1. Olivia Lyons
Media Advanced Portfolio- A. Product Research
Analysis of 3 Similar Products to Main Piece
Short Film 1:
Dead Man’s Lake
http://www.bloodycuts.co.uk/films/ep6-deadmanslake/
Genre elements Conventions presented in the Short Film
Characters – The audience are introduced to the
representations, characters at the very start of the film.
stereotypes, The girl is a stereotypical character in a
behaviour, body horror movie. An innocent blonde girl,
blonde having conations of being “ditsy”
language, specific
and dumb. She is pretty and the use of
actors/stars
dressing her in a pink top identifies her
as a feminine character and creates a
sense of vulnerability. There is usually
always a girl victim in the horror genre who is last to be killed, as there is
only one female character introduced this creates suspense with the
audience.
Narrative events – Ordered and structured with a non-linear narrative- the film isn’t in
how is the narrative chronological order and goes back and forward in time.
ordered and Elliptical Structure- certain key pieces of information/events are revealed
structured? to the audience, leaving them to fill in the gaps. Cuts to the woods where
the audience are shown the camera tracking through the trees then cuts
back to the characters at the campsite leaving the audience to fill in the
gaps about what is happening in the woods. Creates tension and mystery-
both clear conventions of the genre.
Enigmatic Structure- The full meaning of the film isn’t made clear until the
moment of resolution. The audience are only revealed to events that make
them believe the burnt male character is the villain; however at the end at
the moment of resolution it is revealed that the man is the victim.
Iconography – Props- the use of having
props, symbolic the character looking at
codes a map whist walking
through the forest
immediately establishes
to the audience that the
two are in an unfamiliar
setting and don’t know
where they are going.
The fire of the barbeque
gives an insight as to
what is going to happen.
Fire has connotations of
danger and burning. The
close up shot
emphasises its
importance.

2. Olivia Lyons
Media Advanced Portfolio- A. Product Research
Analysis of 3 Similar Products to Main Piece
The knife suggests death
and danger. Close up
shot creates tension and
suspense.
Setting- mise en Setting- a forest, easy
scene hiding places, middle of
nowhere, a deserted
place which creates a
sense of the characters
being alone. Deserted
location is a convention
of the horror genre.
Mise en scene- “Private
Property”, “Keep Out”
on a sign made visible to
the audience once the
characters have walked
past it. Writing in the
colour red, red having
connotations of danger
and blood which are
conventions of the genre
Technical and audio When the film cuts to the woods the filming is from the characters point of
codes – camera use, view- this technique creates suspense and tension.
editing, lighting, The camera pans through the woods, scanning the scene and following the
diegetic/non moving object.
diegetic sound, sfx
The film is set outside and is therefore in natural light so no artificial
light(s) are used.
Non diegetic sound- atmospheric music played as the people are
walking to the lake builds suspense and draws the audience in.
Neale’s ‘Mental It is clearly established from the beginning of the film that it is a horror;
Machinery’: How from the mise en scene, music, and characters all having clear conventions
does the text meet of the genre. The preferred audience for the horror genre expect to see
audience clear conventions of the genre throughout the film, such as, a victim
character, a villain, deserted location, no escape, symbolic props and
expectations? How
atmospheric music and sound effects. The film conforms to convention
does it conform to
and meets the audience’s expectations by encoding clear conventions of
convention and/or the horror genre, such as the deserted forest as the location. However, the
deviate from film deviates from convention by not having a villain character, as it is
convention? shown in the moment of resolution that the suspected villain character is
in fact a victim.

3. Olivia Lyons
Media Advanced Portfolio- A. Product Research
Analysis of 3 Similar Products to Main Piece
Short Film 2:
Love Field
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4meeZifCVro
Genre elements Conventions presented in the Short Film
Characters – The camera pans across the field
representations, and the audience are introduced
stereotypes, to the first character, by firstly
behaviour, body seeing just a foot. The body
language of the foot being
language, specific
curled up and clenched suggests
actors/stars
the character is in pain. The
blood on the foot and the
diegetic sound of the character
screaming out, suggests she is
being assaulted and therefore identifies the character as being a victim.
The screaming is feminine and suggests the character is a woman; a
women victim is a clear convention of the horror genre.
The male character is first revealed by a close up shot of the tattoos on his
arm. The Skull is the symbol of death and God and immediately establishes
him as a mysterious, threatening character. He is thought to be the male
antagonist which is a clear convention of the horror genre.
Narrative events – The film has a linear narrative- it is ordered with all the events happening
how is the narrative in chronological order, and there is no cuts going back and forward in time.
ordered and
structured? The film has an enigmatic
structure. The audience are only
shown events that can be
interpreted in different ways. For
example they are shown the
women screaming in pain and
blood, but not that she is
pregnant and that the man is
helping her. The full meaning of the film isn’t made clear until the moment
of resolution.

4. Olivia Lyons
Media Advanced Portfolio- A. Product Research
Analysis of 3 Similar Products to Main Piece
Iconography – Blackbirds represent omens and
props, symbolic mystical concepts. Black, the
codes colour of their feathers, has
connotations of evil, fear and
danger. The audience being
introduced to the blackbird first of
all suggests that the location is a
deserted place with no sign of life.
Close up shot of a mobile phone
immediately identifies that a
person has been or is still in the
field. The fact it is open, showing
it has tried to be used makes the
audience fill in gaps about what
has happened and creates tension
and suspicion. As the audience are
so far thinking the film is a horror,
the mobile phone represents a
form of escape which is a clear
convention of the genre; that the character/s is so close to escaping.
The hand shows that there is
another character in the field, as
well as the women that the
audience are first introduced to. The
axe gives an insight as to what is
happening and suggests danger and
violence. The colour red of the blood
has connotations evil, death and
danger.
Setting- mise en The setting/location of the film is
scene immediately established as being
a deserted corn field. This, and
the gloomy grey weather,
suggests the film as being within
the horror genre as these are
both clear conventions. The
audience are made to believe,
from the start, that the film is a
horror.
Technical and audio Non diegetic sound- atmospheric music played from the start creates
codes – camera use, tension and draws the audience in.
editing, lighting,
diegetic/non Diegetic sound- the creaking of the sign blowing in the wind is added to
seem as though it is noise within the film. The creaking noise disturbs the
diegetic sound, sfx
audience as it is on-going and creates suspense.

5. Olivia Lyons
Media Advanced Portfolio- A. Product Research
Analysis of 3 Similar Products to Main Piece
The music, and also the camera zooming in to the action, creates a sense
of diversion and diverts the audience from everyday life/problems/ routine
as they become lost in the action of the film (Bulmer and Katz Theory).
Aerial Shot- used at the beginning of the film establishes the setting.
Neale’s ‘Mental Although the film includes clear conventions of the horror genre, it also
Machinery’: How deviates from convention. The audience are watching the film expecting it
does the text meet to be a horror as clear conventions of the horror genre are encoded
audience throughout. However, at the point of resolution the film deviates from
convention as the male antagonist is revealed as being the hero as he is
expectations? How
helping the woman who was giving birth. The audience may not be able to
does it conform to
deal with the hybrid genre and therefore they may encode a negotiated
convention and/or reading as the text hasn’t met their expectations.
deviate from
convention?