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

Question 1:

In the initial stages of making our media product we took a lot of care when planning the details of the film.However without any inspiration we had no set vision.It was at this point we decided to look upon what had already been achieved in the zombie horror genre so we could not only pay homage to the pioneering  films before 'Zebola',but also to be able to excel what has already been done.

In order to research I chose to watch and make notes on certain aspects of films with in the 'Zombie Horror genre' for example;28 days later,night of the living dead etc.

When researching into our genre I noticed a lot of common themes and patterns that were generic conventions of the 'Zombie-horror' genre.Theses ranged from the story line itself - the key characters are slowly killed or affected by the virus,leaving the main character isolated and left with the task of saving the city alone,to the lighting choices - low key.

Once decided upon what elements in a film truly define the zombie horror genre, we applied this to our own product.I personally feel that a title sequence is integral to setting the atmosphere and expectations for a film.With this in mind we set to work on creating a fitting title sequence that not only intrigued the audience but allowed them to understand what genre it was.This was done by using a dark color scheme of reds and blacks that had an image of a DNA strand at the forefront,representing the DNA in blood and therefore the virus.We also used slow and eerie music to set our audience on edge. We were inspired to do so by the choice of sounds

for the beginning of the 28 days later trailer:(below)

The clip then proceeds to show a incoming news report.We decided to utilize the opportunity of a news report and allow the news presenter to establish the plot as she explains the on-goings of the virus,therefore making the narrative clear.We chose to use this technique as we had not seen it done in a film of the 'Zombie horror' genre,therefore making 'Zebola'  distinctive.

The scene then cuts away from the news reporter to a close up of Melissa's (main female protagonists) face,to display her reaction to what she had just witnessed.From my research I learnt that many films within the Zombie horror genre also use reaction shots to convey there characters emotion towards a zombie attack or perhaps a character seeing a  zombie for the first time.We then used a range of essential shots such as mid-shots in order to create professional looking footage.

Whilst 'Zebola's plot may be fictional,we still wanted the scenes to feel real as it allows the audience to suspend their disbelief. For this reason we opted to follow the events in order,as oppose to eliptical editing.This made it easier for the audience to feel like they were truly watching the events unravel before there eyes,therefore adding to the verisimilitude.

The final part of our introduction to the film goes to black;this represents the zombies unconscious state.At this moment police sirens and alarms being to play.This not only builds tension for the audience and foreshadows more danger to come,but it also conforms to the zombie horror genre as such sound effects are used in multiple films with in this genre.

Throughout the film we have put a strong importance on mise en scene as we  have considered what clothes the characters wear to the the lighting used in the clip.A key example of this is the make up look we did on the 'zombie' character because not only did it add to the verisimilitude of the character and therefore the film but it also featured a key part of zombie horror iconography- blood.

In zombie films there tends to be an excess of blood,gore and violence.This is due to the nature of zombies and there cannibal instincts.Also as a result of them being un-dead, people/characters attempts to kill zombie's just results in limbs coming off etc.

Upon reflection i feel Jamm productions has used the codes and conventions of the zombie horror genre in order to identify with a established audience of zombie film enthusiasts,who have become a custom to such elements being in a 'Zombie horror film',therefore making our film attractive to a wider audience.It also allows the final product to be more professional as we have done the proper research into such matters as generic conventions and followed them to an extent.