media evaluation

1. Evaluation
Activity 1
In what ways does
your media product
use, develop or
challenge forms and
conventions of real
media products?

2. The Title Of The Film
The Title of my film, ‘The Walk Home’ has a typical horror feel to
it. The story behind this title suggests the character is by himself
after being somewhere, and puts across a certain isolated, eerie
atmosphere. The title also builds up a certain level of tension
and suspense as the audience knows something will occur on his
journey home, but are unsure of what exactly.
The Horror movie ‘It Follows’ has a similar title to ours, in the
way that a certain level of tension and suspense is also built up
leaving the audience feeling excited and curious. Unknowing
what exactly is following. The same way our target audience is
left unknowing what will occur on ‘The Walk Home’.

3. Setting/Location
For our media product we have picked
a graveyard to film in which goes hand
in hand with our genre – Horror, as
graveyards have a stereotypical ‘horror’
or ‘scary’ feel towards them. We
thought this would be ideal to
represent our genre preference. After
previously looking at the Horror Movie
‘Drag me to Hell’ which also features a
graveyard and has won ‘Best Horror
Movie’ under the Saturn Award. We
came to the conclusion that a
graveyard would be a suitable setting
to film in, as other horror movies had
also featured a graveyard, and a
graveyard would allow us to set the
right scene and atmosphere.
We also decided to film the first opening
scene, the party scene in a shed, which
we thought would be the best space to
film it in seeing as the disco ball was
already installed there. The party scene
strongly represents our target audience
young males aged between 15-24 and
shows a typical teenage party, with an
effect that has been put on while editing
which has slowed it down and distorted it
slightly. Representing the character is
slightly drunk. We aimed to make our
opening scene similar in ways to our
target audience so that they can relate to
the film, and feel the film is purposely
targeting them.

4. Title font &
Style
After looking through hundreds of different fonts I
selected this one as I thought it best matched our
theme and would work well with the rest of our
opening.
The font I have selected is bold and rough, the
different sized letters create an unsettling creepy
atmosphere. The boldness and smudged letters
portray a sense of violence and suggest something
unnerving may occur later on.
The horror movie ‘Orphan’
uses a similar font to ours,
which again is sharp and
horror like. However here the
font looks as if its been
written by a young child
matching the story of the film,
giving off an unsettling sinister
feel. (similar to ours)
I Gathered the fonts I
thought were best suited to
what we were doing and
handed them out to other
class mates, asking them to
select their best three
Before concluding and
making my final decision.
‘A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET’ uses a very
similar font to ours, using bold lettering with a
smudge effect to it, strongly linking to
connotations of horror, blood and violence.
Which our font to has similarities too.

5. How the opening sets up the
genre and story
The opening of our film strongly represents the
genre. We have also tried to make our horror film
opening different from others. Our opening scene
is at a party not necessarily typical of a horror
movie. This has been done purposely to give some
background information to the audience. It shows
where the main character has previously been. It
allows our target audience to relate to the film.
We chose a graveyard to film in
as this has a stereotypical
horror feel towards it. We
thought this would be best to
represent our genre preference
and clearly resembles ‘Horror’.
The party scene shows how the
teenager is slightly drunk and
doesn’t have a clear mind set,
implying something may occur
later on due to fact he’s been
drinking.
The zombie hand is the end to the climax
that has been building up throughout the
opening. It also leaves the audience on a
cliff hanger and in suspense as to what is
going to happen next.
The ring has a similar opening to ours in the way he
characters are kept unknown and a climax and level of
tension/suspense is built up as the girl explores her
house after discovering noises. The tension is then
broken at the end of the opening when the TV screen
flickers and the scene is cut. This is very similar to how
ours has been done where the scene is cut on the end
showing a torn off arm, leaving the audience
questioning what will happen next. Music gives away
the genre and plays an important part in creating
tension and suspense.

6. How the characters
are introduced
We are introduced to the main
character as he leaves party scene, to
make his way home. Little is known
about him at this point apart from
the journey he his about to embark
on given away by our title. We have
purposefully kept him mysterious so
as capture the viewers curiosity. The horror movie ‘The Ring’ introduces its characters in a similar way to ours.
Only one character is featured in the opening and little to nothing is really
known about her. This keeps the audiences level of curiosity running high as
they are intrigued and begin to question, who this girl is, where is she?, is she
alone?, what will happen next?. The possessed, demonic girl in the opening is
never once seen, but again the audience knows something isn’t right through
the use of a mixture of different shots . Including hand held shots, Crab shots
and Wide shots. Along with ambient and diegetic sounds, to give the
impression that the girl may not be alone. However she as a main character is
not aware of this. We have attempted o create something similar to this in our
opening scene.
The audience is aware of the zombie being
present in our opening but is never once
seen. Hand held shots along with tracking
shots are used to show how the main
character is being watched. Again creating a
tension build up as the audience knows
something is going to occur.

7. Costumes and Props
The main character is wearing a thick winter coat, and a pair
of tracksuit. He appears to be very self contained and
private. Showing how he is now isolated after leaving the
party, keeping himself to himself. Representing how he may
be feeling nervous or slightly scared about the walk home
he now has to take. This hints to the audience that
something may not be right ( through him acting self
contained and reserved) . Suggesting a sense of disturbance
foreshadowing what may occur later on.
He is dressed for cold weather reflecting the mysterious
uneasy atmosphere after leaving the party.
Other props such as the disco ball, ripped off arm and
Iphone have been used in order to make our opening
as realistic as possible. The disco ball and ripped off
arm are two very different props. The disco ball was
used to show the setting and location of the opening
representing a teenage party atmosphere relatable to
our target audience (males 15-24). The ripped off arm
was used to closely relate our genre- ‘horror’. The
flesh, blood and bone connotes to gore, violence and
fear. Typical of a horror movie.

8. Camera Work, Editing & Special Effects
A wide angle establishing shot has been used to
open the graveyard scene in order to show the
whole view of the setting/location. The
previously mentioned horror movie ‘Drag me to
hell’ also uses a wide, establishing shot showing
a graveyard. In a similar way to ours. Doing this
helps to set the scene and atmosphere, and
gets the audience in the right mood for
watching a horror movie.
Other shots such as tracking shots have been
used quite frequently throughout the graveyard
scene in order to give the impression someone
is being followed or watched.