Horror Research

How is it Horror?

Being that Halloween has just passed a few days ago, I believe it was only appropriate to research the genre of Horror.

The definition of horror an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust. Although the description of horror does not seem so appealing, it is one of the most popular movies audiences come to see. Whether it is to prove one's emotional strength, enjoy the thrill, or feel relieved with a good ending people crave a good horror movie. These movies are especially popular during October, when everything and everyone is in the spirit of Halloween. Not to mention horror movie's low budget, which make the investment less risky and more profitable.

Content:

Foreshadowing is used in Horror in order to hint what is later to come in the story. These small hints help build anticipation for the viewer. This is usually the first hints or signs of horror in the move.

EX: The film Psycho uses foreshadowing when Norman explains his mother is as harmless as one of those stuffed birds. This foreshadows the twist that Norman has killed his mother.

Fear is another important factor that any horror movie should have. When people come to see a movie they expect to be scared. Any good movie will leave viewers thinking about what they have just seen and even have them fearing what they didn't before. Fear also serves as the backbone to any horror movie. The protagonist is usually in conflict with whatever they fear. Furthermore, many different types of fears are explored within the genre of horror, from a person to a frightening event. Some of the most popular feared characters in horror movies are masked killers, dolls, ghosts, monsters, possessed girls, and large animals.

EX: The film Child's Play features the Doll "Chucky" as the horrifying creature.

Suspense plays along to build the fear in a horror movie. Without suspense the movie would not be as evoking. The use of suspense helps build up the fear and the thrill the audience craves from these movies. Due to suspense the audience is holding on to the edge of their seats waiting for the big jump scare or moment. Jump scares are another common feature in many horror movies. This helps keep the audience involved throughout the film while also adding onto the fear.

Almost all horror movies also have common plots. This includes a death after a scene involving sexual acts, characters splitting up, and scenes where someone is walking alone in the dark. Although some of these scenes can be seen as cliche, they can be used as a way to build suspense. As soon as the audience spots one of these scenes, they begin to feel nervous because it hints at a soon death or meeting with their fears. Often times, the ending of Horror movies are somewhat pleasant in order to calm down viewers. Many people enjoy a happy ending so some of the fear is lifted off of their backs. However, some movies go against this rule in order to make the movie that much more terrifying.

EX: Throughout the many Friday the 13th movies Jason often kills teenagers after they are intimate.

Production Techniques:

Throughout the production lighting is used to create a spookier atmosphere. By using silhouettes, harsh lighting, underexposure, and prominent shadows the scene is much spookier. All these techniques play with shadows which allow the audience to use their imagination to create a monster in their head. Each viewer can create what they see as the worst fear and embody it into a shadow or mysterious figure.

Sound can also help to make someone feel unsteady. By adding screams and growls an audience will be visually and audibly frightened by the jump scare. While adding small creaks and heavy breathing can add to the suspense right before the jump scare. The suspense before a jump scare or the action during an fighting can also be emphasized through music. Suspense can be built up by the sound of a song slowly growing higher and higher while a loud and intense song can add into the action of a scene where the protagonist is fighting to stay alive.

EX: Throughout Jaws deep music is played every time he is near and gets faster as he gets closer. This build up adds suspense.

Marketing:

The audience during these films consist mainly of people ranging from 15-30 years old. This is due to teenagers and young adults being more attracted to thrills and fear. Although horror films are enjoyed by both male and females, they are more typically aimed for the stereotypical male likings. Blood, gore, and violence is all thought to fit the interests of males.

Many horror movie posters carry central ideas to indicate horror. A common theme in many posters are eyes, skulls, and hands. The majority contain one main character's entire face shown conveying the emotion of fear or even evil (if it is of the villain). Many of these faces are pictured disfigured as if they had been attacked or altered physically. Posters with line ups of characters are also used to show relationships between characters. While a poster of a silhouette character can help convey a mysterious threat.

Samples:

The film Annabelle Comes Home (2019) is the sequel to Annabelle and about the true story of a doll thought to be possessed. In this movie paranormal investigators the Warrens decide to take her from the family she was terrorizing in the first movie and lock her up in their room of paranormal objects. One day when the Warrens are traveling they hire Mary Ellen (Madison Isemen) to babysit their daughter Judy Warren (Mckenna Grace). Eventually the doll along with all the objects in the paranormal room because unleashed in the house and the babysitter and child must survive. Creepy dolls along with other paranormal creatures such as ghosts add onto the fear factor. The film uses  scenes where all characters split up to add suspense. Loud sounds accompanied by jump scares are used to frighten the audience even more. The setting of the creepy house with no power adds more common fears into the movie. The poster casts the doll with uplighting to create alarming shadows among the face. The characters in the background also are shown in red to signify danger, blood, and fear. The facial expressions and fog around the characters help further this idea.

The film Get Out (2017) features Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) going on a trip to meet his girl friend Rose's (Allison Williams) parents for the first time. However, things take a drastic turn when he discovers Rose has a pattern of dating african americans and taking them up to their parents. The parents take the black people and sell them for use of their own purposes. This film first hints its horror when Chris and Rose hit a deer on their way up which foreshadows the movie's unfortunate turn of events to come. When Chris goes off exploring alone he begins to discover more and more horrors about Rose's family. By adding many close ups the fear of the character and the lack of emotion in others is shown. The stirring of the tea cup is sound used repeatedly throughout the movie. At first it is heard as any normal sound but the audience begins to link it with hypnosis and begins to fear what Chris may be in danger of. The poster uses a mix of "normal" photos and dark casted close ups to show the surprise turn of events that took place. The broken mirror is used to symbolize fear since many believe a broken mirror signifies bad luck.

Some Horror Movies to consider:

IT (2017)

The Shining (1980)

Scream (1996)

Poltergeist (1982)

A Quiet Place (2018)

Midsommar (2019)

Sources:

https://stephenfollows.com/handful-tropes-used-horror-movie-posters/

https://nofilmschool.com/2016/10/8-spooky-lighting-techniques-you-can-use-your-horror-film

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjZrriz6-DlAhXut1kKHVZXDUkQFjACegQICxAH&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.slideshare.net%2Fisaac97media%2Fhorror-film-target-audience&usg=AOvVaw2v5FY8oNJB7-Ehc1-rYunW