presents a feeling of intensity.• Conventional establishing shot of location (house)• Conventional narrative, which is portrayed in order to build enigma in trailer

(two out of the three stages of Todorov’s narrative theory are used - equilibrium and disequilibrium). The third stage of his narrative theory is not shown in the trailer, since it would give away too much information, and also there is not always a new - equilibrium in the horror genre.

• Conventional progressive pace of a horror trailer – both trailers build up to a final sting at the end.

• Both products include a shot at the end, after the text screens – A conventional device to provide the audience with one last scare

• Similar text screens – both have textures behind them• Suitable variety of Locations • Conventional soundtrack and scores used (atmospheric and melodic, which

emphasise the intense atmosphere of the trailer.)

Things we could have improved for our trailer• The 5th shot breaks the 30 degree rule, which makes the trailer

look a lot less fluent.• The rule states that every cut requires a 30 degree angle

change for the cut to be smooth.• I felt the atmospheric score was not quite right for our trailer.

It was adequate, however I feel that we could have found a more suspenseful, violent atonal score.

• In some shots colour correction is needed for continuity. An example being the shot at 1.15.

The contrast between the colour of these shots make the cut seem less smooth, and disrupts the continuity of the scene.

Theory and Conventions• Sarris compares the auteur theory to three premises; the outer

(technique), middle (style) and inner (interior meaning) circles. We considered this during the production of our trailer. An example is pulling focus, which is the technique (outer circle), and is a trait associated with us as directors (style), and finally connotes the disorientation of the boy, which was necessary in order to fully expose his vulnerability. This is the reason we defied convention, as it strengthened the product, which is what Sarris’ theory explains.

• Bazin states that the popularity of a genre is based on how the product approaches dominant ideologies of the time. This was the reason for our choice of domestic horror, which I feel was a successful decision. However this also meant that the genre theory was refuted as the postmodern popularity of domestic horror plays with genre and audience expectations. Therefore our product is not a conventional horror, which means we did not fully follow the genre theory in this sense.

Meeting Conventions- Ancillary Tasks

The Poster• For coherency our poster closely followed the themes and

iconography present in the trailer. • Colour – similar desaturated and blue colour• Mise-en-scene such as costumes (pyjamas), lighting (low key,

contrasting light)• Composition of the shot – Using the rule of thirds the antagonist

is emphasised.• Editing – grunge textures and gradients • This required coherency meant that we would also be using

conventions in our poster. (Conventions already listed include colour, lighting, costumes, composition of shot). Other conventions are:

• Location – portrays a sense of solitude, and connotes the boy is possessed or in a dream since it is behind his bed.

• Characters – the vulnerable boy in the middle of the shot, with direct address connotes that he is the protagonist, and presents his unawareness and vulnerability.

Colour and Lighting Use of Locations Character Camera Colour Scheme and Text

Low Key Lighting Woods (lonely location that features in film)

Characters showcased are sometimes the antagonist and almost always the protagonist

A convention shot for a horror poster is a CU / XCU

Font usually looks quite menacing, and sinister. It usually has a texture to add depth to it

De-saturationBlue TintHigh ContrastVignette

A location is usually used on a horror poster (alternative to a coloured background). This is because it helps present an element of solitude.

The antagonist is usually placed in a place to make the protagonist look vulnerable. (e.g. behind him) – The rule of thirds is usually considered when doing this, since the antagonist would typically be placed in an intersection of two lines or along a vertical line of the frame.

Use of dark colours such as red and black

Blue is used to compliment the image (if it has a conventional blue tint), and contributes to the cold effect of the poster

Conventions of A Horror PosterAre they used in our poster? yes= )

Isolated location in the background, connoting the solitude and vulnerability of the boy.

Vulnerable protagonist – direct address

Menacing shot of house, with a Desaturated blue colour, connoting a cold atmosphere.

Grunge texture blended into title. Giving titles a menacing look suitable for a horror film.

Contrasting light – connotes intensity and is conventional light use for a horror poster.

Use of Vignette to connote a sense of entrapment.

The antagonist in our poster serves a similar function to the eyes in the insidious poster. They portray enigma to the audience.

The Magazine• The magazine has similar features to the poster. Here is a list

of what has been included for coherency: • Text colour scheme• Colour grading of image• Texture on the Paralysis title• Direct address of the protagonist, connoting his unawareness

and vulnerability• Low key lighting and use of black gradients to connote a sense

of entrapment

Conventions of a Horror Magazine

Use of Location Colour and Lighting Character Camera Text and Colour Scheme

A location is usually not featured in the background. Instead there is usually a solid colour, and then a texture to add depth to it.

Low key Lighting The antagonist and protagonist are usually displayed. If only one character is showcased it is usually the antagonist.

Conventional shots include: Close ups , Medium Close ups, medium shots

The font of text usually follows house style of previous editions of a magazine.

Background will usually be a black solid with a texture for depth, and a blueish light to add colour to the background.

Desaturated colour, blue tint

Colour of text such as cover lines, and general colour scheme can be changed. The conventional colours of horror are used. E.g. black, red and dark blue.

Are they used in our magazine? (Yes = )

Low key lighting – connotes the antagonist is present

The images feature the conventional colour grade for a horror, which is a blue tint. This connotes a cold and intense atmosphere.

Antagonist is present, which is a common feature of magazines since it builds enigma.

Background is never a solid colour. It is usually used to emphasise the main image. The dark blue colour of the background connotes a cold tone.

Horror iconography used. The colour red connotes blood, clarifying the horror genre of this product.

The images are very minimal, which is conventional for horror products, as it connotes solitude and emphasises the vulnerability of the protagonist.