Many people wonder and want to explain why people would voluntarily immerse themselves in hours of fear, disgust and terror. It makes us question: ‘Why do people pay for this?’ and ‘How is it enjoyable?’
Investigators generally use one of two theories to explain why people like horror movies.
The first is that the person is not actually afraid, but excited by the movie.
The second explanation is that they are willing to endure the terror in order to enjoy a euphoric sense of relief at the end.
However critics do not agree with these theories they argue the assumption of people's inability to experience positive and negative affect at the same time is incorrect. They believe that the audience’s are happy to be unhappy. This approach to emotion reveals that people experience both negative and positive emotions at the same time. People may actually enjoy being scared, not just the sense of relief at the end.
Monday, 7 December 2009
The History Of Horror Films
Early horror films are mainly based on classic literature of the gothic or the horror genre, for example, Dracula, Frankenstein and The Phantom of the Opera.
However more recent horror films are not based on classic literature but often draw inspiration from the insecurities of life after World War 2. Examples of this include, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Exorcist
However more recent horror films are not based on classic literature but often draw inspiration from the insecurities of life after World War 2. Examples of this include, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Exorcist
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Conventions Of Horror Films
Horror films aim to elicit the emotions of fear, horror and terror from the audience. There are many conventions of horror films, for example, death, violence, weapons, blood and the supernatural characters. Many films also include the central villain.
In a large amount of horror movies, it is not just solely the genre of horror but a lot of them involve science fiction, fantasy, black comedy and thrillers.
What we found from annotating film trailers
From watching and annotating these trailers it has given us a great insight into what is featured in them.
A large majority of trailers contain:
The distribution company logo
The production compant logo
The stars of the film - or directors
A series of quick, exciting sequences that are full of suspence and mystery
Music/sound effects
Dialouge
Throughout the whole trailer - Conventions of horror will appear
A large majority of trailers contain:
The distribution company logo
The production compant logo
The stars of the film - or directors
A series of quick, exciting sequences that are full of suspence and mystery
Music/sound effects
Dialouge
Throughout the whole trailer - Conventions of horror will appear
Annotating Film Trailers - Three
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULUNBOlvflk
'Mirrors'
Genre - Horror/mystery/thriller
Narrative - An ex-cop and his family are the target of an evil force that is using mirrors as a gateway into their home
Target audience - 18 and over
Unique selling point - The film is directed by Alexandre AJA who is also the director of the popular film 'The hills have eyes'.
Music/sounds - Calm, slow music at the beginning while the characters are talking creating a calming atmosphere. Towards the middle sound effects are added, which sounds like wind blowing, there is lots of loud screaming, thumps, bangs, gun shots and the sound of glass falling on the ground. All these sound effects are very powerful and create a frightening effect.
Camera angles/shot types - The most common shot types used in this trailer are medium shots, medium close up and close ups. The medium close ups - the emotions of the characers are clearly evident. They allow us to see how distressed and fearful they are. There are shots of shatterd glass which is one of the main focal points of the film.
Pace - The trailer starts at a slow pace but it becomes extremly fast paced once the action starts, with regular scene changes. At the very end there is a series of clips shown at a very fast pace, this works very well as it makes the viewer on edge and afraid, leaving them in fear.
Dialouge - There is regular dialouge used between all characters and also lots of screaming.
Credits and intertitles - It shows the institution 'Regency'. Towards the end of the trailer it shows the title of the film 'Mirrors' and right at the end there are credits stating the director, the production team and the producers.
'Mirrors'
Genre - Horror/mystery/thriller
Narrative - An ex-cop and his family are the target of an evil force that is using mirrors as a gateway into their home
Target audience - 18 and over
Unique selling point - The film is directed by Alexandre AJA who is also the director of the popular film 'The hills have eyes'.
Music/sounds - Calm, slow music at the beginning while the characters are talking creating a calming atmosphere. Towards the middle sound effects are added, which sounds like wind blowing, there is lots of loud screaming, thumps, bangs, gun shots and the sound of glass falling on the ground. All these sound effects are very powerful and create a frightening effect.
Camera angles/shot types - The most common shot types used in this trailer are medium shots, medium close up and close ups. The medium close ups - the emotions of the characers are clearly evident. They allow us to see how distressed and fearful they are. There are shots of shatterd glass which is one of the main focal points of the film.
Pace - The trailer starts at a slow pace but it becomes extremly fast paced once the action starts, with regular scene changes. At the very end there is a series of clips shown at a very fast pace, this works very well as it makes the viewer on edge and afraid, leaving them in fear.
Dialouge - There is regular dialouge used between all characters and also lots of screaming.
Credits and intertitles - It shows the institution 'Regency'. Towards the end of the trailer it shows the title of the film 'Mirrors' and right at the end there are credits stating the director, the production team and the producers.
Annotating Film Trailers - Two
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5CvZGv8yNs
'The Ring'
Genre -Horror/mystery/thriller
Narrative -A young journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone in a week of viewing it.
Target audience - 15 and over
Music/sound - It begins with one of the characters talking, there is no music at this point. By not using any music it doesn’t really create a particular atmosphere, this therefore puts the viewer in a safe and relaxing atmosphere. Shortly after music is added, there is a piano lightly playing and also the sound of charms, by using the sound of a piano it creates a much more sinister and creepy atmosphere. This is because it is not extremely loud and it makes you feel nervous and uneasy. Towards the middle the piano cuts out and upbeat, mysterious music begins to be play. This straight away puts the viewer on the edge of their seats as they were not expecting it. As the trailer comes to an end, the music suddenly becomes exceptionally fast and then dies out.
Pace - During this fast music, the clips and images which are being shown are shown at a extremely fast pace, they are so fast that you can just about see what the image is. By having it at this pace keeps the viewer focused and mesmerized as they do not want to miss anything important. The fast pace ends with a loud scream of a girl, this makes you jump and creates a huge climax.
Subtitles - There are no subtitles or words used throughout this trailer however there is lots of talking/conversations which help explain what is happening.
Dialouge - Begins with one of the young girls explaining about the ‘video’ that when you watch it you die after seven days, it is if she is telling us a story the we do not want to hear. Her voice is quiet and she talks very slow and this creates a sinister atmosphere. Throughout the trailer the dialouge between characters become faster and at the end there is less dialouge, just screaming and loud unknown sounds.
Camera angles/shot types - There is a range of different shots used, such as medium close ups, close ups and extreme close ups. In the trailer there is alot of emphasis on a phone ringing, when this happens there is a close up on the phone creating suspence and makes the audience question who is ringing.
Credits/intertitles - Shows the institution which is 'Dreamworks' at the start. Near the end it has a shot of the title of the film 'The Ring' then the last shot 'Coming soon'.
Form this trailer of ‘The ring’ we found two factors most effective, firstly the pace towards the end. We thought the way they showed a large number of images in just a few seconds was very effective. It keeps you entertained while also creating a sinister effect. Secondly the piano in the background was very effective as it created a frightening and eerie atmosphere.
'The Ring'
Genre -Horror/mystery/thriller
Narrative -A young journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone in a week of viewing it.
Target audience - 15 and over
Music/sound - It begins with one of the characters talking, there is no music at this point. By not using any music it doesn’t really create a particular atmosphere, this therefore puts the viewer in a safe and relaxing atmosphere. Shortly after music is added, there is a piano lightly playing and also the sound of charms, by using the sound of a piano it creates a much more sinister and creepy atmosphere. This is because it is not extremely loud and it makes you feel nervous and uneasy. Towards the middle the piano cuts out and upbeat, mysterious music begins to be play. This straight away puts the viewer on the edge of their seats as they were not expecting it. As the trailer comes to an end, the music suddenly becomes exceptionally fast and then dies out.
Pace - During this fast music, the clips and images which are being shown are shown at a extremely fast pace, they are so fast that you can just about see what the image is. By having it at this pace keeps the viewer focused and mesmerized as they do not want to miss anything important. The fast pace ends with a loud scream of a girl, this makes you jump and creates a huge climax.
Subtitles - There are no subtitles or words used throughout this trailer however there is lots of talking/conversations which help explain what is happening.
Dialouge - Begins with one of the young girls explaining about the ‘video’ that when you watch it you die after seven days, it is if she is telling us a story the we do not want to hear. Her voice is quiet and she talks very slow and this creates a sinister atmosphere. Throughout the trailer the dialouge between characters become faster and at the end there is less dialouge, just screaming and loud unknown sounds.
Camera angles/shot types - There is a range of different shots used, such as medium close ups, close ups and extreme close ups. In the trailer there is alot of emphasis on a phone ringing, when this happens there is a close up on the phone creating suspence and makes the audience question who is ringing.
Credits/intertitles - Shows the institution which is 'Dreamworks' at the start. Near the end it has a shot of the title of the film 'The Ring' then the last shot 'Coming soon'.
Form this trailer of ‘The ring’ we found two factors most effective, firstly the pace towards the end. We thought the way they showed a large number of images in just a few seconds was very effective. It keeps you entertained while also creating a sinister effect. Secondly the piano in the background was very effective as it created a frightening and eerie atmosphere.
Annotating Film Trailers - One
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl2lmFPBGN8
'The last house on the left'
This trailer has so much going on and it grabs the audience's attention from the very beginning.
Genre - Crime/Drama/Horror
Narrative - Kidnapping and brutally assaulting two young women, a gang led by a prison escapee unknowingly finds refuge at a vacation home belonging the parents of one of the victims, a mother and father who devise an increasingly gruesome series of revenge tactics.
Unique selling point - Starring in the film - Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, Sara Paxton, Garret Dillahunt.
Target audience - 18 and overs only.
Shot types/camera angles - There are a few blackouts used during the trailer, this represents closure and it is as if someone is closing a door on you, it keeps the viewer wanting to find out more. The most common camera shot used throughout are medium close ups, allowing us to see most of the characters body and what they are wearing. Towards the end there are lots of close ups and extreme close ups used, this is showing the true emotions on the characters faces. Showing their fear and need for help.
At one point, the music changes sinister and someone walks through a door. The camera shot at this point just shows his/hers feet and nothing else. This tells us he/she is a bad person and by not showing their face straight away puts us on edge and creates suspense and fear
Pace - It has a slow pace but at the same time still manages to keep the audience on edge as they do not know what is ahead. Slowly the trailer starts to become more dramatic, the pace and music becomes a lot faster, this creates fear and makes you panic. During this trailer short, fast clips and images are used. We found this worked very well as it does not give too much away but gives you enough information to understand the story line.
Music/sounds - It begins with slow, calm and peaceful music which puts the viewer at ease and relaxes them. Towards the middle the slow, calming music disappears and it becomes very busy, this makes you want to keep watching to see what happens next. By doing this it keeps the viewers entertained. The sound effects used in this trailer are extremely effective and very powerful. These include, doors slamming, car crashes, screens and gunshots. All these sound effects are related to horror in some way and this puts the viewer in an uncomfortable position and creates a sinister effect. The sound effects are all very loud and make you jump.
Emotions - This trailer creates a variety of different emotions, such as, fear, sadness, anticipation and surprise. By creating all these emotions in just one trailer works exceedingly well and we found it so effective.
Dialouge - At the beginning there is talking between the daughter and father, this straight away tells us there is a family involved. There is lots of talking between characters which explains the story line in little detail. When it begins to become more intense, there are lots of questions asked, such as ‘who did this?’ then there is lots of gun shots, crying and shouting.
To conclude there are many different reasons why this is a very successful and effective horror trailer, we found out by making the viewer feel a variety of different emotions tells them the film is not just completly horror based. Also the sound effects stood out as they were loud and made a huge impact.
'The last house on the left'
This trailer has so much going on and it grabs the audience's attention from the very beginning.
Genre - Crime/Drama/Horror
Narrative - Kidnapping and brutally assaulting two young women, a gang led by a prison escapee unknowingly finds refuge at a vacation home belonging the parents of one of the victims, a mother and father who devise an increasingly gruesome series of revenge tactics.
Unique selling point - Starring in the film - Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, Sara Paxton, Garret Dillahunt.
Target audience - 18 and overs only.
Shot types/camera angles - There are a few blackouts used during the trailer, this represents closure and it is as if someone is closing a door on you, it keeps the viewer wanting to find out more. The most common camera shot used throughout are medium close ups, allowing us to see most of the characters body and what they are wearing. Towards the end there are lots of close ups and extreme close ups used, this is showing the true emotions on the characters faces. Showing their fear and need for help.
At one point, the music changes sinister and someone walks through a door. The camera shot at this point just shows his/hers feet and nothing else. This tells us he/she is a bad person and by not showing their face straight away puts us on edge and creates suspense and fear
Pace - It has a slow pace but at the same time still manages to keep the audience on edge as they do not know what is ahead. Slowly the trailer starts to become more dramatic, the pace and music becomes a lot faster, this creates fear and makes you panic. During this trailer short, fast clips and images are used. We found this worked very well as it does not give too much away but gives you enough information to understand the story line.
Music/sounds - It begins with slow, calm and peaceful music which puts the viewer at ease and relaxes them. Towards the middle the slow, calming music disappears and it becomes very busy, this makes you want to keep watching to see what happens next. By doing this it keeps the viewers entertained. The sound effects used in this trailer are extremely effective and very powerful. These include, doors slamming, car crashes, screens and gunshots. All these sound effects are related to horror in some way and this puts the viewer in an uncomfortable position and creates a sinister effect. The sound effects are all very loud and make you jump.
Emotions - This trailer creates a variety of different emotions, such as, fear, sadness, anticipation and surprise. By creating all these emotions in just one trailer works exceedingly well and we found it so effective.
Dialouge - At the beginning there is talking between the daughter and father, this straight away tells us there is a family involved. There is lots of talking between characters which explains the story line in little detail. When it begins to become more intense, there are lots of questions asked, such as ‘who did this?’ then there is lots of gun shots, crying and shouting.
Subtitles - Throughout the trailer, subtitles are used, there are short phrases which give clues to what the film is about, for example one of the subtitles was ‘ it was a brutal crime’. This tells the viewer there is crime involved and the word brutal highlights the horror
Credits and Intertitles - At the beginning it shows the institution which is Rouge Pictures. The last shot of the trailer has the words 'Coming soon'.To conclude there are many different reasons why this is a very successful and effective horror trailer, we found out by making the viewer feel a variety of different emotions tells them the film is not just completly horror based. Also the sound effects stood out as they were loud and made a huge impact.
Annotating horror posters - Conclusion
After looking through many different horror posters around we have been very inspired and been given lots of ideas and knowledge into what horror posters contain to portray a sinister and eerie effect.
We selected four posters which we felt were very effective and caught our eye.
What we noticed straight away was that all of the posters we researched had a lot in common, which included colours, lighting, font and layout. In all four images we chose we noticed each of them contain dark and frightening colours. All the colours are dull and sinister which highlights the genre of the film being promoted. Some of the colours used, include, black, grey, red and white. All of these colours can be represented as sophisticated however they can also been seen as very negative. Black/grey represents mystery, death, evil and power it is a mysterious colour associated with fear and the unknown. In image three red is the main colour used, it is a colour of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, determination as well as passion and desire. The image is clearly showing danger as there is a girl covered in blood. Red has very high visibility and using this colour in this poster works very well as it is very eye-catching and attracts the audience straight away. The second colour used in this image is white, white can represent cleanliness and by having this image of a girl covered in blood takes away this and creates a disturbing image.
Another thing we found in common and found extremely effective was the way the characters facial expressions are hidden and there body language. In images one and two the audience cannot see the characters facial expressions as they are hidden. We feel this works extremely well because it creates mystery and puzzles the audience. It gives off different meanings to the poster and makes the audience question what their emotions are. It also creates a creepy and eerie effect. Some conventions of horror films include suspense, mystery and the unknown so we feel images one and two follow these conventions and work very well.
From this research we have been greatly inspired. We have found out what works best and what is not so effective. In our horror poster we would like to create mystery, therefore we really like the idea of hiding the characters facial expressions and keeping the audience on edge.
We selected four posters which we felt were very effective and caught our eye.
What we noticed straight away was that all of the posters we researched had a lot in common, which included colours, lighting, font and layout. In all four images we chose we noticed each of them contain dark and frightening colours. All the colours are dull and sinister which highlights the genre of the film being promoted. Some of the colours used, include, black, grey, red and white. All of these colours can be represented as sophisticated however they can also been seen as very negative. Black/grey represents mystery, death, evil and power it is a mysterious colour associated with fear and the unknown. In image three red is the main colour used, it is a colour of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, determination as well as passion and desire. The image is clearly showing danger as there is a girl covered in blood. Red has very high visibility and using this colour in this poster works very well as it is very eye-catching and attracts the audience straight away. The second colour used in this image is white, white can represent cleanliness and by having this image of a girl covered in blood takes away this and creates a disturbing image.
Another thing we found in common and found extremely effective was the way the characters facial expressions are hidden and there body language. In images one and two the audience cannot see the characters facial expressions as they are hidden. We feel this works extremely well because it creates mystery and puzzles the audience. It gives off different meanings to the poster and makes the audience question what their emotions are. It also creates a creepy and eerie effect. Some conventions of horror films include suspense, mystery and the unknown so we feel images one and two follow these conventions and work very well.
From this research we have been greatly inspired. We have found out what works best and what is not so effective. In our horror poster we would like to create mystery, therefore we really like the idea of hiding the characters facial expressions and keeping the audience on edge.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)