Horror Films

Horror describes a genre of films that sits closely with thrillers, gore and even some sci-fi movies. There is a number of conventions however, that define the horror genre. This essay will explore these features and give examples of where they are used.

 

The scripts of horror film are usually made to play on peoples natural fears, for example fear of the dark or fear of the unknown. One film which makes great use of this approach would be 'Sinister', by Scott Derrickson. In this movie the main character works alone at night where all the surroundings are in low key lighting. This makes the audience anticipate something bad coming out of the dark.

 

I believe it takes a certain type of actor to carry off a role in a horror film. Nowadays it is unlikely to have actors crossing genre into horror, currently it is the less known actors who seem to do well in this field. However this hasn't always been the case, for example Christopher Lee spent all of his career in horror of some sort, from Dracula in 1966. What makes a successful horror film actor is the ability to make the audience believe, giving the film a sense of realism.

 

A good story well-acted is important but there are other things which contribute to success. Music plays a huge part in creating suspense and tension in a film. This is achieved by the contrast of low notes and high notes that signal to the audience when something bad is going to happen. For example in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho' the high, almost screeching violins used in the murder scene in the shower. In contrast, in Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws the low sudden notes of the chello are used when the shark is approaching. These cases illustrate how music can be used to condition the audience when to be scared.

 

Cinematography has a lot to do with the creation of fear for the audience. There are a number of techniques which emphasise what is taking place. For example in Jaws they often do a panorama sweep of the ocean to portray how big it is and how isolated the characters are. In contrast eye-line match is used in the scenes where people are in the water seeing the shark is close and the shark looking at its pray. When someone is trying to escape from danger, back tracking shots may be used. Like Jaws when a person is trying to swim away from the shark and it is as if they are swimming toward you (the audience) emphasising the shark being behind her. Additionally if the camera is hand held it allows the film to be more realistic, this makes the audience scared and uncomfortable as they wouldn't like to be in the actors shoes. There are many different techniques available and often it is the camera angle that builds the suspense of a horror movie.

 

Finally and perhaps most importantly the title of a movie can determine what a movie is going to be about. For example the title 'Sinister' we can already tell this movie is going to be about something evil and demonic. With good graphics a film can be marketed effectively- see image below.