Creative Critical Reflection 1

How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues? 

My group and I focused on stereotypes when conducting our research on the genre horror. Stereotypes often attract a wide variety of audiences increasing viewer interest and that is why my group and I chose to follow a stereotype as it is the most popular with the audience. 

My group and I learned that in horror, unusual angles along with high-pitched non-diegetic sounds are often used to create an unnerving feel among the audience. The diffused lighting along with the dark background adds to the uneasiness it causes the audience. 

The use of non-diegetic sound, lighting, sound effects, character types, names of cast and crew, and

film production companies were the conventions used in the opening sequence.

Analyze the impact of these conventions on the target audience. 

The opening sequence involves the theme of fear and unease, which was chosen to be followed, as it

creates tension which is one of the most important effects in a horror following the conventions of

stereotypical movies in the industry, it is also chosen in order to evoke the natural emotion from the

audience based on the expectations of horror films.

Since the genre is horror, it is not essential for there to be dialogue within the opening sequence which

therefore enables the audience to be able to create their own ideas and leave them feeling uneasy by

having to create their own perspectives based on the content that is presented to them. Some of the

scenes such as the protagonist holding the knife and having the antagonist behind him were chosen

in order to directly target the emotion of fear and suspense from the audience. 

The props used in the opening sequence include knives and fake blood during the kitchen scene.

This is important as the knives along with the fake blood help to complement the opening sequence

as well as the character and represent to use as film creators that mise-en-scene is extremely

important when creating an opening sequence as it sets the scene and enables again the audience

to understand what is expected and foreshadowing the genre and theme directly through the use

of these props.  Furthermore, this helps the character enhance the role of the killer and identify the cultural setting of the film. Additionally, linking back to the theme our costumes used the color black and

red, this is because these colors help generate fear and build on the overall theme and help to evoke the

sense that the characters within the scene are going to be the main subjects. It also creates further

tension for the audience and they may feel inferior to the characters in front of them again, building

on the theme of tension and fear,. Moreover, for our setting, shooting on a rainy night was specifically

chosen in order to further build on the theme of the opening sequence. Conforming to these stereotypes

that bad things happen during the night time in the dark or during bad weather, really solidifies the idea

that the audience will be able to partner these conventions of horror movies together and clearly

understand that the representations being presented are in fact of a horror movie. This therefore

automatically instills a sense of fear in the audience, due to the stereotypes we chose to follow for

our opening sequence. In addition, non-diegetic sound effects were added to create a feeling of

uneasiness and tension among the audience. The element of lighting is used throughout the

opening sequence, it can be specifically noticed when the protagonist is highlighted through

the kitchen window, while the background is dark compared to the lighting effect on the protagonist. This

affects the audience in a way in which creates a mood of suspense and a tense atmosphere that aids in

intensifying the theme of fear. Moreover, editing was used to create a perfect blend of images and

sounds that can connect the audience emotionally throughout the opening sequence. This is apparent

when the antagonist can be seen walking into the kitchen and switching the lights on while an eerie

sound effect of the lights flickering on can be heard. This was done to create anxiety among the

audience to run their imagination on what is to come. 

Who is your target audience?

According to your research, what were your audience’s expectations and to what

extent do you think you have fulfilled them?

The group’s target audience was aimed at males and females between the ages of 15-18. Although

the majority of the targeted audience expected jump scares and action, they did not particularly enjoy

watching fake blood. However, fake blood was included in the opening sequence to create apprehension

and nervousness among the audience. Furthermore, since the audience expected jump scares, the group

and I decided to include one at the end to keep the audience on their tenterhooks. 

What is the purpose of an opening sequence?

The goal of an opening sequence is to present the title of the movie, its cast, and staff, as well as the

upcoming tone of the episode. Additionally, this is a strategy used by producers to keep viewers interested.

It further captivates the audience by incorporating auditory and visual effects, keeping them interested.

What opening sequence conventions have you used in your production?

The use of title credits in the opening sequence was used to introduce the studio logo, cameraman, cast

and crew, and title of the film. These title credits are used to give the audience an inside into what was to

come and who was starring in the film. This is important because producers can use celebrities to attract

viewership for the film and set up the audience’s expectations. Secondly, an eerie soundtrack of an opera

was used throughout most of the opening sequence to build on the theme and let the audience use their

imagination on what's to come. Thirdly, the establishing shot was used to introduce the audience to where

the scene was taking place. The establishing shot helped give the audience context to the genre (horror)

this was evident when it was raining and the shot was taken when it was dark. Fourthly, symbolic codes

such as the face of the protagonist being painted red to connect back to the title (The Man in Red).

Technical codes were used during the establishing shot when it was raining heavily at night time to help

create meaning behind the theme of fear among the audience. This was done through the stereotype

of a rainy night usually acquired in horror movies. Finally, hook stereotypes were used when the

protagonist (male) held a knife behind the antagonist (female). This was done because the female is

usually the victim while the male is the attacker following a stereotype as this attracts a larger audience.

The hook was created when the protagonist was holding the knife behind the antagonist and the scene

cuts off to create suspense and tension among the audience. 

Who is represented in your film? 

Our film represents the reality where the female is usually the oppressed one whereas the male is the

oppressor. This is important as if not represented correctly it can be harmful to society as media is often

a tool used to control the mindset of the general public. Additionally, this helps highlight the issues in

modern society and raise awareness.

How is this evident in the major production?

Evidence for this comes from the opening sequence when the male was the attacker and the female

was the victim showing that women are victims the majority of the time. This was done through camera

shots representing the male as powerful while the female was represented as a victim. 

Have stereotypes been used?

The stereotypes used were the male as the attacker and the female as the victim this was done to help

establish the character’s traits. This was done as the audience can relate to stereotyping casting if the

female was represented as the attacker, the audience would have some form of doubt on whether or

not she could take down the male victim, thus making the opening sequence less enjoyable and

relatable. Uses and gratification theory has also been applied to the opening sequence,

this was done in coordination with the stereotype to seem more appealing to the audience as

this gives them gratification. 

To what extent have you challenged genre conventions and/ or stereotypes?

The group and I chose not to challenge stereotypes or genre conventions as this is not as appealing to

the audience. Instead, we chose to follow the stereotype so that the audience can relate to the

genre.