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

My media product challenges conventions and forms of real media products because in my media product the killer is a female made to look like the stereotypical final girl archetype that being the twist of my media product, instead of being a male, since that is a tradition usually seen in the Slasher genre numerous times. Although, there have been many films which challenge this convention by having female killers, Scream 2 (1997, Wes Craven) and Fatal Attraction (1987, Adrian Lyne) being prime examples, despite this film not being part of the slasher genre. Another way that my media product challenges the different forms and conventions of real media products is that the murder weapon in the film is something that is rarely used for murder. For example, one of the reasons why films such as, Halloween (1979, John Carpenter) and Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchcock) are quite infamous and popular is because the murder weapon being used is recognisable, iconic and it also symbolises the genre of the product, that being the knife. However, there are films which have used different weapons, besides the usual axe or knife. Hatchet (2006, Adam Green) being a prime example, since the killer uses a hatchet, hence the name of the film and due to this, the weapon used in my product is a wrench, leading to the working title of my media product, Wrenched.

Besides from challenging certain conventions and forms of real media texts, my media product also uses certain conventions seen in real products. One those being, the masked killer, whilst being a female in my product, I have used this convention because it is seen in most slasher films, such as the Scream and the Halloween franchises, it hides the killer’s identity creating a narrative enigma for the audience to figure out and it denotes them as being menacing and connotes them as being evil. Another convention that is seen in my product is the blame of being the killer being pinned on the boyfriend, since it makes the product lie to the audience about the killer’s identity and creates a dis-equilibrium relating to this, linking in with the appearance of the killer. A major example of this is in the first Scream (1996, Wes Craven) because the blame is put on Billy Loomis, the main protagonist/final girl’s boyfriend for being the killer after the killer’s failed attempt to kill the girl.

One more way that my media product uses different conventions and forms of real media texts is by the use of shot-reverse-shot when the characters are having a conversation with each other; this is used to connote their emotions and feelings. However, I also challenged this convention, by not showing the mechanic’s face in my media product, this was done in order to create a narrative enigma, it also connotes the man as being the killer because of his unseen face and his action which denote him as being the antagonist, like the part of the opening where he sniffs the girl’s underwear.