edward' evaluation of horror conventions
TRANSCRIPT
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7/28/2019 'Edward' Evaluation of Horror Conventions
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1. In what ways does your media
product use, develop, or challenge
forms and conventions of real mediaproducts?
The opening title sequence of Edward
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7/28/2019 'Edward' Evaluation of Horror Conventions
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1
The title Edward can be said tobe a typical title of a horror film.
The use of the single name, adds
an intriguing tone to the film-
immediately capturing the
attention of the audience, due to
its short, punchy nature.
This technique has been seen in
other horror films, such as Carrie
in 1976 and Jason X in 2001.
These are examples, much like
Edward, however contrastingly, a
typical horror film would not be
the name of the protagonist.
We got our inspiration from the TV seriesDexter, which adheres to the crime drama form.
This is also named after the main character,
which achieves intrigue, much like Edward.
'Dexter' Opening Title Sequence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESicykvHUykhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESicykvHUyk -
7/28/2019 'Edward' Evaluation of Horror Conventions
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2The setting of Edward does
conform, and develop, theconventions of a typical horror
film.
Most horror films would include a
desolate, dark setting in which a
vulnerable character is entrapped.
We chose the setting of a forest as
we felt it would be an ideal place
to portray the vulnerability of the
girls, as they run to save
themselves.We also took the inspiration of the setting, andrunning of the characters from the opening title
sequence of Heavenly Creatures, in which two
women flee from danger through a forest.
'Heavenly Creatures' Opening Title Sequence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4_HltjFpX8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4_HltjFpX8 -
7/28/2019 'Edward' Evaluation of Horror Conventions
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3The costumes and props used in Edward can be said to
challenge the typical horror conventions.
For example, one girl can be seen wearing a bright red
dress- which would not be typical in a horror film today.
Today, most females protagonists tend to wear ordinary,
dull clothing, so as to bring a domestic, everyday tone to
the horror of the narrative.
We as a group chose to portray danger and murder through
the red, connoting the narrative of the film Edward.
The female protagonists in
The Hand that Rocks the
Cradle , and The Othersappear to wear plain,
domesticated clothing, so
as to give a sense of eerie
normality to the film. We
have challenged this
convention with the brightly
coloured dress.
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7/28/2019 'Edward' Evaluation of Horror Conventions
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4The camera work in Edward
connotes the rapid tone to theopening, as the girls are being
chased through the forest. This is
also conveyed through the rattling
of the iron gate, which produces an
unnerving, sudden sound-
developing the typical conventions
of a horror film.
The camera angle of this shot also
depicts the horror convention due
to the close up of the hands, and
the vibration of the iron gate.
This is the close up used in Psycho- which illustrates the
horror convention through the graphic match. The
transformation of the eye into the plughole, has been focused
upon- much like the hands on the bars, in Edward.
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The element of several girls running, does
develop a key convention of a horror film; the
classic final girl pursuit.
We chose to adhere to this typical convention
so as to ensure that we focused on the horror
genre, and did not steer away from the
thriller, or action form.
We kept to the horror genre but capturing
several girls, and not only one, however we
have kept one girl in particular as a central
character.
Chase Scene, 'Scream'
This feature is present in the film Scream, in which
Drew Barrymore is being chased around her house by
the killer. Although this is different t Edward due to
the domestic setting, the convention of final girl still
applies, and has been developed in Edward in order
to specify the horror genre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulykPn5ZUVshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulykPn5ZUVs -
7/28/2019 'Edward' Evaluation of Horror Conventions
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The opening of Edward immediatelyconveys the narrative due to the fast
paced action taking place.
The first shot is a POV angle of
someone running through the trees.
This fast action immediately sets the
tone to the rest of the opening-
consequently adding tension and
heightening the horror element.
This POV shot challenges the way in
which a typical horror film would
convey the narrative, as usually the
opening starts slowly, like in Insidious
and endures the horror atmosphere,
however we chose to include the
dramatic element at the very first
instant so as to build this throughout.
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7/28/2019 'Edward' Evaluation of Horror Conventions
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7The horror genre is particularly
adhered to in Edward throughthe use of flashbacks.
The analepsis here is used to
convey the horror of the past, and
thus heightens the tension and
thrill of the opening for the
audience.
We chose to use flashbacks to
present the murders in the past,
and the previous chase of the
girls.
The use of flash backs is also seen in Heavenly
Creatures as we see a sudden graphic change in the
setting- in which the two women run through the
setting of a party, in monochrome.
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This is the first character we see in Edward- agirl running through the forest. This
introduction is not typical of a horror film, as
usually the character would be in a domestic
environment, doing normal day to day tasks.
However we have challenged this convention
so as to build the tension even further, and
immediately create intrigue amongst the
audience. The fact that we first see a girl
running serves to build the horror form, and
raise questions amongst watchers.
This does however, contrastingly
demonstrate the classical final girl pursuit
element of a horror film, in which a
vulnerable female is being chased through
an isolated setting- therefore developing a
typical convention.
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We added in a special effect in Edward in which the title
flickers at the end known as Blink. We added this so as to
leave an unnerving impression on the audience, right at
the very end of the opening.
This is not typical in a horror film, and we have challenged
the usual convention of a slow, soft font. In Insidious, the
font is much softer than that of Edward and fades off the
screen, lingering for a moment.