In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
We started our film off with this scene as we wanted to show the beginning of a ritual. We did this through the use of mise-en-scene with the use of candles and blood. Both of these are in the normal conventions of a horror film and especially when a ritual is involved. We also show it through the use of makeup - Zoe made me up to look like a demon or spirit in line with the legend that our film was based on. We used the mirror to reflect me because we wanted a over the shoulder shot because mirrors in legend show a persons true soul. You can see the end of a voodoo doll in the background which also are used in many rituals. The blood on the table is there to show that this is a regular ritual and that their was a sacrifice of blood used before.
We used a couple of shots of candles in our film because the red candle represented infinity and the black candle was spirit. We used shots of the black candle more because the ritual was commenced by the baron samedi who was originally a spirit. We also used the shots of the candles because in horror movies these are seen as almost creepy because of the connection they carry to rituals.The screenshot below as uses the character to portray the sense of eeriness as the candle is in focus but most of me is blurred.
The mise en scene we used for the mirror shots what the natural light shining on the wall but on the end of the room we put up a black sheet to make it look endless or lost. We also used the brick wall to show this is an almost human spirit - that the spirit would appear human until you angered it.
We also used a shot of me blowing out candles as we felt this represented peoples lives and how easy it is in horror films that people die - literally as if their candle was blown out.
We also used the element of voodoo in our film as Baron Samedi was believed to be involved with voodoo and we showed this by the voodoo dolls been covered in blood and one was set on fire and ripped apart.
The makeup we used in the film was designed to be creepy - this looked most effective under the candlelight as it reflected the creepy marks of the makeup. We used cracks around the mouth and eyes to show that this individual isn't a good spirit and
that it also shows how the spirit feels.
It also makes the audience uneasy as they can see the makeup is heavy and reflects the spirits attitude towards the ritual and life.
