My chosen genre is horror.There are many sub genres that co-exist with the horror genre, examples of these are Teen horror “Scream” Comedy horror “Scary movie” Horror thriller “The Saw trilogy” and gore horror “Hostel” and Yes I am following the conventions of Horror thriller.
Fast cutting rates and fast paced sound are classic conventions of this sub genre of horror. Keeping these two
key components in mind when composing my clip will be essential to achieve a realistic opening sequence for my chosen sub genre of horror.Films which fit into the sub genre that I have chosen are films such as the “Saw” trilogy and “Texas chainsaw massacre” The reason I believe that these two films are relevant to the sub genre Horror thriller is because the saw films always produce very emersive openings to their films.They always manage to build an enigma straight away, normally my having someone murdered in a traumatic way, but giving a twi
st since if they are willing to pay a price in blood and pain they are able to save their lives. This unusual convention is probably why the “saw” films are so famous and why they have created such a huge fan basis on Web 2.0. The reason that I also chose “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is because in this film, enigma is created by having a strange family who seem to think the way that their son treats his murde
r victims is normal to some extent.
st since if they are willing to pay a price in blood and pain they are able to save their lives. This unusual convention is probably why the “saw” films are so famous and why they have created such a huge fan basis on Web 2.0. The reason that I also chose “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is because in this film, enigma is created by having a strange family who seem to think the way that their son treats his murde
r victims is normal to some extent. However enigma is created in the opening sequence from such text as “Based on true events” which to me adds fear since even if it is not true it makes me think that it could happen to me as well. Also the use of a very large scary murderer who murders his victims in a gruesome way and with a fast cutting rate of the camera and loud shocking noises when he appears produces terror within an audience. This is the kind of affect I would like to have on my audience. I would like to produce an enigma, not so obviously that it doesn’t seem real, I would like to add effects to make the audience jump and so they are really drawn in to watch the rest of the film.
2) Pick three of these and outline specific techniques or style which you think might be useful for what you are planning.
I will start with “Saw 5” in the opening sequence they use an extremely fast cutting rate, I believe this is the best way to add confusion as to what is going on to the audience, so they generally get what is going on, however they don’t quite see the detail enough to make the plot obvious. Low angle shots of victims with the
murderers above them putting the murdered in a position of dominants is also a good way of creating fear within the sequence. I believe a fast paced sound track is also important, however (if used) it shouldn’t overpower the dialogue. Personally I believe well is more when it comes to use of dialogue, except with the saw films, where the murderer has put his victims on trial and explains why there and how they can stay alive which I think has been used here to a great extent to create enigma.“Memento” is another film which caught my eye in the ability to create an enigma. No dialogue is used throughout the whole sequence, however it still manages to create suspense and an enigma. The use of time reversal and blood dripping objects in the sequence has been used to great use, close up shots don’t give much of the scene away to create suspicion and keep the audience guessing but it still manages to put quite a lot of the key attributes in the scene. “Seven” also caught my eye
. Although it uses montage editing and doesn’t really give you a whole insight as to what the film is about except that there might be a weird overly obsessive person is in it, it still manages to create enigma by the extremely professional editing used. A fast cutting rate, creepy sound track and use of strange pictures connotes obscurity from the norms of our modern society. With all prejudices around in our modern age the person in the sequence would be seen to be strange and an outcast.3) What is a typical narrative for this genre of film? How could this be set up in the opening to create enigma or suspense?
The typical narrative in a Horror Thriller is murderer kills someone near the beginning of the film, a puzzle is to some extent weaved around the plot, while a person or group o
f people try and solve it or help someone evolved in the murder but somehow get caught up in it themselves and more often than not they get killed off one by one until the main character is left who either escapes or kills the murderer. This is an effective way to draw an audience since it allows us as the audience to be more immersed within the film, achieve a more immersive cinematic experience since it allows the audience to try and guess the murderer, however this is normally verging on impossible if the film has a strong storyline and a big twist at the end, which is also a huge attraction to these kind of films.
f people try and solve it or help someone evolved in the murder but somehow get caught up in it themselves and more often than not they get killed off one by one until the main character is left who either escapes or kills the murderer. This is an effective way to draw an audience since it allows us as the audience to be more immersed within the film, achieve a more immersive cinematic experience since it allows the audience to try and guess the murderer, however this is normally verging on impossible if the film has a strong storyline and a big twist at the end, which is also a huge attraction to these kind of films. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfAjoJvxVPs
This could be set up by thinking hardly about a story plot so that straight away the audience can become engrossed with the sequence, another way of doing it may be to use all the conventions of a good horror, low angle shots, little but well prepared lighting and use of natural framing.
4) What kind of characters are conventional to this type of genre? Identify archetypal heroes or villains, stock characters?
Classic Villain, scary and threatening often looks as if they have some sort of mental problems which is why they commit the horrible acts that they do. Or as if they aren’t really very realistic but are still very frightening.
Classic hero, although the character isn’t big and strong, the main trait of a hero id that they face up to the
villains no matter what. This is being well shown in this picture.Archetypal Stock characters, characters which create enigma and weave someway into the puzzle/ mystery of the film, but at some point in the film get killed off.
5) what typical locations or settings for this genre?
There are many different types of locations that are used in horror films, from fields to houses, however they all seem to have the same concept in common. there is always a sence that the victim cannot excape. this sense of isolation and terror brings about feelings in the audience which make the film seem more realistic and scare the audience more since, if the film is made realistically that the audience seem to think that it could happen to
them and they could find themselves in this situation.Conventionally however the sets are generally dully lit, use of lighting is normally very important in horror films. all types of shots are used, establishing shots are often used, however it seems the most conventional shot to use in a horror is a close up, so a set will have to be able to have good lighting so a close up shot looks affective.
6) What iconography would you expect to see in this genre?Classic iconography in a horror would omst likely be a weapon, normally a knife, used most commomly in the sub genre "slasher horror" films. however there is more than weapons to do with iconography. A misty setting in a forrest, gives the affect that there could be something out there watching the victims. mascs are also used and are understood as being iconography in horror films, probably most famously in the jason films where he wears a hockey mask.
7) Examples of suitable costume
dark clothing, masks, weapons. these are all parts of cistume which will create a very scary villan who will strike fear into the hearts of the audience.
8) How is light/colour used? what effect would you want to create with lighting? identify connotations of particular colours.
Light and colour is used to great effect in all horror films, i believe good lighting makes and breaks a horror film. if the lighting isnt good and the villan is made out to be very un intimidating and is revealed near the beginning of a film just down to bad lighting will ruin a film. Shaddow on people, showing there non verbal language and emotions creatse
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