1. What is your chosen genre? Research your genre. What sub-genres exist? Are you following the conventions of a sub-genre? Outline some films which fit into this genre which you find interesting in some way
Our chosen genre of group 7 is horror. I personally think that horror was the correct choice because I am a strong fan of horror films and also it is a genre that compels me to make the coursework scary and effective. The sub genres in horror range from violent and gore obsessed spectacles to try to shock and cringe the audience into feeling the fear a scary movie should bring them. These are films such as Hostel, The hills have eyes and Wrong turn. To me, psychological horrors are easily the scariest. These films take everyday objects and situations that one would think is safe and feel secure with and then turns them into a means to kill you. films such as The Ring and the grudge. Are in my opinion the scariest films because there is not violence or blood in them.
2. Pick three of these and outline specific techniques or style which you think might be useful for what you are planning.
To start with I will talk about my favourite horror film The Ring, this was a film was originally a Japanese cult film that an American company decided to remake for the western audience. The technique in this film that makes it so horrific is that the girl, who kills people, comes out of their TV. There is a great clip in the beginning of the film which shows the first death. It is a point of view camera shot that is from the girl’s perspective as she runs across the room from the TV and kills a teenager by looking at her. Giving us a first person view of this gruesome incident, but still no blood.
Another film that I thought was very effective is the remake of the classic film The Texas chainsaw massacre. The scariest component in this film is, in my opinion, the policeman who abuses our main characters. Policemen in films are meant to be a constant that can help people and when there is a serial killer you would think that everything would be better when the police get there. But no. this policeman knocks a boys teach out with a Jack Daniels bottle and makes them lie in the dirt while he stomps on them. This film does use a lot of violence and gore but I think to great affect.
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?
In a typical horror film there is usually a classic storyline of a murder in the beginning of the film that sets up the rest of the movie for the audience to get involved and interested in. this would be good for our sequence because we can show the first murder in the beginning and therefore be setting the movie up to continue along the same lines.
4. What kind of characters are conventional to this type of genre? Identify archetypal heroes or villains, stock characters?
Typically in a horror film there is a group of people that get killed off one by one. But in some of my favourite psychological horrors there is a main lead role played by a female who seems hopeless but comes through at the end to ‘save the day’. In more violence based horror such as The hills have eyes and Saw there is a classic character who seems larger than life who is always at the end and our lead role in the movie has to kill. There are also the classic stock c-list characters who will get killed off as the movie progresses.
Our chosen genre of group 7 is horror. I personally think that horror was the correct choice because I am a strong fan of horror films and also it is a genre that compels me to make the coursework scary and effective. The sub genres in horror range from violent and gore obsessed spectacles to try to shock and cringe the audience into feeling the fear a scary movie should bring them. These are films such as Hostel, The hills have eyes and Wrong turn. To me, psychological horrors are easily the scariest. These films take everyday objects and situations that one would think is safe and feel secure with and then turns them into a means to kill you. films such as The Ring and the grudge. Are in my opinion the scariest films because there is not violence or blood in them.
2. Pick three of these and outline specific techniques or style which you think might be useful for what you are planning.
To start with I will talk about my favourite horror film The Ring, this was a film was originally a Japanese cult film that an American company decided to remake for the western audience. The technique in this film that makes it so horrific is that the girl, who kills people, comes out of their TV. There is a great clip in the beginning of the film which shows the first death. It is a point of view camera shot that is from the girl’s perspective as she runs across the room from the TV and kills a teenager by looking at her. Giving us a first person view of this gruesome incident, but still no blood.
Another film that I thought was very effective is the remake of the classic film The Texas chainsaw massacre. The scariest component in this film is, in my opinion, the policeman who abuses our main characters. Policemen in films are meant to be a constant that can help people and when there is a serial killer you would think that everything would be better when the police get there. But no. this policeman knocks a boys teach out with a Jack Daniels bottle and makes them lie in the dirt while he stomps on them. This film does use a lot of violence and gore but I think to great affect.
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?
In a typical horror film there is usually a classic storyline of a murder in the beginning of the film that sets up the rest of the movie for the audience to get involved and interested in. this would be good for our sequence because we can show the first murder in the beginning and therefore be setting the movie up to continue along the same lines.
4. What kind of characters are conventional to this type of genre? Identify archetypal heroes or villains, stock characters?
Typically in a horror film there is a group of people that get killed off one by one. But in some of my favourite psychological horrors there is a main lead role played by a female who seems hopeless but comes through at the end to ‘save the day’. In more violence based horror such as The hills have eyes and Saw there is a classic character who seems larger than life who is always at the end and our lead role in the movie has to kill. There are also the classic stock c-list characters who will get killed off as the movie progresses.
5. What typical locations or settings for this genre?
Some typical locations for this genre would be somewhere remote and hard to find because then it makes it more believable that these characters cant get away from the horror or people cannot help them. We have chosen to do our sequence in the woods which we believe to be a good location for our chosen type of sub genre. Some typical locations for a simple horror would be places like; an abandoned prison, a school or a rural town in the middle of the desert.
6. What iconography would you expect to see in this genre?
Some classic iconography would be something like a knife dripping with blood. Or silhouettes down a dark alley. Things we socially or subconsciously relate with danger and fear. These are most common in ‘slasher’ type films such as Halloween. But also in these horror franchises there are masks and images we relate with horror from the previous films such as the mask from scream.
7. Examples of
suitable costume.
Some typical locations for this genre would be somewhere remote and hard to find because then it makes it more believable that these characters cant get away from the horror or people cannot help them. We have chosen to do our sequence in the woods which we believe to be a good location for our chosen type of sub genre. Some typical locations for a simple horror would be places like; an abandoned prison, a school or a rural town in the middle of the desert.
6. What iconography would you expect to see in this genre?
Some classic iconography would be something like a knife dripping with blood. Or silhouettes down a dark alley. Things we socially or subconsciously relate with danger and fear. These are most common in ‘slasher’ type films such as Halloween. But also in these horror franchises there are masks and images we relate with horror from the previous films such as the mask from scream.
7. Examples of
suitable costume.
8. How is light/colour used? What effect would you want to create with lighting? Identify connotations of particular colours.
The classic connotations in horror films for lighting and colour would be things like the colour red indicating danger and blood, therefore maybe giving the audience a clue to who will die next. Also black is a commonly used colour in horror films because of the darkness, therefore giving the audience a fright if they don’t know what’s going on in the shadows.
The classic connotations in horror films for lighting and colour would be things like the colour red indicating danger and blood, therefore maybe giving the audience a clue to who will die next. Also black is a commonly used colour in horror films because of the darkness, therefore giving the audience a fright if they don’t know what’s going on in the shadows.
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