Imagery
I would like to keep my film poster fairly minimalistic so it will keep the viewers guessing about what the film is about. Therefore I am going to choose a single item that will represent an aspect of the plot. For example I have in mind using something that symbolises the use of a babies cry such as an old teddy, rattle, dummy, doll or mobile. I also thought of using a tape recorder or weapon with blood on to represent details of the murder.
I may use two of these ideas to give more of an insight into the film whilst maintaining suspense and curiosity for the reader e.g. bloodstained doll; teddy sat on a tape recorder.
Film Title
I haven't yet thought of a title for the film but looking at other films it seems that single-worded titles are very common and appear to work well as they reveal very little about the film itself, adding to the suspense. I am thinking of relating it again in some way to theme of babies, perhaps a play on words surrounding a nursery rhyme or well-known phrase.
Colour Scheme
I would like to keep to a very simple colour scheme so as not to prove off-putting for a viewer. Alfred Hitchcock generally kept to black, white and red which was very effective for horror films as black represents dark or fear and red can represent blood or anger.
Friday, 27 January 2012
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Further Poster Analysis
I have chosen one poster to do a more detailed an in-depth analysis of its features to have something more specific to refer to during the making of my own film poster. Below is my analysis of The Birds poster:
Monday, 23 January 2012
Alfred Hitchcock Posters
For further research I have looked at a selection of Alfred Hitchcocks film posters in the hope that I can draw some ideas from them for my own piece.
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I have noticed that the colour schemes of each of the poster are very dark which is suited to the genre and all of them contain red. This could provide the representation of blood, commonly used in posters for this genre and a convention which I may use myself. Text is kept fairly minimal with just the essential information on and the main bulk of each ooste ris made up of image. The images all contain people however the Vertigo poster has a silouhette of a person and I like this idea as it portrays a sense of mystery because we see no facial expressions or identity. I also like the shadowed effect used on Hitchcocks face in The Birds as this presents an evil or danger within the film. Overall I think I will keep my poster rather simplistic as Hitchcock has done although I sahn't be including an image of myself as Hitchcock has done as I feel that this can ruin the illusion of film making it less believable.
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| The 39 Steps (1935) |
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| Vertigo (1958) |
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| North By NorthWest (1959) |
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| Rope (1948) |
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| Saboteur (1942) |
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| The Birds (1963) |
Friday, 20 January 2012
Plot Ideas
From my questionnaire results I found that a unique plot was very important to an audience and therefore I need to think up something originl that won't have been seen or heard of before. I have found this very difficult and so to help me I have looked up different old wives tales and unusual myths from across the world. This gave me lots of inspiration even though I found that many of the tales were too disturbing or difficult to put into a film trailer. Here are some of the websites I used:
http://www.angelfire.com/mh/salem/
http://www.whimsy.org.uk/superstitions.html
http://urbanlegends.about.com/
I then came across an eerie rumour which originated in the U.S. and thought with some adpatation it would make a very good horror film. The story is about a murderer who used the sound of a babies cry to lure women to go towards the sound. Here is the link to the website I found this tale on:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_crybaby_australia.htm
*recording of reading the email from website*
I have decided to adapt this story to make it to appeal to the audience more, using my questionnaire results. I like the idea that when the babies cry is heard by the audience they will know that there is something to be feared without being able to identify exactly what it is. This adds to the suspense which was also something that my questionnaire results highlighted as being an important factor. I thought that I would keep the characters to the very minimum by simply having a mother who is being taunted by the sounds of these babies cries and believes that it is her baby that can be heard outside when in fact it is the murderer using a tape recorder. This gives the impression that she is going mad therefore adding to the concept of a psychological horror which was preferred by the majority of people who answered my questionnaire.
I now need to decide on setting, location, props, sound, casting, sequencing events and camera shots and angles.
http://www.angelfire.com/mh/salem/
http://www.whimsy.org.uk/superstitions.html
http://urbanlegends.about.com/
I then came across an eerie rumour which originated in the U.S. and thought with some adpatation it would make a very good horror film. The story is about a murderer who used the sound of a babies cry to lure women to go towards the sound. Here is the link to the website I found this tale on:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_crybaby_australia.htm
*recording of reading the email from website*
I have decided to adapt this story to make it to appeal to the audience more, using my questionnaire results. I like the idea that when the babies cry is heard by the audience they will know that there is something to be feared without being able to identify exactly what it is. This adds to the suspense which was also something that my questionnaire results highlighted as being an important factor. I thought that I would keep the characters to the very minimum by simply having a mother who is being taunted by the sounds of these babies cries and believes that it is her baby that can be heard outside when in fact it is the murderer using a tape recorder. This gives the impression that she is going mad therefore adding to the concept of a psychological horror which was preferred by the majority of people who answered my questionnaire.
I now need to decide on setting, location, props, sound, casting, sequencing events and camera shots and angles.
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
BBFC
I carried out a little research on the 'British Board of Film Classification' to help me identify which age certificate to allocate to my film. I took this information directly from the BBFC website itself.
Suitable for All
It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.
If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.
Parental Guidance
General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.
Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.
Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.
The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.
The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work.
Suitable only for 15 years and over
No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.
Suitable only for 18 years or over
No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video work.
I have decided that my film should be under the age certificate of 15 as there is a strong threat of violence and violence is touched upon but the pain or injury is not dwelled on.
It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.
If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.
Discrimination: No discriminatory language or behaviour unless clearly disapproved of.
Drugs: No references to illegal drugs or drug misuse unless they are infrequent and innocuous, or there is a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message suitable for young children.
Horror: Scary sequences should be mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety to young children. The outcome should be reassuring.
Imitable behaviour: No potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No emphasis on realistic or easily accessible weapons.
Language: Infrequent use only of very mild bad language.
Nudity: Occasional natural nudity, with no sexual context.
Sex: Mild sexual behaviour (for example, kissing) and references only (for example, to ‘making love’).
Theme: While problematic themes may be present, their treatment must be sensitive and appropriate for young children.
Violence: Mild violence only. Occasional mild threat or menace only.
General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.
Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.
Discrimination: Discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly disapproved of or in an educational or historical context. Discrimination by a character with which children can readily identify is unlikely to be acceptable.
Drugs: References to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be innocuous or carry a suitable anti-drug message.
Horror: Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense. Fantasy settings may be a mitigating factor.
Imitable behaviour: No detail of potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No glamorisation of realistic or easily accessible weapons.
Language: Mild bad language only.
Nudity: Natural nudity, with no sexual context.
Sex: Sexual activity may be implied, but should be discreet and infrequent. Mild sex references and innuendo only.
Theme: Where more serious issues are featured (for example, domestic violence) nothing in their treatment should condone unacceptable behaviour.
Violence: Moderate violence, without detail, may be allowed, if justified by its context (for example, history, comedy or fantasy).
Suitable for 12 years and over
Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.
The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.
The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work.
Discrimination: Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.
Drugs: Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instructional detail.
Horror: Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.
Imitable behaviour: Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied, or appear pain or harm free. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Language: Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
Nudity: Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
Sex: Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
Theme: Mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.
Violence: Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.
Discrimination: The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.
Drugs: Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.
Horror: Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.
Imitable behaviour: Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Language: There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
Nudity: Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
Sex: Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
Theme: No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.
Violence: Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.
No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video work.
In line with the consistent findings of the BBFC’s public consultations and The Human Rights Act 1998, at ‘18’ the BBFC’s guideline concerns will not normally override the principle that adults should be free to choose their own entertainment. Exceptions are most likely in the following areas:
■where the material is in breach of the criminal law, or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence
■where material or treatment appears to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – for example, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals. This may include portrayals of sexual or sexualised violence which might, for example, eroticise or endorse sexual assault
■where there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context. Such images may be appropriate in ‘R18’ works, and in ‘sex works’ (see below) would normally be confined to that category.
In the case of video works (including video games), which may be more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may be more frequent than for cinema films.
Sex education at ‘18’
Where sex material genuinely seeks to inform and educate in matters such as human sexuality, safer sex and health, explicit images of sexual activity may be permitted.
Sex works at ‘18’
Sex works are works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation. Sex works containing only material which may be simulated are generally passed ‘18’. Sex works containing clear images of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images, or other very strong sexual images will be confined to the ‘R18’ category. Material which is unacceptable in a sex work at ‘R18’ is also unacceptable in a sex work at ‘18’.
I have decided that my film should be under the age certificate of 15 as there is a strong threat of violence and violence is touched upon but the pain or injury is not dwelled on.
Friday, 13 January 2012
Questionnaire Results
After handing out my questionnaire to 25 people I put the results into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and created pie charts from this to show my results clearly. Some of the questions were open, inviting participants to write their own answer, and therefore I couldn't put these into pie charts. I have taken the results of these questions into account though and intend to use all of the results to help me make decisions throughout the development of my coursework.
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| spreadsheet with results |
Most of the people who answered the questionnaire were in the 17-21 age bracket because this is my target audience. Therefore the results below predominantly reflect the views and opinions of this age group, becoming much more useful and relevant when I come to making my film trailer and accompanying poster and magazine cover.
In an interview that took place in 1964, Hitchcock was asked whether he aimed to scare men, women or both, to which he replied "Women because 80% of the audience in the cinema are women. Even if the house is 50/50, half men half women, a good percentage of the men have said to their girl, being on the make of course 'what do you want to see dear?'". I believe that this observation is rather true and therefore I shall endeavour to use this theory within my own work and aim to scare women more so than men.
This proved to be a good start as the majority of people asked do like horror films making my results exceedingly appropriate for my project.
Psychological horrors most definitely appear to be the firm favourite as opposed to any other sub-genre and due to this result my aim shall be to create a plot that surrounds the psychological theme. With this I am able to make it more naturalistic and believable as acting can be limited and there is no need for using tomato ketchup for gory scenes!
This result ties in nicely with the concept of psychological horror as suspense is a common feature of this genre. I believe that rather than having something obviously scary such as zombies, I will have something that represents something to be feared to keep the audience guessing such as a prop or sound effect.
As a unique plot and high 'scare factor' seems to be most important I believe I will have to really think about my ideas carefully so they don't become too cliched or familiar to an audience. The plot must contain a concept that has never really been seen before which could prove a problem as I must come up with a completely original idea. As far as the 'scare factor' is concerned I believe that testing out drafts of my film trailer on a small audience will help me decifer whether or not it is scary enough.
The fact that good acting and a strong plot are least important to an audience allows me to focus more on the camera shots and angles as opposed to who says what etc. I think this will save much time and deliberation however I will need to pay attention to location and setting more too in order to make sure the film trailer is still as successful and scary.
The reasons people said they prefer to watch horror movies at night-time, is purely because it makes for more scary viewing and atmosphere, putting even more emphasis on how important the 'scare factor' of the film is, and supporting answers to previous questons.
This results shows that I need to come up with something that won't upset people. Suggestions for inappropriate viewing included rape and child abuse, both sickening things that happen in reailty and therefore to portray this in a film would put many people off as the thought of such happenings isn't appealing at all, no matter how much someone likes horror films!
With films with 15 age certficate being most watched I have more of a guideline about what I can and can't include in a film trailer so I can aim to produce a film that would be of this rating. This means it has to be very scary.
The final question gave me a great response in that everyone finds out a bout films from trailers, posters an magazines. This means that each of my pieces have to be strong in order to advertise a film successfully so people would be enticed to watch it.
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Questionnaire Research
To help me progress with my ideas of creating a film trailer I am going to hand out a questionnaire to various people and use the results to help form more of a guideline for my final product.
Here is the questionnaire:
Here is the questionnaire:
Questionnaire
In order to help me develop my film trailer successfully I would love your help and opinions to give me some more concise guidelines when creating my product. My chosen genre is horror so the questions below relate to your personal preferences when it comes to horror films.
1. How old are you?
ð 11-16
ð 17-21
ð 22-30
ð 31-40
ð 41-50
ð 51+
2. What is your gender?
ð Male
ð Female
3. Are you a fan of horror films? (Please state why)
ð Yes………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
ð No……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
If answered ‘No’ please skip to question 11 to continue the questionnaire.
4. What type of horror films do you prefer to watch?
ð Psychological
ð Blood and gore
ð Crime
ð Supernatural
5. What is it that you like about horror films?
ð Being scared stiff
ð Being thrilled
ð Being in suspense
ð Other (please state)………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. What do you believe is most important when you watch a horror film? (1 = most important, 5 = least important)
ð Good acting
ð A unique plot
ð A strong plot
ð Being believable
ð Scare factor
7. Do have a favourite actor/actress that you like to see in horror films (please state who and why)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. What is your favourite horror film?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
9. What is your least favourite horror film?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
10. What time of day do you like to watch a horror film and why?
ð Daytime…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
ð Night-time………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
11. Is there anything that you would find inappropriate to watch in a horror film?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
12. What film certificate do you usually go to watch?
ð PG
ð 12
ð 12A
ð 15
ð 18
13. How do you mainly find out about films?
ð Magazines
ð Posters
ð Online
ð Trailers
ð Email subscription
ð Other (please state)………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Photo Editing in the Style of Alfred Hitchcock
Here is my own photo editing in the style of Alfred Hitchcock presented in a PowerPoint Presentation. I enhanced my skills further by uploading it onto Slideshare, a website devoted to PowerPoint Presentations about anything and everything. Enjoy!
Friday, 6 January 2012
Alfred Hitchcock
As part of my coursework I decided to gather more information on a film director who specialised in horror and thriller films so I could have a better understanding of the way this genre was portrayed and visualised. I chose Alfred Hitchcock who is very well-known for his contributions to the film industry, particularly in my chosen genre.
Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, also known as ‘Hitch’ and ‘The Master of Suspense’ was born in Leytonstone, England on 13th August 1899. He was raised a Catholic and often described his childhood as being very lonely and sheltered, a lot of which was to do with his obesity. He attended Catholic schools until the age of 14 when his father died, and then went on to study at the School of Engineering and Navigation. Following his graduation he became a draftsman for a company called Henley’s, and it was here that he first began to dabble creatively. When a company publication The Henley Telegraph came about in 1919 he began to submit short articles which soon became one of its main features. All of these were short stories, sometimes comical but always with a sadistic twist of some kind. It was during this period that he gained an interest in photography and started working in film production in London working as a title-card designer for the London branch of what would become Paramount Pictures. In 1920, he received a full-time position at Islington Studios with its American owner, Famous Players-Lasky and their British successor, Gainsborough Pictures, designing the titles for silent movies. There he learned scripting, editing and art direction, slowly working his way up until he became a film director five years later.
His breakthrough film was called The Lodger (1926), a typical example of a classic Hitchcock plot where an innocent protagonist is wrongly accused of a crime and becomes involved in trickery and deceit. In the films that followed, he slowly introduced explicit links between sex and violence, which became another of his conventional themes. In 1936 Hitchcock directed Sabotage and Secret Agent, both of which gained much credit, however these two films highlighted some of his flaws as a director which were later acknowledged and learned from. Hitchcock’s theory was that “suspense is developed by providing the audience with information denied endangered characters. But to be most effective and cathartic, no harm should come to the innocent as it does in both of those films”.
He then went on to direct several more films before being signed to a seven year contract with David O. Selznick at the end of the 1930s when the Hitchcock’s moved to the USA. His first American movie was Rebecca (1940), an adaptation of the novel by Daphne Du Maurier, and was set in the United Kingdom, as were many of his films that followed, showing his love for his homeland. It became apparent that Selznick and Hitchcock had problems when working together as Selznick imposed many restrictions on Hitchcock when directing so the films could be as he wanted them. There was much conflict over the making of several films. Hitchcock’s second American movie was set in Europe and was a thriller named Foreign Correspondent (1940) and was nominated for Best Picture that year. It highlighted the fact that Hitchcock felt uneasy living and working in Hollywood knowing his home country was at war, leading to his making the film in support of the war effort.
His films during the 1940s were very diverse ranging from romantic comedies Mr & Mrs Smith (1941) to a courtroom drama The Paradine Case (1947) to the dark and disturbing film noir Shadow of a Doubt (1943). During this decade the film Suspicion (1941) marked his first film as both director and producer - this being another film set on an English coastline. In 1942 he directed Saboteur, one of two films Hitchcock made for Universal, a studio where he would continue his career in later years.
His films all show tendencies of the same themes and devices. It has been suggested that the main themes are as follows: (source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Themes_and_plot_devices_in_the_films_of_Alfred_Hitchcock)
- Images of birds
- Suspense
- Making the audience ‘voyeurs’
- The ‘MacGuffin’ – a device which incites curiosity, driving the plot and motivating the actions of characters within the story but whose identity is unimportant
- Using an ordinary person amongst the extraordinary circumstances, for more believable viewing that the audience can relate to
- Mistaken identity of characters
- ‘The double’ – when two characters have the same desire but only one of them takes action
- A likeable criminal
- Staircases – influenced by German Expressionism which often featured hazardous staircases
- Trains, often used as a sexual euphemism
- Mothers
- Transference of guilt
- The consumption of brandy – known to calm nerves
- Blonde women – due to his own preference as he believed an audience would be more suspicious of a brunette
- Silent scenes – Hitchcock viewed film as primarily a visual medium
- Number 13 – a superstition held by many
- Tennis ??
- Sexuality – sexual feelings are associated with violent behaviour
- Falling from high places
- The perfect murder – murder is treated as an intellectual puzzle with a focus on the craft of such an event
- Violence in a theatre
Some of these devices are purely down to personal preference and perhaps unintentional, however I may use some of the ideas such as the superstition surrounding the number 13 and the use of symbolism such as the
staircase representing a fear or danger.
Below are some additional links to further information about Alfred Hitchcock which I found very useful and interesting.
Here is a link to a website dedicated to his life: http://hitchcock.tv/
Here is are the links to a two-part interview from the 1960s (part one) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydvU64L758c&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Monday, 2 January 2012
Horror Genre Research
Definition of horror
“Horror films are designed to frighten and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. Horror films feature a wide range of styles, from the earliest silent Nosferatu classic, to today's CGI monsters and deranged humans. They are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens. The fantasy and supernatural film genres are not usually synonymous with the horror genre. There are many sub-genres of horror: slasher, teen terror, serial killers, satanic, Dracula, Frankenstein, etc. See this site's Scariest Film Moments and Scenes collection - illustrated.”
Definition of thriller
“Thrillers are often hybrids with other genres - there are action-thrillers, crime-caper thrillers, western-thrillers, film-noir thrillers, even romantic comedy-thrillers. Another closely-related genre is the horror film genre. Thriller and suspense films are virtually synonymous and interchangeable categorizations. They are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension. The acclaimed Master of Suspense is Alfred Hitchcock. Spy films may be considered a type of thriller/suspense film.”
Horror films are designed to:
· frighten and panic
· cause dread and alarm
· be an intense experience
· draw upon an audiences worst hidden fears
· shock
Difference between horror and thriller
Thriller highly relies upon the ‘jump’ factor of a film in order to entice the audience whereas Horror is more dependent upon the goriness to interest the specific audience. This also could affect the target audience as stereotypically horror would be aimed at a younger audience due to the raw violence shown and the interest that a younger audience today would have in this.
Conventions of a horror film
· There’s always a lead character, that often results as the survivor in the film
· The Killer / monster often has a trademark characteristic in the way he/she kills e.g. the victims or weapon used
· They predominantly feature good against evil and the two characters conflict
· The “goodie” always comes out on top or defeats the “baddie”
Examples of Horror films:
· Dawn of the Dead
· The Shining
· The Exorcist
· Frankenstein
· Halloween
· Saw
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