Digital technology essay

Digital Media Technology involves the use of technology to create digital content such as Images, video and audio. Utilising digital media technology can support creativity, as the internet can provide us with examples of real media texts, we are not restricted by materials, and we can implement interactive elements which were impossible through traditional media methods. Throughout my time as a media student I have gained a much wider range of skills in Digital media software such as photoshop, indesign and Final Cut Pro. For example, I am now able to add textures and filters to images, animate and develop fonts.

For my preliminary task, the influences of digital media on my work was limited as I was unfamiliar with the softwares. However, digital media technology allowed me to research examples of existing publications via the internet to help inspire my idea. I also used a camera to take my imagery. Unlike in my later tasks, there was a lack of adjustments to my Images, and instead chose to spend more time developing and formatting text/graphics.

Looking back on my preliminary task, my experimentation with fonts, imagery and colour scheme allowed me to evaluate what worked and what didn’t in preparation to the creation of my AS Magazine.

By the time I began work on my AS Magazine, I had gained a wider range of skills in digital media technology. For example, I now had a better understanding of camera angles/lighting which I put into consideration when shooting my imagery. I was then able to adjust this imagery on photoshop using a wide range of tools such as the spot removal, blending and blur tools.

My development in use of digital media technology allowed me to express my creativity better, as I was now more comfortable with the software, I am able to achieve my desired outcome more successfully (e.g. use of textures/fonts etc.) but my more in depth analyis of existing products found on the internet did narrow down my design choices, as my aim was still to create a conventional music magazine.

For my A2 trailer, I was able to further expand on the skills gained over the last year. For example, I have picked up new skills in photoshop such as the ability to produce animated graphics for my transitions and titles, a better understanding of cameras and lighting and the introduction to editing software (final cut pro) allowing for sound design, transitions and more.

Experimentation with basic video editing on IMovie allowed for my group to reflect on what worked successfully/unsuccessfully to improve on in our final trailers. The internet also helped us to find scripts which we adapted into our own trailers.

RMT essay

In media texts, conventions play an important role in allowing the audience to be able to recognise the genre of the text. Conventions can also be broken as a response to the predictability of use of these elements in a genre, or to stand out from other products of the genre, potentially developing the genre further.

In AS, my brief was to create a music magazine focusing on a genre of our choice. To complete this successfully, I had to identify conventions in magazines related to the genre of my chosen genre (rock music) as well as the conventions of magazine design. This research was essential to the creation of my final outcome, as it allowed me to recognise the elements which are used to make my publication recognisable as part of it’s genre, and how conventions such as boosts/cover lines help to gain interest from an audience. For instance, looking at ‘Classic rock’ and ‘Rocksound’ Magazines helped me to identify the conventional colour schemes of rock magazines (both used gold, red, black and white.) as well as the type of shots used for the images and the sorts of costumes/props which are used. While my magazine took heavy influence from these publications, I did however break some conventions to add a personalised touch to my project. For example, rather than focusing on an established artist, my cover focused on an upcoming indie artist, as well as the use of diamond graphics (boosts, bullet points etc.) as a unique theme of my publication.

In my year 13 film promotion excercise, I made a horror movie trailer/poster/magazine. In order to do this I had to investigate conventions of horror and it’s many sub-genres, such as stock characters/situations, weapons and costumes and setting. I also investigated trailer structures and promotion methods.

For this trailer, we based the included elements of existing horror films to create a product that is instantly recognisable as part of that genre. However, our trailers carry our own personal representations of these concepts, and the settings reflect those of our everyday lives. A general audience have not necessarily explored London themselves, and our edgy unsettling representation of the area subverts the false reality which is often presented in existing films.

Through my research into the conventions of media texts, I have developed as a media producer, as I am now able to understand why these elements are conventions of their respective genres, and what the intended meanings/responses from the audience are. I am now a able to implement this knowledge into my own projects to create an identifiable or unique take on an existing genre.

Research and planning essay

How have you developed in your Research & Planning skills across the 2 years?

For the first project at the beginning of the year, we were se the task of creating a College Magazine, which we delved straight into the development without any research/planning on existing magazines/their conventions beforehand. Going in blind to creating this product allowed for a level of creativity, as I had the freedom to implement elements of my choice, rather than restricting myself to conventional design choices. However, this limited knowledge of conventions resulted in an unprofessional final outcome, and if I had a wider knowledge of conventions I would have been able to include elements I was previously unaware of the importance of.

For my second project/The main project of the year, I designed and produced a new music magazine called 'Rockstop' for the Rock music genre aimed at a target audience of white males aged 25-45. Throughout the course of this project, I developed skills in the use of conventions/Iconography to create a visually appealing product, and to allow the audience to recognise the genre of the publication.

At the beginning of this project, I had a limited knowledge of the conventions of magazines and their significance to producing an effective design. However, as I began to examine existing Music/rock magazines, I began to recognise the conventions of the genre, and magazines in genre, as well as how Imagery, Graphics and wording is used to attract my target audience to my product. This included using striking dominant images, intriguing/persuasive writing in boosts/cover lines and use of colour schemes and textures associated with the genre of the publication, based on existing products. To research the conventions of my chosen genre (rock music) I picked up a range of Rock music magazines such as UNCUT, Rocksound and NME, as well as a range of covers found on the internet such as a cover of classic rock, which my final outcome was heavily inspired by. This research helped me to establish my colour scheme of predominantly gold, black and white, as well as the type of shot and props used for my dominant image, as these closely resembled many of these products, allowing for a consumer to identify this product as part of the rock genre. While this product was still heavily influenced by existing products, overall this outcome had a higher level of creativity due to the freedom to choose the genre of music, mainly based on personal tastes, and our improved knowledge of InDesign/Photoshop and magazine conventions allowed for a much more unique and developed product.

For my second year, I developed a Film trailer, poster and magazine as part of the horror genre. By the beginning of this year, I already had a wide knowledge of the conventions of magazines, as well as how camera, editing, sound and mise-en-scene are used, which allowed us to have an idea of the aim of our projects, and implement the skills we have gained at a much more professional level. Overall, we have a much deeper focus on our research and planning, and developed final products influenced by the horror genre, rather than recreating an existing product with our own personal changes, as we are developing a trailer based on an unused film script rather than recreating an existing film. While you could argue that our creativity is still restricted by the script and horror conventions, in our case we altered the unconventional inclusion of a male victim and instead gave the story our own twist, by replacing this character with a more conventional female victim.

In comparison to our music magazine, there has been a much higher level of planning for our horror project, as we were required to gain permission to, and visit our filming locations, while for my magazine I only took a few shots, which were mainly taken very local to where I live. I have also viewed a wide range of horror films/trailers which I have paid much more focus to the complete product, rather than the focus on design choices when I examined my music magazines. While in our last year, I learnt why conventions are used, however this year I have looked much closer at the origins and developments of these conventions over time, and the deeper meanings/connotations of their use.

Overall, I have drastically improved as a Post-Modern Media Producer, as I am no longer simply a consumer of media products, as I have gained the ability to understand the uses of codes and conventions on a much deeper level, and am now able to implement these skills and ideas into my own works. As well as this my views on what makes something creative have been altered, as I am now aware that the act of production in its self is creative, despite being restricted to a set of conventions/inspiration from existing products, as whatever we produce is our personal take on the subject matter.

500 word essay on creativity

The development of technology over time has played an important role in the ability to produce and market media products. Nowadays, our smartphones have the ability to shoot and edit high quality video and produce and edit soundtracks. Modern internet capabilities allow for uploading videos through video hosting sites such as YouTube, and market products through social networking sites. this also allows for a new level of interactivity with the audience, as they are given the freedom to share their opinions and fan-made projects based on an existing product. Nowadays, consumers are no longer restricted to blindly consuming products, as the internet gives individuals the ability to become their own producers, using the software which is made accessible through modern technology. This process was much more difficult and costly in the past, as video cameras weren’t as widely available, and platforms such as YouTube were not available to host your content on.


Creativity is the act of producing something new or reinterpreting an existing concept. Some may argue that it is not creative to create a piece of media based on an existing text, however what makes A project creative, is how the creator applies their own personal take on an existing subject matter. The same applies to our horror trailers, as while we are restricted to the horror genre, and will predominantly be focusing on implementing codes and conventions of horror in correlation to real media texts, our trailers will carry and portray our own personalised take on the genre through how we as an audience have interpreted these conventions, and inclusion of locations which reflect our urban London lives, through imagery of London’s edgier qualities, something a general audience may not have necessarily experienced, which may have also been ignored in representations of London in other existing media texts. (Typically by those who haven’t truly expierienced London life.)


For something to lack creativity is to directly copy the form and structure of an existing product. This perception of creativity suggests that our AS Media magazine covers were not creative products, due to our very direct inspiration from a small selection of magazines. However a level of creativity was still applied to these products as we were given the ability to choose the musical genre, (generally based on personal taste) and we also produced original imagery, publication name and interviews, albeit based on conventions of existing products.

Throughout my time studying media studies, I have greatly developed from a consumer who experimented with producing media products for fun, to someone who understands and recognises the conventions of media products and how they are used to target specific demographics. I have also gained skills in a wide range of digital software such as Adobe photoshop to enhance and adjust photos and graphics, As well as Adobe Indesign, which allows me to create professional magazine pages. This year, I have also learnt how to edit videos and sound using Apple Final Cut Pro, which I will make use of in my final trailer.

Media language essay

In my group’s final horror film trailer, which focuses on a young female victim who fears leaving her own home and has failed to do so for the last 15 years, after the murder of her mother, whilst experiencing consistent unexplained occurrences, we aim to include a wide range of media language to allow the audience to break down and understand the intended meanings of our text, and allow audience interpretation.

An example of media texts we plan to include are ‘technical codes.’ This text focuses on the ways camera and editing have been used to create meaning. For example, high angle shots are typically used to depict a vulnerable victim, as this creates the feeling that the character is being looked down upon, or that they are smaller/inferior. In contrast, low angle shots are used for the opposite effect, as they present a character as powerful/dominant through the way they are looking downwards upon the viewer. This type of shot is generally used for the antagonist/ a powerful character. Close-up and extreme close-up shots are also used to create a sense of claustrophobia/present the emotion of fear. Editing also plays a role in technical codes, such as the use of fades/cuts to black, which allow connotation of death/evil based on concepts related to the colour black.

Symbolic codes relate to how colours and iconography are used to create a message in a media text. for example, red is commonly used in horror to represent blood, a link to death/violence which is a common theme in slasher/splatter movies, as well as black which carries connotations of death/evil which is contrasted with white which represents purity/innocence to create a binary opposition. Iconography of horror includes weapons such as knives, which are phallic objects, often used to give an antagonist a sense of male power/dominance over a typically female victim, as well as masks, used to hide the identity of a character, dolls/clowns which are typically associated with children/innocence, but are twisted to suggest a loss of innocence.

audio codes are used to decode meaning from the choice of sounds used in a horror trailer, for example the use of distorted music box/fairground music explores the idea of loss of childhood innocence, as this music’s original intention was children’s entertainment. Music is also used to suggest emotion such as fear, through once slow/calm music speeding up or increasing in volume.

Written codes are based on the messages portrayed via text in a trailer. This could relate to the text’s visual style : e.g. a the convention of a broken/worn out font could suggest the victim’s ‘damage’ from their experiences throughout the film’s story. It can also relate to the written words in a film’s slogan.

While the codes I have mentioned serve to carry a meaning, the theorists : Barthes and de Saussure suggests that without context these codes carry no meaning. For example, the inclusion of horror conventions must carry relevance to the theme of the text. If a film contains iconography of dolls, but fails to relate to the concept of loss of childhood innocence, the iconography has lost its intended meaning.

Audience essay

The theory of the Hypodermic needle suggests that the consumption of media texts has a (typically negative) effect or influence on the audience, through the ‘injection’ of messages. The audience react passively to this, as they are unable to reject influence. However, audiences can also have beneficial reactions through this model, for instance, the 1938 broadcast of ‘The War of the worlds’ provoked fear in it’s American audience, resulting in research movements. The effects of the hypodermic model take place in our summer trailer through the message of a negative representation of teens who suffer from mental health conditions. While this message was unintentional, our trailer presents a character with an exaggerated lack of control, who unleashes her inner evil which can only be managed through use of medication. This is an unrealistic representation of teens with mental health issues, which an audience could come to believe after viewing our film/trailer.

The Uses and gratifications theory suggests that different people have their own personal purposes for consuming a media text, whether that be as a form of escapism from everyday life or to provoke an emotion/response etc. In the case of the horror genre, audiences often view these media texts to receive thrills which we lack in our everyday lives such as fear, mystery, violence and a face-off between good and evil. Alternatively, the target demographic of horror (ages 15-25) may find themselves identifying the characters presented in the text, through the focus on characters of a similar age range. This theory could apply to our summer trailer through our trailer’s attempt to indicate an emotional response from the audience, through the focus on our character’s tragic lifestyle and transformation, and the build up of tension and mystery. However, our trailer falls flat through our lack of details on the character’s back-story, giving the audience no reason to care or sympathise with the character, and overall lack of action/violence, failing to create a sense of thrill.

The desentisisation theory suggests that consistent exposure to graphic content results in the loss of sensitivity to the viewer. This can result in negative effects such as the loss of shock in response to violence in the real world. This theory applies to the horror genre due to the genre’s focus on violence/graphic content, most notably in the slasher/splatter sub-genres. While an audience is usually disturbed by the content of these films, the target demographic of people aged 15-25 are able to separate fiction from reality, which is why these films are not recommended for a younger audience as they may have a stronger emotional impact on minds that are less exposed to these concepts. In our summer trailer we have failed to include this theory due to our trailer’s overall lack of graphic content, and as a result failing to focus on the genre’s target demographic of 15-25 year olds as most of the trailer’s content would fail to thrill a typically desensitised audience.

The catharsis theory suggests that the implementation of violence in films is used by the audience to ‘cleanse’ negative emotions e.g. anger or fear, as viewing violence helps to neutralise the viewer’s urge to commit similar actions.
This theory applies to horror, due to the genre’s heavy focus on violence, especially so in the slasher/splatter sub-genres, meaning that viewers who consume media products to create a cathartic effect are likely to choose these films due to their content. Their inner urge to perform these actions, can allow these viewers to relate more to the antagonist, who typically act upon their desires. I believe that our summer trailer is ineffective at producing a cathartic effect in terms of violence, due to it’s overall lack of graphic content, but may carry cathartic effects related to depression/anxiety, which are an important aspect of the character, and something many people can relate to.

The Cultivation theory suggests that overconsumption of media products can begin to cause consumers to fail to separate the real world from worlds presented in the media, resulting in people’s actions and choices corresponding with those presented in the media. This can have negative effects such as overestimation of levels of violence in their communities and the world. In context of horror films, without the ability to differentiate the fictional exaggerated situations of horror films with real world problems, a viewer is much more likely to have a longer lasting emotional impact. Our trailer relates to this theory through it’s unrealistic representation of teens with mental health issues, which could be misinterpreted as an accurate depiction, potentially resulting in a negative impact how on those who suffer from these conditions are treated.

Representation essay

Sarah Dobb’s Theories of feminism in horror suggests that many horror films, primarily slashers include female victims, with a primary focus on the character’s looks, rather than playing an important role in the plot. These are referred to as ‘Scream Queens’, and are used primarily to appeal to horror’s primarily male audience. This could link back to the theme of teen punishment, as these characters are targeted for their sexually provocative nature, which is seen as sinful by Christians. Iconic scream queens include Psycho’s Janet Leigh, who was victimized whilst naked in the shower. The fact that she was attacked using a knife, which is a phallic object wielded by a male antagonist could be used to connote rape. Our character in our summer trailer shares traits associated with scream queens such as vulnerability, and consistent screams for help. However, as she runs low on medication she becomes her own antagonist, and presents a sense of ‘Male dominance’ over her pure self with the use of a knife (phallic object) as a weapon, similar to Psycho’s Norman Bates.

Clover’s theory of the final girl suggests that at the end of a slasher film, one female survives to face off against the (typically male) antagonist, and has usually avoided the actions taken by the other victims such as drug use, sex before marriage etc. Presenting her as pure and innocent. Iconic final girl characters include Alien (1979)’s Ellen Ripley, who finishes off the alien antagonist who killed and impregnated the other members of the crew, which similarly to psycho, connotes rape. Unlike Janet Leigh however, Ripley was able to stand up against the threat, something even the other males were unable to do. Our character shares similarities to the final girl trope, as she is pure and innocent, and for the resolution of our summer trailer’s film, we intended for our character to face off against her inner evil and succeed, however to be a true final girl our protagonist would have to be the last survivor of a group, yet ours was a singular protagonist.

Themes of religion and sexuality are explored through Derry’s theory of haunting sand demonic possession, as he believes that that the concept of possession carries sexual connotations as the evil forces are typically males taking control over a female body. Religious symbols such as crucifixes are commonly used to ward off evil spirits. The transformation of an innocent young girl into a demon possessed monster connotes the theme of loss of innocence. An example of an iconic possessed girl character is The Exorcist’s Reagan MacNeil. She goes against Christian morals by her demonic actions and foul mouth. While the concept of possession hasn’t been explored in our trailer, it shares similarities due to our character’s lack of control of their own body. 

Gramsci’s theory of The Hegemonic model suggests that dominant groups in society maintain the ‘spontaneous consent’ or subordinate groups to keep their dominance in society. The ideas of hegemony work through ideologies : narrow views of elements of real life. our summer trailer includes elements of hegemony, such as the use of dolls as a prop, as these are typically toys for girls. However, it goes against hegemony for a teenager to be playing with toys intended for children, and our character is also given a sense of Male power through the wielding of the knife, a phallic object.

Derry’s theory of the human monster deals with the evil within a character, or insanity, giving the viewer more details on the inner workings of the antagonist’s mind, allowing us to sympathise with the trauma of their past. this concept is explored in our summer trailer through our protagonist becoming insane after running out of her medication. This makes her both the protagonist and antagonist, as she has to fight against her own inner evil.

Genre Essay Re-write

In my summer trailer, our group has created a supernatural horror about a teenage girl, isolated in a dark room, struggling to move on from her past and suffering from mental health conditions. We have used a variety of codes and conventions to apply the concepts of genre to our work.

For example, neale's theory of genres as systems, not processes, suggests that all texts share similar elements, which become conventions. We have purposely used mise-en-scene associated with horror films such as dolls, these are conventional iconography of the horror genre, and are often used to present childhood innocence. In our case, we have created the transition of loss of innocence through the destruction of dolls with fire, as well as a knife, a convention of horror films (most notably slashers) and a phallic object. This suggests that this female character has gained a sense of male power by wielding the knife. Another element of horror used is the trailer's dim lighting. This allows a sense of mystery, as elements of the scene can be obscured from the audience's view. However, for our trailer I believe we should use a more aesthetic location to establish the setting more clearly.

As well as this, Neale's theory of genre development suggests that a genre must change and adapt to stay relevant and appeal to the current target demographic, by including products, trends etc. which appeal to people aged 15-25 at the time of release. For example, in our trailer our character uses a smartphone to call for help, which in the past would have been impossible. We have included the convention of the phone failing to receive a response, in order to create a sense of vulnerability, leaving figuring out what she has to do alone. Although we have used a wide range of codes and conventions, our film brings little new to the table. However, we have taken elements associated with other sub-genres of horror, such as a knife (mainly used in slashers) which other films may not explore.

Another theory of genre is Altman's theories of pleasures (visceral pleasures, emotional pleasures, intellectual pleasures), as we give few details about our character and her backstory, meaning an audience will not be interested in or care for her as a character. In our final trailer, we should improve the fast-paced editing later in the trailer. This increases the tension of the viewer, which I felt our trailer lacked due to an unclear structure, and re-use of similar imagery. The edits of the TV static effect were not suitable for our trailer, as there was no imagery/iconography related to televisions. We were able to create imagery related to violence e.g. use of knife, blood etc. However, this presents our film as more of a slasher, due to taking key elements of the sub-genre.

The next theory we've incorporated into our trailer is Mittel's theory of audience choice. I believe our trailer is apparent as a horror film, through its use of sound, lighting and props (conventional imagery such as dolls and knifes, use of twisted childlike music, transition to fast tense music.) However, to make our genre instantly recognizable by an audience we could choose a more suitable filming location, in order to establish a better atmosphere.

Narrative Essay

I have created a horror film trailer for a psychological horror which covers the loss of innocence/ the evil within.

In our summer trailer we have touched on Todorov’s theory of equilibrium, disequilibrium and resolution by beginning the trailer with our protagonist in her fairly sane, yet childlike state. We have presented this character this way through the use of dolls, a child’s toy and an icon of the horror films. We have created a transition to disequilibrium through shots of her limited medication, which without, she is unable to keep ‘sane’, causing her to behave abnormally, such as how she now freely damages the dolls, which was she previously established to have a close connection to. We have not included the film’s resolution in order to avoid giving away the ending, and to intrigue the audience into seeing the film. We could have used this theory more effectively by presenting more clips from the middle and closer to the end of the story, as our trailer focuses on the start of the story, avoiding the main action and suspense of the story. Trailers typically avoid plot heavyweight scenes, and focus on a montage of action throughout the whole film. The end of a film is also avoided to avoid spoilers, and retain the sense of mystery.

Another theory which applies to our trailer is Claude Levi-Strauss’s theory of binary opposites. Although we have only introduced one character, many binary opposites are established such as sane/insane, which can be seen through our protagonist’s lack of medication, restricting her from having control of her own body, resulting in another opposition: Good vs evil, as while this character appears to be innocent at first, her lack of control causes her to become her own antagonist as her inner evil is released. Binary opposition is an essential part of a film, as it allows for the viewer to distinguish the contrast between the protagonist's morals and intentions with the antagonist's. while our protagonist and antagonist share the same body, we seperated the two characters through changes to their appearance, and the agressive manner in which the antagonist treats the dolls, in comparison to the protagonist's playful behaviour. the antagonist also utilizes the knife which the protagonist ignores.

We have included Roland Barthes’ theory of enigma codes in our trailer, through how we have avoided giving away key details about the character’s backstory, as she is first introduced isolated in her room with her dolls as a teenager, without any context to her childhood traumas. This could leave the viewer wondering why she is living this unconventional lifestyle. Although we have made the film’s disequilibrium apparent, (the lack of medication, and calls for help) we have purposely avoided showing footage of the resolution. This intrigues the audience, making them wonder what the outcome of the story will be.

Although our trailer only focuses on one singular character, Vladimir Propp’s theory that narratives focus on specific character types (archetypes) is still present in our trailer, which tells us that while we are tackling a realistic everyday issue, our concept has still been adapted to suit a fictional horror story. in our character plays the role of the victim, of her own mind/lack of control, as well as a protagonist as she must fight against her own mind to free herself from evil. Yet she, or more specifically her mind, plays the role of the antagonist, the evil side of our innocent victim, which she must fight against to overcome.

Overall, I believe we have effectively implemented the theories of narrative into our trailer, however, for our finalised trailers, my aim is to present the film’s story more clearly, and focus on a much wider range of scenes, rather than focusing exclusively on the beginning. I also aim to make the distinction between binary opposites clearer, which may require a larger range of actors.

'15' horror movie pitch

practice trailer

Practice horror movie trailer - Conjuring 2 teaser recreation

LewisHorrorVid.mov

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Footage belongs to Shutterstock. for educational purposes only.

Themes and Sub-texts in 'The Cabin in the woods'

The Cabin in the woods uses commonly recurring themes and sub-texts of the horror genre to poke fun at / parody the typical formulas / concepts related to the horror genre and it's respective sub-genres. For example, The concept of teen punishment is explored in this movie through exaggerating the traits / characteristics of protagonists such as Jules, who is presented as your stereotypical whore / dumb blonde character. she is sexualised through events such as the truth or dare game where she is dared to make out with a wolf head, as she is fairly willing to do it. Sex before marriage is looked down upon as a sin in religions such as christianity, presenting Jules as a sinful character. she is the film's first victim as a punishment for her sinful lifestyle choices, a typical order for films of the horror genre.

This may lead to the audience expecting your traditional order of deaths, leaving only the pure, final girl (who, in the case of 'The Cabin in the woods' is dana.) for the mostpart, the film follows this formulaic order, but presents us with a unique twist near the end, when we find out that marty is in fact, still alive due to his use of drugs allowing him to become immune to the effects of mind control which the other characters have to face.

The Cabin in the woods also uses conventional iconography such as the use of phallic imagery. Marty uses his long, Coffee mug bong as a weapon, which has a phallic appearance, potentially symbolising masculinity.

The main subtext of the film in general is it's unique way of breaking the fourth wall. both the audience, production team and the characters play a role in the story. 'The Organisation as an antagonistic group are a in-text representation of a film studio, and the cabin in the woods is used as a real life horror movie used as entertainment for their visitors. similar to moviegoers, this audience shows little reaction to the gore / suffering of these 'real world individuals' presenting them as psychopathic.

The film's main twist is when the character's world and producers worlds collide through dana and Maty's discovery of their underground elevator, and they are told directly that they are just characters in a piece of entertainment.

Use of conventions in 'The Cabin in the woods'

The Cabin in the woods, at first glance makes you believe that the film will be your typical cliche horror movie full of stock situations/characters (A group of teenagers visiting a creepy old abandoned cabin in the woods, where supernaturaul events occur.) While this may be true to an extent, as the film does use conventions and cliches which have become so closely engrained with the horror genre and it's respective sub-genres, the way in which 'The Cabin in the woods' uses these elements is mainly to poke fun at / parody these situations, presenting a satirical view on the genre as a whole.

Many of the sub-genres associated with horror are referenced / parodied throughout the film, most notably zombie, supernaturaul, splatter and J-horror, through The antagonist corporation known simply as 'The Organization's' wide range of iconic horror villains which are being stored underground in a secret lab, which the protagonists are supposed to be unaware of, but is later discovered by Marty and Dana (The final 2 surviving protagonists.) This also gives the film elements of sci-fi horror, due to the futuristic appearance and premise of the underground storage area.

each invidual protagonist in the story reflects a particular stereotype. (Curt = the athlete, dana = the virgin, holden = the scholar, jules = the whore and marty = the fool.) Jules, who plays the role of the whore/The dumb blonde is innevitably the first member of the protagonists to die due to her sinful lifestyle. (Sex before marraige is seen as a sin by in christian beliefs. She is victimised as a punishment for her sins.) Marty is the second victim due to his use of drugs, which is also seen as sinful. each character also plays a part as a driver of the overall plot.

 this order of deaths is common throughout the horror genre, however cabin in the woods mixes up this order through the fact that marty manages to avoid death due to his drugs making him immune to the mind control effects which the other characters are faced with. this goes against 'The Organization's' (a representation of a production team) plan, as dana (The final girl) was intended to be the only survivor, due to being 'The pure one.' (Virgin). Ironically enough, it is revealed that Dana is not even a virgin in the first place.

9 Sub-genres of horror : interactive moodboard

Icons of the horror genre

Religion

religious themes are commonly explored in the horror genre through locations such as graveyards (commonly found in churchyards) in zombie films, humans playing god e.g. Frankenstein  attempting to create artificial life, as well as the idea of sin : The 'impure' (those who have sex before marriage) are common recurring victim. Symbols such as the cross are often used as 'protection' against evil.

                                               -Night of the living dead (1990)

Death

in the horror genre, there is a thin line between life and death. the concept of the 'undead' is explored through monsters such as ghosts and zombies. (Monsters who were originally human, but take a different form after death.)

                                          -Shaun of the dead (2004)

Lighting

Lighting is essential to the horror genre, as it is used to set the mood/atmosphere and shroud certain situations in mystery. props such as torches and candles are often the only source of light, and tend to go out, leaving the protagonist vulnerable, as they are left unaware of their surroundings. the contrast between light/dark symbolises the concept of good vs evil and the transition between danger and safety (light at the end of the tunnel)

                                      -Lights out 2 (2018)

Colour

Horror movies use colours as a way of telling the audience if a character is good or bad. white is often linked to purity/innocence while colours such as black and red are linked to evil , death, blood etc.

                                      -A Nightmare on elm street (2010)

Weapons

Antagonists in horror movies are often associated with a trademark weapon, which often connotes phallic symbolism, presenting these characters with masculine power, making the protagonist usually female, appear weak and inferior in contrast.

                                      -Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

                                      

Mirrors

Mirrors are used in the horror genre to connote vanity, sexual themes etc. as well as also being used to pickup details such as seeing the 'monster' in the mirror without him being present in the room to create fear and tension for the protagonist. shattered mirrors also represent a broken life/relationship which could link to the monster's tragic backstory.

                                      -Mirror, Mirror (1990)

Masks

Masks

masks are frequently used as a prop by antagonists as a way of hiding their identity. they lack any form of facial movement, in an attempt to intimidate their victims.

                                      -Friday 13th (1980)

Dolls

dolls are usually a child's toy, which presents the idea of childhood purity and innocence, They reflect the human figure with over-exaggerated features 

giving them a somewhat unsettling appearance. similar to clowns, these traditionally innocent toys were a childhood fear for many, allowing the film 

creators to mess with the consumer's fears.

                                      -Child's Play (1988)

Doors and Windows

In the horror genre, doors and windows are used as barriers against the monster(s) but often prove themselves to be ineffective. for example, In films such as night of the living dead, the zombies are capable of breaking through these 'barriers' in defiance of the efforts put in place to prevent this from happening. The image below from poltergeist (1982) 

features a supernatural monster blocking entrance to a room by covering a door.

                                      -Poltergeist (1982)

Keys and locks

Keys and locks are used to create a sense of secrecy/Mystery. They also  present a sense of vulnerability, as locks can restrict access/escape from a 

location, allowing the antagonist to corner the protagonist. Sometimes, the character can be locked to one spot, restricting their movement, as seen in the image of saw (2004) below.

                                     -Saw (2004)