Theory: Media language

I will be writing about the future trailer me and my group will produce, which is about a rich man who resurrects a killer to attack and get rid of teenagers who are staying on some land he wishes to buy. The teenagers are taking part in drinking and drugs. The use of media language will be vital in the audience understanding of the trailer and how they can decode the semiotics of it. For example the antagonist wearing black to connote evil and the protagonist wearing black to connote innocence and virginity. However the meaning we put into our trailer may be interpreted differently by different people.

The first type of media language we will try to include in is symbolic codes, with the use of lighting and colour, positioning and sets and location. Will be the weapons used by the antagonist who is the masked killer of the teenagers. He will be using weapons like knives and axes these are a signifier for phallic imagery. The reason this is being used is because slashers are conventionally about a male killing victims. Sarah Dobb's theory of feminism in horror states that 'scream queens' are used just to be killed off, they will be killed by the antagonist use of the knife which allows him to get up close and personal with them and therefore exhibiting there male dominance. The denotation of a knife will be put into context with the male using it as a weapon therefore giving him power gives it meaning.

Technical codes will also be used for the trailer were doing. They will help with constructing the characters significance and can help the audience figure out how they are apart of the trailer. This will be done with the use of camera shots and angles like low angles, close-ups and high angles. There is specific meaning to all the shots. A low angle of the antagonist can make someone look powerful and dominating, in the trailer we do we will have a shot like this to show how the anatagonsit has the power and strength to kill the protagonists and victims. Opposite to this is a high angle, this will be of the victims to connote weakness and how defenceless they are. Also a close up on the victims face to show the fear they have, it also creates a sense of claustrophobia which signifies that there trapped and can't escape the antagonist.

Ferdinand de Saussure refers to the use of the signifier and signified for media language. For example a signifier can be the use of blood, which then signifies the loss of innocence specifically if shown on white clothing. These are used because the sign or symbol we see does not make sense without the actual object and the meaning it creates. A similar theory is Roland Barthes denotation and connotation. This lets us when making the trailer think more about the purpose of a symbol like mis-en-scene, written, audio or technical code and how the audience may see if it fits in with the sub-text which is that drinking and taking part in illegal activities is wrong and takes away innocence. This will be shown in the trailer by the use of blood as white represents purity and if we put blood on it it connotes a loss of innocence. 

Levi-Strauss's theory of binary opposites is another theory we will use in our trailer via the editing. Making the scenes with the victim slow and then with the antagonist fast. Suggesting how chaotic the killer can be with the antagonist being shown in a fast pace and also represent how overpowered he can be. With editing the use of cuts to black suggest urgency and that the next action happens fast. For example the montage at the end of the trailer will have fast cuts where a lot of action is shown in a short amount of time. The use of fades to black connote the need for intensity and wanting to drag out a situation in order to create the suspense needed for the horror.