Horror
Picking up from where I left off, in my last post, I mentioned that I was interested in producing something within the horror genre for my 2-minute film opening that will be half of our final grade.
Last time I chose what approaches I'd be interested in adopting for my film, and today I will be doing research and picking which genres I'm interested in producing.
Horror, while it has been overdone over these past few years, is well known for its conventions such as gore, vulnerable characters, jump scares, and an eerie atmosphere. I feel as if this genre would be very interesting to make and could be done in many different ways.
However, while every horror movie has its own signature (much like the killers featured within them), they all have a couple of things in common across the board.
Target audience:
Horror movies are riveting films with excitement and terror as the main focus. So, it makes sense that the audience would be those who enjoy being scared,” fear approachers”, “adrenaline junkies”, and even large groups of people; because let’s be honest, being scared with others is much more fun than being scared alone.
Furthermore, while these films often have mature themes such as gore, nudity, and violence, the main target audience happens to be young people. Often ranging from 15–24-year-olds. Although, this genre does have a sizable portion (roughly 70%) that is under 45. However, this isn’t too shocking considering that the genre is shifting to attract a broader audience (24-44 years old) through their evolving sub genres (psychological horrors) that are more enjoyable to this demographic rather than bloody slasher films.
While horror films are often perceived as a male dominated genre, some would be surprised to hear that female interest in horror is growing and are showing a preference in some areas.
If you’re anything like me, you’re probably wondering why the target audience is so different. I mean why not just market the films to teens? Well, it’s mainly because young teens and older adults are the most likely candidates for cinema viewing. This is because teens seek the thrill of being scared and enjoying an adrenaline rush, while adults are able to enjoy the underlying themes of humanity, loss, morality, aging, and themes that resonate with them within the film.
Genre conventions (content):
Horror films often follow a certain narrative that involves monsters/killers (antagonists) that are often displayed as inhuman, haunted places, dark atmospheres, violence (gore and blood), chase scenes, manipulated sound/lighting meant to build fear and tension, jump scares, vulnerable characters, etc. All of which helps to create an impending sense of doom and fear for not only the characters, but the audience too! These key factors are what make horror movies so terrifying and keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what’s going to happen next, no matter how scared you are, you just can’t look away.
Genre conventions (techniques):
To create that bone chilling experience there are a couple of methods that horror movies use to achieve this. The most prominent ones are the use of dim lighting, dutch angles, sharp sound crescendos, disturbing diegetic noise, slow deliberate or fast paced editing, point of view shots, close-up shots, and low angles all work to communicate a sense of vulnerability, chaos, fear, and an overall loss of control and power that paves the way for jump scares and eerie content or concepts.
Institutional conventions:
Some common themes that are used to help market horror films are tropes like "final girl": a common theme where the lone survivor is female and defeats the killer/lives to the end, isolated settings that create dread and tension: forests, haunted houses, deserted towns, etc., Primal fears: exploiting common fears like the supernatural, death, the unknown, or psychological horror, and good vs evil: protagonist fighting against the monster/killer. Some more narratives you typically find in these movies would be vulnerable characters (usually women), and obviously the use of cinematic techniques (previously mentioned).
Moreover, these themes help in the marketing process by creating interest, establishing fear, and immersing the audience into the narrative world through marketing stunts. One example of this would be the Smile marketing stunt where actors wearing shirts with the words “SMILE” on it were shown at a baseball game on the Jumbotron with creepy unsettling smiles. This would have applied to the primal fears theme and created buzz around the film due to the unusual and scary tactic. More examples of horror marketing that pushes marketing boundaries would be the red balloons for It and the creepy phone calls for long legs
Films:
.jpeg)
Scream (1996)
This film is a prime example of the horror genre and even the opening itself illustrates the genre with its strategic use of lighting techniques, sound design, use of movement and angles, and the establishment of conflict. Scream takes place in small town and follows the main character, Sidney Prescott. As the film progresses we learn more about the story and the murderer going around targeting people in her school. The film creates a sense of fear and anxiety throughout the movie by making Ghostface appear as inhuman and supernatural due to how quick he gets around and keeps attacking. It is later revealed in the big plot twist that there is more than one killer and they’re Billy Loomis (Sidney's boyfriend) and Stu Macher (His best friend). The film ends with a “final girl” conclusion. Sidney musters up the strength in the end and confronts Billy, and kills him. The movie and the entire franchise all include the typical aspects of a horror movie when it comes to scary villains, isolated destinations, a heroine, and lots of violence, gore, and jump scares.
Smile (2022)
While this film takes on the psychological horror approach it still contains all the key elements that make up a horror film. The film is centered around Dr. Rose Cotter, a therapist and a “smile curse.” The idea in this film is that the curse makes the hosts commit suicide in front of someone else to pass on the curse. The film uses primal fears and contrasting iconology to create an unsettling tone throughout the movie. The film also features ominous sound design and creepy visual effects to scare the viewer and keep them on their toes. Throughout the film Rose is set on looking for answers as to why her patient killed themselves while in her care. She than later realizes she’s been infected and is hallucinating, making her an unreliable narrator which adds to the confusion and uncertainty. At the end of the film the monstrous entity emerges and claims their next victim, continuing the cycle and exploring the fears of the supernatural. The marketing on this film as previously mentioned also embraces the horror genres and their marketing strategies very well.
Parris, D. (2024, May 15). Why do people like horror films? A statistical analysis. Stat Significant.
Sheena, J. (2024, October 10). Advertisers are targeting horror-loving younger audiences in theaters. Marketing Brew.
V. Renée. (2023, October 24). The essential guide to horror camera angles. No Film School.
In-Depth Cine. (2022, October 24). The cinematography of horror [Video]. YouTube.
No comments:
Post a Comment