Horror GenreBy: Natalie Nikolaeva

Film InstitutionsFilm institution always appears as one of the first frames of the film. It tells the audience who is the film produced by and it usually fits two institutions. The institutional logos are always edited to fit the horror genre. For example, the Walt Bros logo is often edited with dark colours such as black in order to link to the horror theme of the movie.

Establishing shots• Establishing shots are used for the introduction of settings such as

graveyards, suburban house, rural locations or haunted houses, and also for the introduction of key characters.

• They’re important in every horror film, as they introduce the settings in which the audience will constantly be referred back to, as the main activities of the film are likely to happen in the established settings.

• If you look at the example below you will see the establishing shots I picked.

Mise en scene• The mise en scene is usually the isolated, abandoned, historical areas with the sense of

claustrophobia and a uncomfortable atmosphere.

• The use of low key lighting is used to show, either the characters representation, for example the villain’s character would be associated with very low key lighting, as they’re the main character of a horror film.

• Props are needed to create the typical codes of the horror genre. Props such as candles, blood, extreme weapons, masks are always going to be noted in the horror genre films.

• The Shining (1980) Is still known for the excellent use of mise en scene, as the films involves a setting of a haunted hotel and the colour scheme is fit within the dark colours which fit appeal to the horror genre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cb3ik6zP2I

Camera Work• The camera angles are an important convention of the horror genre, as they identify key moments

and also key characters to the audience.

• Some angles are low in order to convey the superiority of one of the characters over the other. Other angles would be extreme close ups. Close ups are a very often used shot as they demonstrate the fear and importance of the characters. A point of view shots allows the audience to appeal to the fear and intensity of the whole film, though the characters. Another common angle would be the hand held shot, as it gives the audience to experience the actions of the characters, and it helps them to understand what they feel and see.

• A good example of an excellent camera work would be Psycho (1960), simply because of the camera work during the famous shower scene. In this famous scene which is known by the mass audience, the psycho is stabbing the stereotyped blonde girl, even though the audience never actually see the knife piercing through the flesh of the girl, the audience can still get the fear that this scene is meant to project to the audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4

This screenshot, represents the stereotyped character of a pretty blonde girl. As stereotypically said, the blonde girl will always end up dying, as she is a character who cannot defend herself she is represent to be helpless and also quite “dumb”, and in most cases the stereotype says that all blonde girls have to die in a horror film. This screenshot of the girl giggling, demonstrates how unrealistic this scene is, as a normal person wouldn't just get into the shower and start giggling at the water. These actions are often seen in fairy tales, as they’re not real however, the audience can see this action of the blonde girl giggling at the water and they can already foreshadow that she is about to be murdered, by the evil villain, in this case the psycho.

Editing• Editing is a very important convention in the horror genre, as it creates the exaggerated effects of

the horror films. Editing also gives the audience the desired atmosphere for example, if there isn’t any fact paced montage of shots for a long time, there is a big chance that something is about to scare the audience.

• The use of continuous editing and the use of jump cuts are often used within the horror films, as they are the reason that the film is appealing to the audience.

• Here are some examples of different editing techniques viewed in horror films:

• Low key lighting• Synchronous sound• Non-diagetic creepy background music• Splicing (variety of shots are edited together) • Transitions (E.g. fade to black)• Fast or Slow pace shots• Cuts• Superimpositions

Character Types• In a horror film, there are always certain characters which the audience expect to see in a

horror film., for example, ghouls, monsters, murderers, psychiatric patients, mentally disturbed even animals.

• You would always expect a dumb character who falls straight into the trap or gets captured easily, and usually won’t last long through the movie. For example, Scream (1996) the blonde girl at the beginning of the film. A so called dumb character would often do mistakes such as going to the attic, making noise while they’re hiding or not killing the killer when they have the chance.

• You would always expect a clever character, who always ends up figuring our the clues and ways to escape and clutched the killer.

• Always a main character or main set of characters which are expected to be hunted down throughout the whole movie.

• The girl who gets to the end of the film and finally defeats the killer. • And of course the actual killer, who is also antagonist of the film.

• Usually the setting of a horror film can be set any time of the day, either day or night however, stereotypically the mass audience would expect it to occur during the night, as it creates a more stereotypical atmosphere for the audience, because stereotypically the audience would expect for any scary scenes to occur in the night time.

• Often in a horror film, the audience is introduced to dark places, for example, old and creaky abandoned, “middle of nowhere” buildings. It could be damaged structures or run-down buildings. The reason that these words would always be associated with something scary is because they create the mood for the audience, for example if a murderer is to be shot in a house filled with sunshine and bright colours it won’t be as entertaining as, if he was to be shot in a old and creaky house, this shows that setting have very big impact on the level of fear that the audience have throughout the film, the higher the level, the better for the film’s reputation.

• Examples of some places you’d see in a horror films are: Old mines, Fields, Derelict houses, forest, house in the middle of nowhere, house in a normal neighbourhood, sorority homes, schools, old farms, lakes, butchers and countryside.

Settings

• Iconography in horror films would usually follow a standard pattern which won’t deviate from it’s original format. There are specific patterns which are followed throughout every single one of the creators of horror films, as it makes the genre of the film recognisable to their audience. It tells the audience who or what within the film is good and who or what is evil, and it also identifies the codes and conventions linked to them. The “traditional pattern” is still followed in every single horror film. The pattern originally shows the discovery and conflict, as it is essential to plot and structure.

• Iconography could be symbolised through the symbols which reoccur in each of the horror films. For example, the stereotypical haunted house, the disfigured face or mask, the screaming of the victim, the weapons such as knifes meat cleaver or chainsaw and the binary oppositions of good and evil.

Iconography

• Sound and music are one of the most important conventions in the horror genre, as it creates tension

• There is always an audio in horror films that the audience will be able to easily

recognise. For example, a long eerie musical build-up of string or horns as the victim e.g. if the character is approaching a closed door, and the audience is expecting something scary to be hidden behind it. This is quite a typical musical cue which is always expected in a horror film, as the audience recognise this build-up and they already foreshadow what is about to happen.

• There are plenty of examples of musical cues, for example a long deep tone would indicate tension or a rapid and bright sequence played by a set of strings could possibly indicate panic or stress.

Sound