Question One

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

Challenging the Horror Genre

The horror genre is twisted and turned on it’s head as many conventions are misused in order to make my film misleading. My poster features a central character who appears threatening and evil. He has demonic way about him and appears to be looking straight into the views eyes. This tells us that the film is scary and therefore a horror film.

Poster

• However when we watch the film the central character of Jack feels remorse and sorry for killing a prostitute. We do not actually see the slaying and instead we are pulled into a world inside Jacks head represented by a thin glimmer of light, representing the hope left in his hopeless life. His Mr. Hyde personality tries to cause him distress by telling him she deserved it whilst his own rational conscience battles with him feeling sadness and extreme remorse for what he’s done.

• My radio trailer also features the darker side of Jack rather than the caring remorseful side seen in the film.

• I used the poster and radio trailers to portray Jack as sick remorseless evil killer so that when they saw the film they could perhaps empathise with his him as he has demons he must battle with daily. Everybody has demons even though most of us don’t go round killing prostitutes, and because of this they can relate to Jack’s struggle with his own conscience.

Conventions I have used from other media

• I have always been fascinated with the mental disorder schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder where one person can be several people and they can change at the drop of a hat. I was inspired a lot by Dr. Jekyll and Mr .Hyde as well as the character Two Face from “The Batman” Comics.

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

• Dr Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde is a doctor who has covered up a secret life full of cruel deeds. He feels as if he is constantly battling within himself between what is good and what is evil, and is pushing away people dear to him. After drinking a potion of his own creation, Jekyll is transformed into the smaller, younger, cruel, remorseless, evil Edward Hyde, representing the hidden side of Dr Jekyll's nature brought to the fore. Dr Jekyll has many friends and has a friendly personality, but as Mr Hyde, he becomes mysterious, violent, and secretive. As time goes by, Mr Hyde grows in power. After taking the potion repetitively, he no longer relies upon it to unleash his inner demon. Eventually, Mr Hyde grows so strong that Dr Jekyll becomes reliant on the potion to remain himself.

Harvey Dent/Two Face• Harvey Dent was Gotham City's district attorney, but after being

scarred for life, moved to a life of crime. Dent was once one of Batman's strongest allies in Gotham City until a criminal threw acid into Dent's face, hideously scarring him. The wounds fractured his psyche, and he was reborn as a schizoid criminal mastermind, obsessed with duality. His former good luck charm, a "two-headed" silver dollar, was damaged on one side during the attack that ruined half his face, and Dent has seized on it as a reflection of his half-scarred visage. He flips it to decide the fates of his victims. Despite Batman's efforts to reform his former ally, Dent is consumed by his fixation on chance and his crimes are designed to prove out his diametric philosophy.

Media Inspirations

Two Face as he appeared in “The Dark Knight”

Two Face as he appeared in “Batman The Animated Series”

Two face as he appears in “The Batman” comics

Jekyll and Hyde and artists interpretation A film poster from 1931 Another film poster from

1931

Tagline

• Most films have a tagline and my film is no exception. I took my taglines from a piece of improvisation my friend did for me when I gave him the role of Jack. However I no longer have the footage of this unfortunately. “Always watching always waiting always hunting, for you.” and “It’s time to fear the shadows little one.” where all improvised by Alec on the spot.