Representation

A group that I may want to represent within my project is teenagers in high school. There are many different types of ways in which teenagers are presented in films due to stereotypes. For example, the smart and quiet teens are stereotyped as a nerd,  cheerleaders as popular or cool, and athletic guys as jock. Most of these stereotypes take place in high school, which to many is the hardest cycle in being a teenager. High school is a place where many have trouble fitting in due to the fact that they don't meet specific standards. This is why many teenagers begin to change who they are and start hanging out with the wrong group of friends. It's always about fitting in.

For example, films like The Duff is a perfect example of how teenagers are represented nowadays. The main character, Bianca who is not like most girls because she only has 3 friends, dresses different, and is really smart, has a crush on her next door neighbor, Wesley who is a popular jock. Bianca thinks that there is no chance Wesley would ever see her in that way as she is not the prettiest girl in the school and is considered a loser. The popular girl in the film, Madison is of course the mean cheerleader who is dating Wesley, since they are both the most popular kids in schools. What's good about this movie is that it shows how stereotypes can be broken because at the end Bianca, the loser, ends up with Wesley, instead of Madison the popular cheerleader. Another example, is the film, A Cinderella Story. This film is about a girl named Sam, who has never really had a good high school experience , as all she does is study and work. Ever since Sam’s dad died, she has been forced to live with her evil stepmother and evil stepsisters, who make her work all day at their diner. Sam is also considered a loser, since she only has one friend named Carter, does not really talk to anyone, and studies all day. Sam seems to have a crush on the most popular guy in school named Austin, but Austin doesn't even know she exists until Sam goes to a ball dressed completely different, almost like Cinderella. Austin did not know that it was Sam because it was a masquerade ball and also because Sam refused to tell him who she was because she thought that someone as great and as cool as him would not want to be with such a loser like her.  Like all love stories, Austin ends up finding out it was Sam and chooses to accept her because different clothes doesn't change who she is. And they end up falling in love and living happily ever after.

I do not think that it is fair the way high school teenagers are represented. Not all teenagers are the same and this just causes them to want to change who they are just to fit in. Why can’t cheerleaders be nice? Why can't nerds be popular? Why can't jocks date losers? The representation for teenagers is just not correct as not all cheerleaders are dumb and mean and not all nerds are losers. I wouldn’t really retain any of the representations for teenagers because these stereotypes are what cause many problems for many in high school. I would want to challenge all the representations, but if I had to pick one, I would pick the one where someone different and smart is considered a loser. I believe that being like everyone else is boring which is why being different actually makes you stand out, which I would see as more of a good thing than bad because why would you want to be like everyone else? Finally, I think that being smart and having one or two real friends is way better than being dumb and having hundreds of friends because at least you have true friends and have a bright future ahead.

Horror

1. Genre: Horror
2. Horror films are definitely one of the oldest and most popular film genres. Not to mention that this type of genre is also one of the hardest to produce due to the fact that it has to contain a specific amount of suspense while still following a story. There are no limits to horror film as they can be just about anything from fiction to nonfiction. In most films there is always a villain which can be characters such as aliens, monsters, demons, or spirits, but of course when there is a villain, there is always a hero which in many cases is the main character of the film. These films usually try to use realistic human problems so that the audience is even more frightened because they can relate to it. Overall, the main purpose of horror films is to create a feeling of terror for for the entire audience, which is not easy because what some people might find scary, others don't.
3. There are numerous techniques involved in horror films which all aid in storytelling. Some of these techniques are mise-en-scenes, such as lighting, set design, location, and costume design. These mise-en-scenes all play a specific role, but all have the same aim which is to create suspense and make the audience nervous. The location of these films are usually in an isolated area which lets the audience know that there is no way for the characters to call for help or are able to escape. The type of lighting used in these films is usually low key lighting as horror movies are supposed to be dark and frightening. This sort of lighting is commonly used when the villain appears on screen or to show when the characters are feeling sad or scared. The costume and make-up design is also an important factor as it gives the audience a sense of who the characters are. For example, its common to see the hero in nice bright clothes vs. seeing a villain in dark raggy clothes due to stereotypes. The most common colors in these film of course  are dark, such as grey and black to create a sort of spooky mood and the color red which symbolizes blood. Props such as guns, knives, and chainsaws are used in these films because they give a sense of danger, and obviously are deadly. Sounds such as diegetic sounds are probably one of the most important techniques in these films as they can be used for all sorts of things like, creaking, breathing, footsteps, and screams. Camera angles such as low angles are used to point out the characters in a moment of weakness and high anges are used to point out their moment of power and strength.
4. Horror films are usually marketed by posters, magazines, talk shows, and of course, trailers. It's easy to say, that trailers are probably the most popular way that these horror films are advertised. Cliff hangers such as “Omg did she die?” or “Who is the killer?”  are left at the end on purpose to make the audience crazy about not knowing what happened which makes them want to watch it. These trailers show just the right amount of information to catch the audience's attention, but does not give away the entire movie. The target audience for horror films ranges from ages 16-30, as age 16 is the common age where teens are mostly interested in horror movies and past age 30 is when many adults don't find these movies scary or entertaining anymore . Most of the covers advertising horror films, include the main character or victim, the villain, and the location of where it takes place. Talk shows are also used to have some of the cast members answer some questions about the film which gives the audience a taste of what they are in for.
5. Would You Rather (2013) - This film is a perfect example of horror film conventions. The film is about a woman named Iris, who has been taking care of her seriously ill brother for as long as she can remember. Iris’s brother, Raleigh,  is in desperate need for a bone marrow transplant which is why Iris was willing to do just about anything to get money. Iris decided to accept an offer from a wealthy philanthropist who just tells her that she can win a lot of money if she simply goes over for dinner, but little did she know the catch. The location of this film like many horror films is in a isolated house, which is owned by the philanthropist. In the film, you can find the philanthropist and all his servants wearing dark colors like black and grey suits which gives the audience a sense of authority and power. The lighting plays a big role in this film as well because as Iris enters the dining table, low key lighting is used to show suspense. Basically what is happening at dinner is that the philanthropist is making them play a game, called “Would you Rather” which is when you have to pick between 2 dares. This sort of game was different because if the guest did not complete the dare they would die and the winner at the end, unlike them would receive a huge amount of money. Most props used in this film play a crucial role in storytelling as they are how many guests die. Some of these props include an electric shock operator, a gun, a timer, a whip, a knife, and barrel. For example, the timer is used to show the audience that the characters have a certain time limit to complete their dare and the barrel was used to show how Iris had to dunk her head in a barrel full of water for 2 minutes, which is really hard to do, but she did it. Lastly, close ups are used many times in these films to show how each character is feeling during the time of their dare.
6. Truth or Dare (2018) - This film is about a group of teenagers who go on vacation to Mexico and end up playing a game in a abandoned house.The setting of the abandoned house is once again in an isolated area to give a sense of terror. This film is about the teenagers having to complete their dare or else the spirit of the game takes possession of their body and it kills them. The game is called truth or dare and even though the teenagers returned to their hometown from vacation, the game followed them. This is a different type of truth or dare as the spirit pushes the teenagers to reveal all their deepest secrets. The main prop used in this film is a computer as in order for the teenagers to stop playing, they have to get other people to play, which is why they take a video of themselves and posted it for everyone to see. The usual lighting that is used for horror films, which is low key lighting is used in this film when the spirit takes over someone's body. The close up shots also play a crucial role in showing the audience when the spirit has taken over, since the spirit has a sort of demonic look.

http://iconicpictures.weebly.com/conventions-of-horror.html

https://www.scribd.com/document/170085799/Target-Audience

https://www.filmsite.org/horrorfilms.html