Horror Genre Reasearch - Cinematography

 

Horror Genre - Cinematography

 

 

A key part of horror films is its quite striking and familiar cinematography used within it, making the film more recognisable to audiences as a horror movie. Many of the different styles used help to add to the atmosphere that the film is trying to present, by often unnerving or scaring an audience.

 

A common camera shot seen in many horror films is that of a extreme close-up, which has the camera zoom in very close to a characters face, showing their facial expressions clearly to the audience. This is useful for film makers as it can help show the emotions a character is feeling much more clearly to the audience, as they can see every little twitch and movement in their face, as well as more obvious expression of emotion. This helps the audience relate to the character, as they can clearly see how they react to a scary situation, making them feel the same. This is also used quite often to show the villain of the film, working the same way to emphasise their emotions, but in this case the evil and fear they are projecting.    

 



 

 

Another type of cinematography technique seen in horror films are 'Dutch tilts', which shifts the framing of the shot slightly on to its side. What this does is make the audience feel uncomfortable throughout the scene, as they can tell that the scene is not straight, but its only tilted slightly, making everything seem not right. This is also used quite often to present a distorted world, with the character in question often hallucinating or panicking throughout it, presenting the inhuman aspects of the villain.        

 



Poster Research #2

The Mist (2007)

 

 

The poster is mostly dark with only the bright mist giving the only light on the poster. We can clearly see the man holding the young buy gazing through a huge window. This suggests that these two are going to be the main movie's protagonist as they are in the centre of the poster and are the only people in it.

 

Despite the mist being easy to see, you can't actually see what is inside, helping it to create a mysterious atmosphere of the unknown. It will help make people want to see it as they want to know what is lurking in the mist, and possibly if the protagonist will survive it.

 

The movie's tagline "Fear Changes Everything" suggests that the unknown monster might not be the only antagonist in the movie as if people are involved in an unknown scenario such as this that it might alter someone's sensibility and rightful thinking, which will make the viewer wonder who?

 

It also has a unique selling point with it being based on a novel by horror novelist Stephen King and being directed by Frank Darabont who directed critically acclaimed movies such as "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile", so as many people like both their work, they would go to see this movie to see if it is like the others.

Individual Genre Research - Cinematography

The key part to any film is the Cinematography, if the shots don't look right then the film won't look as good as the directors hope. The Cinematography within Horror films can be easily recognised by audiences as they has become so commonly used and are conventions of that genre.

The most common shot in Horror films is an "Extreme Close-Up" this is used to show the characters emotions through the use of Cinematography. Whether its the Protagonist or Antagonist, the Extreme Close-Up allows the audience to connect with the characters in either a positive or negative way depending on the character. It allows the audience to feel sympathy for the Protagonist as they're often the one who are trying to escape, it also allows the audience to sometimes the Antagonist's psychotic nature from the evil and fear they're projecting through the facial expressions.

Another shot is the "Low Angle-Shot" this is used to make the audience feel intimidated almost as if they're in the shoes of the Protagonist, being chased and hunted down. This is again used so the audience sympathises with the Protagonist and feels what they're feeling.

"Long Shots" are used to set the location for the film and are usually used to show the isolated location that the characters are trapped in, this again is another technique used so that the audience sympathises with the characters but to also create a sense of fear of large, empty, open spaces.

Poster Research #1

Evil Dead (1981)

 

 

This poster is bare with a picture of a young girl being pulled underground by a demonic spirit while she is trying to free herself. This portrays the horror genre in a very causal manner as we can see the type of situation she is in and what the antagonist might be.

 

The dark colours of the sky and ground contrast with horror genre the movie is wanting to portray a frightening and vulnerable atmosphere as this person is all alone and has no escape. It also represents the night which is where most horror films are set.

 

Despite it being a low-budget movie at the time, the poster's selling-point in order to attract the audience is that there is a quite from horror write Stephen King. due to King being a well-known author at the time and some of his novels being adapted in movies, people will want to go and see due to him praising the movie. The writing is white which juxtaposes with the dark background which helps to make it easy to read.

Individual Genre Research - Iconography

Iconography is the collection of images that are used to represent something. For instance, the Iconography of Horror films are the images we expect to see within a Horror film and what's so commonly associated with the Horror genre. The visual images, symbols, or modes of representation collectively associated with a person, cult, or movement.

For instance; within the Horror genre we expect to see blood and gore and as Horror films have developed over the years, the amount we expect to see has changed and increased. Blood within a title sequence can foreshadow death within the film but is more commonly used to represent and identify that some one has been injured either minor or fatally which can be linked within the horror franchise as blood and gore is so commonly used, especially with The Saw franchise (2004 - 2017).

Also within horror films, spooky objects and possessed objects are featured, this are used to make the audience feel uneasy and creep them out. These are featured in multiple horror films and some of the biggest horror franchises such as; The Chucky Franchise (1988 - present) and The Conjuring Franchise (2013 - present) which are big parts of the Horror genre. Usually through the film, these creepy items haunt and stalk the characters before attacking them and killing them, sometimes the main characters survive and end up destroying the possessed item (or so they thing) only for the item to still be intact and returns to haunt someone else.

Dark, isolated and gloomy locations are another iconic part of the Horror genre. These locations are usually where the characters get trapped, separated and murdered one by one. They also help build the atmosphere and set the tone of the film, for instance; the film The Woman in Black (James Watkins, 2012) is set within a haunted house, the tone of the film is very uneasy and unsettling to watch as all the dark corners of the room may be hiding something. Another example is if the film is set within some woods, for instance; The Forest (Jason Zada, 2016) shows how the characters are isolated from the rest of the world and how they've got to fight alone to stay alive.

Individual Genre Research - Titles

A title sequence is used to credit the main cast and crew within a film, any other cast and crew are usually featured at the end of the film in the credits. Within a title sequence we usually get the name of the film, the director, the main cast members and other crew members such as the director, producer, writer etc. Horror films have an array of title sequence designs, ranging from simple and straight forward to  more complex and intriguing . Depending on how you want your audience to react or how much you want your audience to know will effect the title sequence. It also helps set the tone of the film.

For instance, Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978) has a very simple title sequence, revealing no information about what might happening within the film or any information regarding the film apart from the fact that its set in Haddonfield, Illinois during Halloween Night in 1963. A simple title sequence like this leaves the audience wanting more, wanting to know more but also builds the audiences anticipation for the first scene of the film.

Another good title sequence that is similar to Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978) is Saw (James Wan, 2004), this is a simple and gritty title sequence that again only features the production logos, director and title of the film before throwing the audience straight into the action of the film, the short title sequence helps keeps the audience hooked and won't bore them as they're thrown straight into the film with a minute. There is nothing to suggest any plot elements to the film or any information on what will happen which is again another nice aspect as it leaves the audience wondering.

Individual Genre Research - Editing

Like any genre of film, Horror films follow the conventional editing and techniques that are featured within almost every modern blockbuster film. The aim of the editing is to keep the audience interested in the film and not letting their curiosity or interest drop throughout the film. In Horror films the editing is used to create the atmosphere for the film by creating an uneasy and unnerving feeling, for scenes intended to shock the audience then the editing would fast paced, cutting from one shot to another and never focusing on one thing for two long as this gets the audiences heart beats racing and builds up for what is usually a jump scare at the end.

Another edit is the complete opposite to what I've just mentioned, another way to build the suspense through the editing is to have it really slow paced, building it the scene and atmosphere by slowly cutting to each such as it builds an uneasy and unnerving feeling for the audience, it also builds their curiosity and slowly prepares them for a large shock/surprise.

Individual Genre Research - Camerawork/Cinematography

Every genre has the typical types of shots, angles and cinematography that are used throughout the production. There's a wide array but there's a lot we've come to expect which symbolise a Horror film.

The most common shot used is the Jump Scares which is a techniq
ue often used in horror films and is intended to scare the audience by surprising them with an abrupt change in the film that is usually accompanied by a loud and frightening sound which is used to scare and install fear in the audience. This is also commonly used in the lead up to another scene that will shock the audience.



Some Horror films used the style of found Found Footage which is a style/form of production in which the film is shot from the perspective of the characters and is their P.O.V of the events unfolding around them. A popular style in the past and is still a very prominent technique within the film industry even though viewers believe its become a worn out gimmick, found footage is still a relevant genre within itself in the horror genre. With no of the shots being smooth and carefully shot, the unpredictability leads viewers to constantly be on the edge of their seats.



Another one is underexposed footage, most memorable horror films and scenes takes place within a dark location or outside during the night-time. The absence of lighting creates a feeling of unease for the audience as they're unsure what will happen next. This also helps add to the atmosphere within the scene and the entire movie as it gives off a sense of dread, the feeling that something is lurking in the shadows and the feeling of impending doom. To achieve this minimal lighting is usually the best as it helps create the uneasy feeling but makes the shot more effective.

Individual Research - Radio Trailers/Radio Spots

Radio trailers are used to further the advertisement of a film so a wider and more mixed audience will learn about the film and will hopefully bring in more audiences to watch it.

What draws in the audiences is the dramatic music and effective dialogue take from the film which had been chosen to make the film sound appealing as that's the only way they'll be able to attract their audience because unlike a normal trailer, these can't rely on stunning visuals and quick, impressing editing. Another thing radio trailers have is quotes from film critics and good reviews from preview screenings which push the audience into making a decision to go see it or not as these make or break the audiences decision because if they reviews are bad then this will put the audience off as they'll believe the film might be a flop and therefore a waste of money.

Film Radio Spots 2013 - Gravity, Pacific Rim, The Conjuring & The Great Gatsby from Angell Sound Studios on Vimeo.

Genre Research

Genre Research

Our short film "Sweet Dreams" takes inspiration from many subgenres of horror, including Psychological Thriller and Supernatural. Our idea is to somewhat confuse the audience and create a sense of ambiguity within the entirety of our film. We hope to invite audiences to question what is real and what is simply a figment of Jamie's imagination.

I've selected a few examples of these subgenres to demonstrate how some techniques will be similarly used in our film. 

Slasher

Slasher films tend to merge aspects of the action and horror genre. These films take clear inspiration from the extravagant action blockbusters that were released within the golden age of Hollywood (80s and 90s). Slashers tend to be more jovial than other horror sub genres and more often than not include some aspect of comedy. The 'Chucky' films and 'Wolfcreek' series are a prime example of this as both films are crude and unapologetically violent. Slasher films tend to follow the story through the perspective of the antagonist who is causing the destruction in the film. Audience's are positioned to feel sympathetic towards the victims, however the 'monster' is made purposefully to be liked by the audience and is relatable in some way or another. When discussing theory, it is evident these films could cause a viewer who may not have the capacity to decipher between real life and Hollywood to act violent in response to these films. Blumler and Katz' Uses and Gratifications Theory suggests that a viewer will most likely have role models they look up to and take inspiration from in the media. Arnold Schwarzenegger was seen by many children in the 80s as their 'hero' thus causing them to be more obsessive over body image and the idea of being masculine. This too could happen if a person with an under-developed brain is subject to watching a lot of slasher films, except they may feel the urge to copy the villain and become more aggressive and violent. In light of this argument, our film crew has decided to give equal screen time to both our protagonist/victim 'Jamie' and our antagonist/villain 'El Cucuy' so that audiences can hopefully relate more towards Jamie's suffering thus causing them to act out of sympathy like Jamie, rather than out of aggression like El Cucuy.

supernatural

As our story largely takes place in Jamie's dream, we leave the audience questioning what is real and what isn't which is exactly what Supernatural films tend to delve into. For many people, the mixing of the real world and the dream world where they have no control over frightens them to their core.

Brief History of Horror

A History of the Horror Genre...

The Very First Horror Film

Though the term 'horror' wasn't used to describe scary filmography until the 1930s, films that was used in attempt to scare the audience were dubbed 'Spook Tales'. The most notable example being the Lumiere brother's Le Squellete Joyeux (The Happy Skeleton); a short, lighthearted piece made in 1895 that depicted a skeleton dancing alongside humorous music.




1920s - 1930s
This era was the first time in history that saw the horror genre being developed and widely distributed for commercial success. Many early horror films were adaptations of novels, such as Bram Stroker's Dracula. However, the most memorable film of this period was F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu (1922) that saw a big leap from the cliché use of ghosts, skeletons and cauldrons in cinema to a more realistic approach intended to frighten the audience.

1940s

This decade saw a steep decline in interest not only in horror, but in cinema altogether. With World War II playing such an important role in everybody's lives, the 1940s unfortunately was a time in which families sought out to not further distress themselves by ghoulish tales as the real world was scary enough. This time is often overlooked when discussing the horror genre, however a few notable movies include Wolf Man, House of Dracula and House of Frankenstein. It is also worthy to note how horror films briefly adapted to become much more jovial to appeal to audience's during these times, with many films relying on a love interest to promote ideas of peace and tranquility during this seemingly hopeless era.

1950s

The end of the war allowed people to return to luxuries that were unavailable to them during the past decade, which included going to the cinema. With evolving technology came new innovating ways in which monsters could be portrayed in film. This brought upon animalistic looking creatures to film as audiences began to grow tired of the humanoid villain and started to catch on to the fact that it was simply just an actor in a costume, which ultimately lead to viewer's not being as frightened anymore. New technology allowed filmmaker's to begin creating mutant-esque antagonists of astonishing proportions that were capable of destroying buildings and cities in attempt to excite audiences once again and give a whole new meaning to a horror movie. Notable movies include; Godzilla (1954), The Blob (1958) and The Fly (1958). This decade also homed to many new innovations in science, which inspired producers to create films that toyed with the idea of mixing man and machine, or animal.

Individual Genre Research - Settings/Locations

Like every genre, there are the stereotypical locations featured within Horror films where the characters encounter the killer and where most of the events within the film take place. Most locations are usually dark and empty such as; old abandoned houses, factory/warehouse, yards and forests.

Locations like these are used as its an effective way of showing the characters vulnerability and isolation from the rest of the world, the dark and empty spaces are used the make the locations appear larger then they are in reality which is another way of showing how isolated the characters. They're also used to invoke the audience with fear, to get them wondering if the killer is waiting in the shadows for their next victim which proves the audience with the thrill of being on edge as the characters make their way through the darkness to which the usually meet their demise.

Example of these locations can include films such as;

Eden Lake (2006, James Watkins) - Forests

The vast forest is used show how isolated Jenny and Steve are from the rest of the world, its also a perfect example of how the villains can be hiding within the shadows and vast shrubby ready to pounce onto the main character as throughout the film they keep losing track of each other due to the vast amount of forest. This location is also used as it provides perfect high angle shots of the main characters which show their vulnerability.

Child's Play 2 (1990, John Lafia) - Factory/Warehouse

Similar to forests, these locations are used for their sheer size with multiple areas to hide and for the killer prepare their final attacks. This works for the final act of Child's Play 2 as at the end Andy and Kyle end up being chased by Chucky as he attempts to murder them but is defeated by them which is due to the sheer amount of objects and machines they could use as weapons. This is another reason locations like these are used is so that the main characters we're rooting for can find something to defeat the main villain with.

Infulences on our film

There was several things that influenced our film 'Sweet Dreams'.

The main one was the we wanted to something completely different to last year as we did a Superhuman Sci-Fi film for AS whereas this year we wanted to branch out into a different genre as well as our piece being more gritty and darker. We looked into different genre and decided which would suit our group best and what wouldn't really work for us, such as; we couldn't really do a romantic comedy as it didn't really fit with who we are as people where as Horrors and Thrillers were more suited to us as a group. With these genres in mind, we all came up with storylines for potential films and once we'd presented them all we decided to go into production with 'Sweet Dreams'. This really contrasts to our last piece as its a darker, gritty Horror short film in comparison to our Superhuman Sci-Fi film short film.

My influences for the script of 'Sweet Dreams' came from A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and The Sarah Jane Adventures episode 'The Nightmare Man' which was broadcast 11 and 12 October 2010. Both these revolve around a demonic creature that stalks people's dreams, uses their nightmares against them and enjoys tormenting them. I took inspiration for El Cucuy from Julian Bleach's performance as The Nightmare Man a I thought the way he tormented Luke and they way he spoke really kept the audience on edge and the inspiration for the plot and aspects for El Cucuy was taken from A Nightmare on Elm Street, his love for blood and gore was inspired by Freddy Krueger's love for killing.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Synopsis

'Teenagers in a small town are dropping like flies, apparently in the grip of mass hysteria causing their suicides. A cop's daughter traces the cause to child molester Fred Krueger who was burned alive by angry parents many years before. Krueger has now come back in the dreams of his killers' children, claiming their lives as his revenge'.

The Nightmare Man Synopsis

'Luke faces life-changing events, and Bannerman Road will never be the same again. But when Sarah's son has his first nightmare, he's haunted by a dark figure from his dreams: the Nightmare Man. A strange entity is reaching out to our world through Luke, with terrible consequences for the whole human race. With Luke, Clyde and Rani trapped in a bizarre dreamscape, Sarah must fight alone. As the Nightmare Man grows stronger, only K9 might hold the key. But can Luke summon the courage to face his adult life before the whole world is trapped in an endless nightmare?'

Horror Genre Research - Setting/Location

Horror Genre - Setting/Location 

Like most other genre, horror films have many stereotypical settings and locations that the events of them take place in. This places are often used to convey fear and add to the effect that a film is trying to present, amplifying its overall response from an audience. 

One of the main settings for a horror film is that of a dark, empty forest, where the characters are chased down by the villain. This is such a popular choice for location as it is especially effective at evoking feelings of isolation and panic, as its complete darkness and disconnection from the modern world makes characters much more vulnerable. Additionally, the disorienting feel of the forests help to convey the common feelings of paranoia that characters are often presented as feeling in horror films, as they frantically search around them for the possibility of the villain getting them. 

Another frequently used location for films in the horror genre is that of a haunted house, a old house that people around the area say is haunted, with characters often being skeptical towards the idea, which of course turns out to be true. These have the effect of not only looking physically scary, often burnt down slightly, with decaying wood all around it, but also being psychologically scary, as they are often portrayed as having special ability's such as changing room doors, and hallucinating inside it, similar to the labyrinth from Greek mythology. A reason example of this setting type was 2017's IT, which had one of its key scenes take place inside the house as the group of children confront the monster clown 'Pennywise'

      

Sweet Dreams - Shotlist

Shot List

COLOR CORRODINATED SHOTLIST

FILMING TO BEGIN 28/11/17 AND TO CONCLUDE 1/12/17

YELLLOW (BLOCK A) - SHOTS 1 - 20 AND 69 - 76

GREEN (BLOCK B) - 21 - 68

BLUE (BLOCK C) - 77 - 92

Horror Genre - Iconography

Horror Genre - Iconography

 

 



Horror Genre - Storyline

Horror Genre - Storyline

ACT I

 

This is the part where the main characters are introduced, and also the type of stereotype they are, and the news that either someone has died or would want to go somewhere that will lead them to an isolated/secluded area

 

ACT II

 

When they get to that place, they start to act reckless but are being watched by a mysterious entity or a serial killer. They are then killed off one by one. Some try to fight back, alert authorities, or try to find anyone else, but no such a luck as it actually makes the situation worse.

 

ACT III

 

In the end, the central character (Final Girl) makes one last stand against the villain, and manages to kill it, but will be the only survivor left. Sometimes there can be a plot twist where the villain is revealed to still be alive.

EXAMPLE

 

 

Pre - production Questionnaire Results

 

Pre - production Questionnaire Results

 

 

We asked 10 people at random about what they thought of our film, by reading through a synopsis of the plot and deciding on the genre, age rating and music of it. The results below are a accumulation of every input given, showing an overall view of audience and preference.

 

Due to the small amount of participants in questionnaire, the results may not be 100% accurate of the overall opinion of the public, however it does give a small view in to opinions.

Some questions from the questionnaire have been removed for the purpose of these results, as they have no numerical value and mainly present peoples written comments on the film.   

 

Question 1 - What is your age?   

 

From this question its clear to see that the largest age seen in are subjects is 16 years old, with 50% of people asked that age, with 17 being just behind at 3. The results of 20+ incorporate people of any age above and including 20, due to the large differences between ages from our asked subjects.

Question 2 - What is your gender?

These results show the different genders of each person asked in the survey, with a 50% split between male and female, while also having a option for other gender associations if wanted.

Question 3 - What is your occupation?





The question asked for peoples occupations, giving them the option to input their own, with no multiple choice section. From this its clear to see a high saturation of students filling out the survey, which can be put down to asking inside a sixth form. Additionally, two teachers filled out these questions, showing a different perspective from different ages, as well as one person in retail.

 

 

Question 4 - How often do you watch films?

The majority of people answered that they watched films weekly, which is the average among other questionnaires we have done before. 2 people said daily and monthly as an answer, with no one saying yearly, which was excepted.

 

 

Question 5 - How do you usually watch films?

 

There was quite a mixture of results from this question, which surprised us as we expected the majority to be in stream. However, the majority was actually in other, which had people enter their own answers, with all being 'torrenting', meaning to illegally watch films.

 

 

Question 6 - What is your favourite genre?

50% of people chose comedy as their favourite genre, with some explaining that its because its easy to watch and understand. The rest of the results are scattered around in small numbers, correlating to personal preference.

 

 

Question 9 - What age rating should our movie be?

From this question its clear to see that from the synopsis of our film, shown in the question before, that people understand the nature of our film. Most people have chosen 15 as the age rating for our film, as it has some quite disturbing themes and scenes within it, such as psychological horror, living nightmares and true fear. The other results follow in a similar fashion, with none being bellow a 12 ratting, which is what we wanted to present. 

 

 

 

Horror Genre - Charcaters

Horror Genre - Characters

The Jock

This character is portrayed as the attractive, well-built narcissist who believes that he is an alpha-male of the group, but ends up getting himself killed when he tries to square-off against the villain of the movie. He is always the boyfriend of the main girl or one of her friends, and represents a person's downfall. He keeps building himself up to be this great saviour who will save everyone but will always get killed in the process.

 

The Cheerleader

This is the athletic girl who will usually be the girlfriend of the Jock, but despite he good looks she is not very bright. She can always sometimes be the best friends of the main girl, but for unknown reasons. This will be the character who will basically do nothing in the movie except screaming hysterically, and will be the viewer's most hated character.

 

The Nerd/Stoner

The outcast of the group but will probably be a friend of one of the characters. They are also constantly bullied by the Jock and/or Cheerleader, which can help make them relatable to the viewer so we can feel sorry for them, and are always less good looking than the rest of the cast. They will help the character with their survival as they know what to do, and can also provide comic relief.

 

The Token Minority

This character provides diversity in a usually American Caucasian cast. Despite that, they are never really developed like the other characters, and are basically there just to get killed off, despite the viewer wanting them to succeed. Sometimes they can be the Nerd/Stoner. They are just a character that regularly gets killed off, and are mostly the first ones to go.

The Nice Guy

The main male character in this genre, and is usually the main girl's love interest. He can also be friend's with the Jock and looks weak in comparison, despite him being the last male character to survive. He is the voice of reason and is character most viewers can relate with. He can sometimes make it to the end, but will get killed off eventually in order for the main girl to lose her love. He can survive if he becomes the male version of the Final Girl.

The Virgin/The Last Girl

The regular survivor of horror movies who is the simple sweet girl who is liked by viewers. Despite her being timid and laid-back in the beginning, she will eventually overcome it and ends up being the one to vanquish the killer by the end. After witnessing her friends get killed she overcomes her hurdles and ends up being the strongest character of the lot.

Horror Genre Research - Characters

Horror Genre - Characters

Another heavily stereotyped section of the horror genre would be that of its character types, which often follow a very similar format, which in turn results in very similar outcomes for these characters.

The Jock

A heavily used character type in many genre of film, this character is often portrayed as very confident, often related in some way to sport. They are often in good physical shape, which they often talk about to other characters, going with their often arrogant and bully like personas. These character often react in one of two ways to the threat of the movie, by being fearless and overconfident in their assault on the villain, or cowardly and fearful of them, with both cases often leading to their deaths. 

      

Popular Girl 

This character is commonly portrayed as attractive young teenager who is liked by most of the characters in the film mainly due to her looks, while actually being a shallow and dime character really. They are also often used to bring a wider male audience in to the film, as their attractiveness appeals to the male gaze of many cinema goers. This character is often one of the first to be killed of by the films monster, as they will freak out straight away, running straight in to the arms of the murder.

Authority Figure 

The role of this character is to be a leader to the other characters, trying to keep them safe from the threat. They are often much older than the rest of the group, and could have a job in law enforcement or other physical occupations, which they use to take charge of the group. They also often present a farther figure role to the rest of the group, someone who is friendly and approachable, while also being strong and confident. They often die in some kind of heroic act, saving another member of the group. 

Final Girl 

The point of this character is to show the impact that the events of the horror film has had on a character, molding them and developing them in to a completely different character to what we see at the beginning of the film. They are originally presented as quite shy and confidential, relying heavily on friend and partners. By the end of the film, their feminine characteristics are replaced by strong and independent survival plans, which often accumulates in them surviving against all odds. 

Villain 

This character is the core of the plot for the entire film, with their actions influencing the motive for every other character. They are often seen as overbearing, unstoppable creatures that are only there to try and kill the rest of the characters, instilling fear in to them at in every scene. They often have a compelling backstory told through the film to the motives of their attack, which can often give a small layer of sympathy from the audience, humanizing them. Alternatively, their motives and history is often left complacently unknown, adding to the mystery of their beginnings, increasing the fear the characters feel from them. Inevitably, the character is overpowered by either the lead character of the film in a final showdown, or by the group as a whole, as they band together to defeat them.  

      

Horror Genre Research - Storylines

Horror Genre - Storylines 

 

Even since the very early examples of the horror genre, the storylines seen in each film follow a very similar format that is still used to this day. Almost every mainstream or individual horror film revolves around an enemy attacking a group of people, with different films having different villains, such as; Murderers, Aliens, Monsters, Psychopaths, Cannibals. 

The plot of horror films are quite well known in today's society, often being criticized for its lack of originality, with countless remakes being seen in modern cinemas. The most common format of narrative for the horror genre would have to be that of monsters of some kind attacking a group of people, often teenagers, killing them of one by one. This is seen in many modern horror films, such as Halloween 1978 and A Nightmare on Elm Street 1984, which both have a group of teenagers being hunted by a powerful and almost supernatural enemy, with both now becoming cult classics, arguably due to their successful use of the tried and tested narrative format. 

Another common narrative format seen in horror films would be that of ghosts or demons possessing someone, often a child, with the plot of the film having their friends and family attempting to save them, while the enemy terrorizes them and scares the audience in the process. This style of plot often also has heavy religious themes within them, with most being anti religious in nature. Examples of this style of horror plot would be The Exorcist 1973 and Insidious 2010, with both films featuring a young child being possessed by what seems to be the devil, while their family try and save them.

 

Individual Genre Research - Characters

There can be many characters within horror films, many different characters can be introduced throughout the course of the film but there will always be the same five stereotypical characters.

1. The First To Go

They are usually the least developed character, can be either male or female and are often either really scary or way too brave which soon causes them to meet their demise. They typically die running away from the group and getting caught by the killer. We never really get to know them as they are often the least developed character with not a developed back story or strong connection with the other characters.

2. Blondie or The Damsel in Distress

She's typically a young beautiful slim girl who's there to give the audience someone to admire during the film but also for sex appeal. She is usually the one who ends up getting left behind and capture by the killer. The main reason for this characters being portrayed within films is so that the audience have something to admire throughout and to keep the male audience hooked.

3. Jock

Usually the guy who's overconfident and think he can handle any situation but eventually finds out he's not as tough as he thinks which can ultimately lead to his demise, this is one of their tragic flaws. He often uses this to show off in front of the Damsel in Distress to impress her which sometimes works but ultimately fails.

4. Survival Expert

They can be either male or female and are usually the leader of the group. They're the survival expert who believe they can get everyone out alive, they're typically rugged but extremely resourceful. They nearly always make it out alive at the end of the movie but if they don't they usually end up dying doing something heroic to save the rest of the group. The audience love these characters as they're always the smart, quick thinking one who helps save everyone.

5. Cold Blooded Killer

And obviously the final one is the killer themselves. They usually hold some sort of grudge against the other characters and want revenge on them but sometimes these characters just get caught up in it all and are in the wrong place at the wrong time. They methods of killing are often very different to each character and are always very creative, they provide a variety of ways so as to keep the audience interested but also to not repeat the same thing over and over again. When the group think they've finally killed them, it'll turn out they haven't which leaves the ending open for a sequel.