Evaluation of the Production of

THE JAR

Claudia Pickett
 In what way does your film use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media
products

 USE: In order to for our audience to recognise our film as a horror, we ensured we adhered to
some conventions, including: blood, guts and gore, binary oppositions (evil vs. good and innocent;
man vs. woman), a monster (we used an internal monster), a weapon, a familiar location, and
horrific occurrences (we used cannibalism)

 DEVELOP: We developed Claude Levi-Strauss’s theory on binary

oppositions by juxtaposing representations of villain and victim, and
male and female. We think that the contrast between these
representations will help the audience understand the difference
between good and bad – and therefore be able to engage themselves
in the narrative by supporting a particular character (ie. The victim),
and create hopes and fear of what’s to come.
 CHALLENGE: I think we challenged conventional horrors, as normally
the topic of cannibalism is not included in the narrative. This is
because it is seen as controversial. But I think this adds to it, as
exploring taboo subjects is what audiences like (e.g. Hannibal was
How does your film represent particular social
groups?

 VILLAIN
• AN INTERNAL MONSTER - Since the 1950s, public understanding of
psychology has increased. We are more aware of ‘abnormal psychology’ and this
adds to the cultural fear of others looking normal but behaving in dangerous ways
• MALE – in our film the villain is male, and we represent him as dangerous (he is
shown with a weapon). He is shown as superior in the situation and therefore the
male is the dominant sex. Thus, males are represented as powerful and domineering.
Also, it represents a male as a cannibal. This may cause the audience to think that
males are more likely to have this strange psychology , especially if they have seen
the film ‘Hannibal’.
• MIDDLE-AGED – the fact that the villain is older than the victim creates an idea
of older people having more authority, and thus being superior.

 VICTIM
• DAMSEL IN DISTRESS
• BLONDE
• FEMALE
• YOUNG ADULT
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 Who would your audience be and why?

 Because of the gruesome and disturbing nature

of the images and storyline, I would assume that
BBFC would rate our film as an 18.
 Young adults would enjoy this film because of the
violent and grotesque content.
 They would be more likely to see our 18
certificate rated film compared to a 15 rated
horror, as often the content is of higher quality
as the producers can use and explore the
conventions to the full extent.
 How did you attract and address your audience

 We created images and a storyline that fit what the audience would expect from a horror
movie. We did this by:
 Including blood, guts and gore
 Introducing a villain and a victim
 Creating tension (images of gore, entrapment and being followed) and empathy
towards the victim.
 We hinted at the storyline, leaving it ambiguous with choice of imagery and the choice of
using no dialogue – (we thought the use of dialogue would detract from the tension, and
from the ambiguity of the storyline).
 We offered identification with the victim (as the target audience is the same age as her.
 Entertainment, diversion, escapism, voyeurism, and social interaction.
 We offered the audience images fitting to the certificate of 18. We included a grotesque
storyline, with scenes involving the subject of cannibalism,, torture and slow death. This
would satisfy any horror film fanatic.
 Horror fanatics would be pleased with our high standard of verisimilitude.
 Jump cuts in editing and camera techniques like extreme.
 close-ups and low key lighting which created a sense of unease in the audience – this is a
reflection of how the victim feels.
What kind of media institution might distribute
your film and why?

 Production and Distribution: LIONSGATE, who have set a trend for

themselves of distributing horror movies:
 American Psycho; Saw; Hostel; Sicko

 Retail: Mainstream retail stores such as HMV, Virgin,

www.lovefilm.com, www.play.com

 Film Finance: high-end producers such as Lionsgate (as they

have funded many successful films), and also from grants
 Regulations: Due to the genre of ‘Horror’, the content of our
film
would only be suitable for 18+
 Exhibition: Successful cinemas in the UK and USA… e.g.
Cineworld, Odeon, Empire, etc.
 What have you learnt about technologies from the
process of constructing your film

 Research
 Internet access was vital for collecting useful images and information
(e.g. for researching about a museum in Thailand that displays Si Quey’s
body) – visit: www.corkscrew-balloon.com
 Construction
 We learnt how to use camera functions effectively, to create artistic and effective
view points. A tripod was helpful for this at times – at others, we felt we could
create a feeling of disorientation and suspense by using a shaky hand. ‘The Rule of
Thirds’ helped us to frame our takes to a better standard. We also learnt that it
was best to shoot our film, for the most part, in normal lighting, and adjust the
exposure and contrast later using iMovie.
 Editing
 How to use iMovie: to edit out mistakes; to enhance takes ; to darken to enhance
the aesthetic and achieve visuals similar to Sin City; to add transitions to ensure
the film ‘flows’; to add a Letterbox (to include the audience, as the long
rectangular view is similar to how we see thing naturally); to lengthen or shorten
takes as needed; to add a soundtrack: a crucial element for creating tension and
an eerie atmosphere.
Looking back at the preliminary task, what do you
feel you have learnt in the progression from it to
the full product

 The preliminary task was helpful in the construction of our 2

minute film because it helped me understand the 180 degree
rule. When storyboarding and filming, I was constantly checking
that the takes were taken from an angle that wouldn’t confuse
the viewer.
 When filming the preliminary, we ensured that mise-en-scene
(e.g. the seats and the characters) were in the same position, so
as to maintain continuity. We were all mindful of this when
filming – whereas I think if I hadn’t learnt about the 180 degree
at first, I wouldn’t have considered it.