Research Horror Film

Horror

Friday, November 12, 2021

What is horror? 

Horror is defined as an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust. Typically a horror film can make the viewers experience those emotions throughout the film. Through this blog entry, one will understand, what techniques are used to accomplish these goals. Horror films are a really popular genre of film despite being so intense, as they cost so little to make and are so entertaining.  

Content

In making horror films suspense, foreshadowing, and music are three key factors. Any horror film one watches is guaranteed to have these three key factors. When these factors work together it helps coherently make the audience feel intense fear, shock or disgust. Every horror films also tend to have the same plot, it plays on fear of objects or things, lots of deaths, rebel teens, alone, dark, couples. suspense, foreshadowing, build up music, and aftermaths. 

In the film "IT" this scene where Bill draws a picture of Beverly, and after water drips from his leaking ceiling and lands on the drawing. Making it seem as if it is blood, it's foreshadowing, as further into the movie. Beverly wakes up in the lair of pennywise to blood dripping on her face like this drawing.

Suspense another key factor in horror films that makes the viewers fearful. Suspense is defined as a state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen. In horror films, creating suspense is key as it engages the viewers into wanting to know what is about to happen next. Suspense builds up the scene and makes it more fearful. Suspense and foreshadowing keeps the viewers on their feet. 

In the film "Psycho" During this shower scene, the shadowy figure stands outside the shower curtain. It builds suspense as the viewers are unsure who the figure is and what they are doing there. Immediately afterwards, the viewers see what the shadowy figure intentions are.

What makes a horror movie so scary/ production techniques. 

Horror film utilizes quite a few production techniques to drive the intense feeling of fear throughout a film. For instance, music, lighting, and camera techniques. Throughout the film, dim lighting can make a scene more suspenseful. Build-up music can make a scene more intense and jump scares, scare the viewers as they don't see it coming. These factors all work together to make the horror aspect of horror films. 

Leitmotif is how sound for instance can play a huge part in a film. Leitmotif is basically a reoccurring sound in media studies that has become iconic. For instance in the film "Jaws" every time the shark is nearing someone the leitmotif is then played. The music is very suspenseful and build suspense to keep the viewers engaged.  

https://youtu.be/IzydhsMZXn8

 

Target Audience/ Marketing

The typical target audience of horror films is typically males ages 15-25. As they are more attracted to these thrilling adrenaline inducing films. They like the fearful feeling that makes their heart pound as they are young adults and seek thrilling, exciting things. Now how these movies are marketed are through trailers and movie posters. The center of the movie poster tends to be what the movie is about and a background to possibly illustrate where it everything is taking place. Dark colors are typically used as backgrounds due to the fact that the color black represents, villains, evil, and power. While red represents, danger, blood, fire and energy. Males are typically more geared towards these type of movies.

 

Samples

Get Out 

                                                                The film Get Out (2017) is about an African American             male meeting his white girlfriend's family for the very first time. Her family is very friendly,                     overly friendly in fact. Throughout the movie, Chris (the male) hangs out with the family                                 uncovering stuff and feeling more and more uncomfortable. A drastic turn, is when Chris finds out that he is being hypnotized with a tea cup. Chris finds out his girlfriend would date and bring African American males so her family can sell them. Sounds and camera angles play a huge part in this movie and how weird acting the family members are all red flags to the audience. The movie also utilizes foreshadowing during the drive to the house, they hit a deer, and when Chris is trying to run away towards the end, he uses a deers head to attack the attacker. The movie poster is like Chris expectation and standards were shattered hence the broken glass, the shards are also scenes throughout the film.  

 

The ring

 

The ring utilizes sound and underexposure and suspense to hone the horror aspect of this movie. It's already very suspenseful if one dies 7 days after watching a cursed video. The movie is about a cursed video that if you watch it you get a phone call afterwards. Saying you have 7 days left to live, a reporter Rachel Keller is curious after this video claimed the lives of 4 teens. She proceeds to watch the video and tries to get to the backstory of this cursed video in seven days. The poster uses a light blue hue meaning sadness, depression, negativity and bad omen. Which exactly describes this movie.

Other horror films to consider watching.

(US 2019)

(Don't Breath 2016)

(Clown 2014)

(A Quite Place 2018)

(Train to Busan 2016)

(The Purge 2013)

Sources:

https://lewisprintmediablog.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/target-audience-unfinished/

https://nofilmschool.com/why-you-should-make-horror-movies

https://vocal.media/horror/techniques-horror-movies-use-to-scare-you