Monday, 20 December 2010
Friday, 17 December 2010
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Horror Movie trailer Ideas
Ideas
First Idea: A group of teenage friends go away on a weekend to the woods on a camping trip. Little did they know, nearby on a deserted stretch of road there was an abandoned house where a psycho widow man resides. The psycho killer has hatred towards teenagers because his teenage son was bullied and murdered by a group them, thus making the psycho-killer take revenge for his son’s death. Each of the teenagers get terrorised and chased around the woods and then captured and tortured, apart from the innocent, “pure” girl who lives to make it out of the woods.
Second Idea: A group of teenagers get together for an outrageous house warming party, where no adults are allowed, for a friend who has recently moved into a huge desolate house, which is apparently haunted but nobody knows. Everyone’s having a great time, there is a lot of drinking, drugs and sex at the party when all of a sudden the power cuts and there is no sign of communication from the house phones and no receptions on mobile phones. During the blackout the host of the party gets possessed and kills all his friends. However, no one knows that the host is possessed not, even the host himself knows. The only two to supposedly survive out of the group of friends are the intelligent, computer-geek, best friend and the host’s, chaste, girlfriend, whom escape from the house into the woods. Whether they survive in the woods and reach help is unknown.
Third idea: A young couple are going on a road trip when their car breaks down in front of a small, isolated, vacant Texan motel. The couple have no choice but to spend the night at the motel as the manager said he was unable to contact the local garage for assistance and has to try again tomorrow. Throughout the night, the couple are chased, caught and tortured by the manager, who is a psychotic, ex-mental patient, who enjoys torturing young couples due to his failed relationship in the past.
Final Idea: A group of teenagers on Halloween decide to celebrate their evening by playing an Ouija board in the dark hours in school as a joke. Little did they know their fooling around and practical joke, actually summon a deathly spiritual force, which was hidden deep in the school. One by one each member of the group of friends is eliminated by a horrible and unimaginable death, except the innocent, naive geeky character, who happens to be filming all these unfortunate events with a hand-held camera.
First Idea: A group of teenage friends go away on a weekend to the woods on a camping trip. Little did they know, nearby on a deserted stretch of road there was an abandoned house where a psycho widow man resides. The psycho killer has hatred towards teenagers because his teenage son was bullied and murdered by a group them, thus making the psycho-killer take revenge for his son’s death. Each of the teenagers get terrorised and chased around the woods and then captured and tortured, apart from the innocent, “pure” girl who lives to make it out of the woods.
Second Idea: A group of teenagers get together for an outrageous house warming party, where no adults are allowed, for a friend who has recently moved into a huge desolate house, which is apparently haunted but nobody knows. Everyone’s having a great time, there is a lot of drinking, drugs and sex at the party when all of a sudden the power cuts and there is no sign of communication from the house phones and no receptions on mobile phones. During the blackout the host of the party gets possessed and kills all his friends. However, no one knows that the host is possessed not, even the host himself knows. The only two to supposedly survive out of the group of friends are the intelligent, computer-geek, best friend and the host’s, chaste, girlfriend, whom escape from the house into the woods. Whether they survive in the woods and reach help is unknown.
Third idea: A young couple are going on a road trip when their car breaks down in front of a small, isolated, vacant Texan motel. The couple have no choice but to spend the night at the motel as the manager said he was unable to contact the local garage for assistance and has to try again tomorrow. Throughout the night, the couple are chased, caught and tortured by the manager, who is a psychotic, ex-mental patient, who enjoys torturing young couples due to his failed relationship in the past.
Final Idea: A group of teenagers on Halloween decide to celebrate their evening by playing an Ouija board in the dark hours in school as a joke. Little did they know their fooling around and practical joke, actually summon a deathly spiritual force, which was hidden deep in the school. One by one each member of the group of friends is eliminated by a horrible and unimaginable death, except the innocent, naive geeky character, who happens to be filming all these unfortunate events with a hand-held camera.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Monday, 15 November 2010
Horror Movie Questionnaire
Horror-Movie Questionnaire
1. How old are you?
12-14 15-17
18-20 21+
2. How often do you watch horror movies?
Every week Every 2-3 weeks
Every month
Every time another horror movie is released
3. What is your favourite sub genre within the genre of horror?
Teen Slashers’ Zombie
Religious/ Vampire
Supernatural
Possession
4. What is your favourite movie from the sub-genre you have chosen above and why?
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
5. Rank these films in order of preference, 1 being the best, 5 being the worst.
Rec Dawn of the The Blair Friday Scream
Dead Witch Project the 13th
6. Which horror films did you dislike the most and why?
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
7. What do you like most in Horror movies?
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
8. What do you think has the most impact within a horror movie?
Character Settings
Editing
9. Who would you like to be seen as the leading character/survivor?
Female
10. Who is your favourite survivor and why?
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
11. What attracts you to a horror movie trailer?
Characters Editing
Other- please specify
......................................................................................................................................
12. What do you consider to be the main convention of a horror movie?
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
13. Do you prefer horror movie trailers to leave you guessing and why?
Yes
No
14. How do you find out about horror movies?
Billboards Official film posters
Other-please specify
......................................................................................................................................
15. What style of films do you prefer to watch horror movies and why?
Stand alone Sequels
Trilogies Franchises
16. How do you consume in media products?
Cinema DVD/Blu-ray
Thank you for participating in this survey.
Monday, 8 November 2010
Essay on Structuralist Theory
How does the opening of Scream follow the Structuralist theory of the horror genre?
Genre is a text which is identified through the key elements which occurs within the text. The elements portrayed within a certain genre are seen through the paradigms (codes and conventions) which the audiences are able recognise and bring a set of expectations to the text, thus grouping it into a certain genre. One way in which paradigms are represented is through the structure of the text, the way it’s put together, and the iconography used as well as the structuralist theory, an ideology which emphasises how films convey meanings through the use of codes and conventions. This essay will explore the way the horror movie Scream follows the structuralist theory within the opening sequence, by considering the plot, theme, mise-en-scene, sound and editing.
The establishing shot of Scream instantly shows the audience that it is a horror movie because of the non-diegetic sound of screams. It is put to the audiences’ attention that the first shot is also the first paradigm of the movie due to the fact that horrific, shrieking screams strongly portray the codes and convention of a horror movie, thus conforming to the structuralist theory from the start. The low angled shot shows the setting of the opening sequence to be at night in a detached, “middle of nowhere” house, where it is remote and far from civilisation. This is a reoccurring factor amongst horror movies because it shows the characters to be inferior to the killer as well as helpless and fragile, due to the fact there is no civilisation around them, again following the structuralist theory of the horror genre through the helpless victim.
The female victim herself is seen to be the biggest paradigm of the opening sequence because she is a young, teenage girl, a common victim for horror movies because they are mainly intended for teenagers. The code and convention of Sex=Death is represented within the opening sequence as the dialogue of the victim reveals her to be flirting with the mystery caller as seen in, “why? You wanna ask me out on a date?” Thus indicating she’s going to die, similar to many other horror movies, proving Scream to follow the structuralist theory of the horror genre. The dolly-shot of the victim walking through the empty house adds to the audience’s attention that she is alone, therefore implying that the victim is vulnerable and completely helpless, adding to the codes and conventions of horror as the victim is always helpless and out of reach from any form of communication, thus never surviving.
One other way in which the female victim can be seen as a paradigm is through the feminist theory applied to the opening sequence. For the reason that it is a female who is being tormented implies to the audience that it is a horror movie as the majority of the audience viewing horror movies are more likely to be male, hence the reasons for female characters to be brutally killed for the sadistic pleasures of men.
The aspect of iconography is also presented within the opening sequence of Scream as the close up of the victim pulling out a knife from a knife block indicates to the audience a murder weapon which the killer is most likely to use later during the movie. as the victim goes around the house, locking all the doors, shows the audience that the structuralist theory is being put into practice as it shows the victim to be locking herself in, thus resulting to trapping herself when it comes to her death. This is a typical feature of the horror genre, therefore strongly suggesting Scream follows the codes and conventions of horror movies. The long shot of the outside pool also shows the audience that Scream typically follows the structuralist theory of the horror genre as the mist forebodes the death of the victim as well as enhances the effect of the non-diegetic eerie music in the background.
As the opening scene follows on, the audience can gradually notice the tension and atmosphere build up due to the eerie, orchestral non-diegetic sound and the victim’s reaction to the unfortunate events. The structuralist theory of horror is represented here, as the audience see the female victim break down and plead for the mysterious killer to stop tormenting her, as it is even more clear now that the victim is weak, linking back to the feminist theory, and therefore using the codes and conventions of horror. The chase scene within the opening of Scream reinforces the feminist theory and also portrays the iconography of horror as the victim is always trying to get away, but the killer always manages to cut off their escape and captures the victim.
Editing is also an important factor when it comes to the horror genre. This is because the editing of the movie generally reflects how both the victim and the audience feel. Similarly to many other horror movies, the editing and transitions of shots at the beginning of Scream are slow and lengthy. This is to project to the audience the period of equilibrium for the character as everything seems normal. However, when the tension arises and the victim is aware of being tormented, the editing drastically changes from being very smooth long shots and transitions to becoming short and jumpy. This is clearly presented through the point-of view shots and the shaky camera shots near the end of the opening sequence. The up-beat orchestral non-diegetic sound at this point emphasises the editing which makes the audience jump due to the chaotic atmosphere created by both the sound and the camera movement. This shows Scream to follow the structuralist theory of horror because the fast-paced editing, reflecting the heartbeat of the audience, is in fact a code and convention of horror movies, therefore proving Scream has conformed to the structure of many other horror movies.
Along with the female victim being a big paradigm within the horror movie, the killer also adds to the genre of horror, because of the similar iconography used. The white mask worn by the killer put across to the audiences’ attention that they have no identity, thus creating fear amongst the audience as well as following the iconography of the unknown. The structuralist theory is clearly implied when the audience find out that the mystery caller is really the killer, through the line “I want to know who I’m looking at?” The structure/iconography of being watched or stalked without knowing is a clear indicator for the codes and conventions of horror as it reinforces the idea of being unaware of your surroundings.
Another aspect of iconography concerning the killer is that of blood and gore. The line “I want to see what your insides look like” adds to the codes and conventions of the horror movie genre as the idea of torture is being expressed. Like many other horror films, blood and the idea of torturing someone is a huge paradigm because it makes the audience feel uneasy and therefore fear for what may happen next to the victim. Scream successfully incorporates torture and blood within the opening sequence as the slow-motion editing clearly shows the killers knife stab the victim as well as show the audience all the blood on her clothes. The idea of the victim crawling away to try and get to safety after being stabbed, also enhances the idea of torture due to the fact that she is helpless and now unable to save herself due to her condition. The blurred point of shot when the victim is stabbed adds to the idea of Scream following the codes and conventions of horror movies, as this type of shots also puts the audience in the same position of as the character, a similar trait many horror movies use.
In conclusion, Scream follows the structuralist theory of the horror genre through various ways. A lot of the iconography used within the opening sequence clearly gives the audience the chance to recognise the genre, instantly allowing the audience to bring in their own interpretation and expectations of the codes and conventions shown within the text. Scream has successfully represented the iconography of murder weapons, female victims and the killer, through using certain codes and conventions, similar to other horror movies to make clear to the audience the structure of the movie. Aspects such as mise-en-scene of the sequence, sound, the editing and the change in editing as well as the themes, i.e. the feminist theory, all clearly follow the codes and conventions of the horror movie genre, thus proving Scream has conformed to the structuralist theory of horror.
Genre is a text which is identified through the key elements which occurs within the text. The elements portrayed within a certain genre are seen through the paradigms (codes and conventions) which the audiences are able recognise and bring a set of expectations to the text, thus grouping it into a certain genre. One way in which paradigms are represented is through the structure of the text, the way it’s put together, and the iconography used as well as the structuralist theory, an ideology which emphasises how films convey meanings through the use of codes and conventions. This essay will explore the way the horror movie Scream follows the structuralist theory within the opening sequence, by considering the plot, theme, mise-en-scene, sound and editing.
The establishing shot of Scream instantly shows the audience that it is a horror movie because of the non-diegetic sound of screams. It is put to the audiences’ attention that the first shot is also the first paradigm of the movie due to the fact that horrific, shrieking screams strongly portray the codes and convention of a horror movie, thus conforming to the structuralist theory from the start. The low angled shot shows the setting of the opening sequence to be at night in a detached, “middle of nowhere” house, where it is remote and far from civilisation. This is a reoccurring factor amongst horror movies because it shows the characters to be inferior to the killer as well as helpless and fragile, due to the fact there is no civilisation around them, again following the structuralist theory of the horror genre through the helpless victim.
The female victim herself is seen to be the biggest paradigm of the opening sequence because she is a young, teenage girl, a common victim for horror movies because they are mainly intended for teenagers. The code and convention of Sex=Death is represented within the opening sequence as the dialogue of the victim reveals her to be flirting with the mystery caller as seen in, “why? You wanna ask me out on a date?” Thus indicating she’s going to die, similar to many other horror movies, proving Scream to follow the structuralist theory of the horror genre. The dolly-shot of the victim walking through the empty house adds to the audience’s attention that she is alone, therefore implying that the victim is vulnerable and completely helpless, adding to the codes and conventions of horror as the victim is always helpless and out of reach from any form of communication, thus never surviving.
One other way in which the female victim can be seen as a paradigm is through the feminist theory applied to the opening sequence. For the reason that it is a female who is being tormented implies to the audience that it is a horror movie as the majority of the audience viewing horror movies are more likely to be male, hence the reasons for female characters to be brutally killed for the sadistic pleasures of men.
The aspect of iconography is also presented within the opening sequence of Scream as the close up of the victim pulling out a knife from a knife block indicates to the audience a murder weapon which the killer is most likely to use later during the movie. as the victim goes around the house, locking all the doors, shows the audience that the structuralist theory is being put into practice as it shows the victim to be locking herself in, thus resulting to trapping herself when it comes to her death. This is a typical feature of the horror genre, therefore strongly suggesting Scream follows the codes and conventions of horror movies. The long shot of the outside pool also shows the audience that Scream typically follows the structuralist theory of the horror genre as the mist forebodes the death of the victim as well as enhances the effect of the non-diegetic eerie music in the background.
As the opening scene follows on, the audience can gradually notice the tension and atmosphere build up due to the eerie, orchestral non-diegetic sound and the victim’s reaction to the unfortunate events. The structuralist theory of horror is represented here, as the audience see the female victim break down and plead for the mysterious killer to stop tormenting her, as it is even more clear now that the victim is weak, linking back to the feminist theory, and therefore using the codes and conventions of horror. The chase scene within the opening of Scream reinforces the feminist theory and also portrays the iconography of horror as the victim is always trying to get away, but the killer always manages to cut off their escape and captures the victim.
Editing is also an important factor when it comes to the horror genre. This is because the editing of the movie generally reflects how both the victim and the audience feel. Similarly to many other horror movies, the editing and transitions of shots at the beginning of Scream are slow and lengthy. This is to project to the audience the period of equilibrium for the character as everything seems normal. However, when the tension arises and the victim is aware of being tormented, the editing drastically changes from being very smooth long shots and transitions to becoming short and jumpy. This is clearly presented through the point-of view shots and the shaky camera shots near the end of the opening sequence. The up-beat orchestral non-diegetic sound at this point emphasises the editing which makes the audience jump due to the chaotic atmosphere created by both the sound and the camera movement. This shows Scream to follow the structuralist theory of horror because the fast-paced editing, reflecting the heartbeat of the audience, is in fact a code and convention of horror movies, therefore proving Scream has conformed to the structure of many other horror movies.
Along with the female victim being a big paradigm within the horror movie, the killer also adds to the genre of horror, because of the similar iconography used. The white mask worn by the killer put across to the audiences’ attention that they have no identity, thus creating fear amongst the audience as well as following the iconography of the unknown. The structuralist theory is clearly implied when the audience find out that the mystery caller is really the killer, through the line “I want to know who I’m looking at?” The structure/iconography of being watched or stalked without knowing is a clear indicator for the codes and conventions of horror as it reinforces the idea of being unaware of your surroundings.
Another aspect of iconography concerning the killer is that of blood and gore. The line “I want to see what your insides look like” adds to the codes and conventions of the horror movie genre as the idea of torture is being expressed. Like many other horror films, blood and the idea of torturing someone is a huge paradigm because it makes the audience feel uneasy and therefore fear for what may happen next to the victim. Scream successfully incorporates torture and blood within the opening sequence as the slow-motion editing clearly shows the killers knife stab the victim as well as show the audience all the blood on her clothes. The idea of the victim crawling away to try and get to safety after being stabbed, also enhances the idea of torture due to the fact that she is helpless and now unable to save herself due to her condition. The blurred point of shot when the victim is stabbed adds to the idea of Scream following the codes and conventions of horror movies, as this type of shots also puts the audience in the same position of as the character, a similar trait many horror movies use.
In conclusion, Scream follows the structuralist theory of the horror genre through various ways. A lot of the iconography used within the opening sequence clearly gives the audience the chance to recognise the genre, instantly allowing the audience to bring in their own interpretation and expectations of the codes and conventions shown within the text. Scream has successfully represented the iconography of murder weapons, female victims and the killer, through using certain codes and conventions, similar to other horror movies to make clear to the audience the structure of the movie. Aspects such as mise-en-scene of the sequence, sound, the editing and the change in editing as well as the themes, i.e. the feminist theory, all clearly follow the codes and conventions of the horror movie genre, thus proving Scream has conformed to the structuralist theory of horror.
Monday, 1 November 2010
The Skeleton Key Trailer Analysis
The Skeleton Key (2005)
Narrative structure:
· Period of Equilibrium
The female protagonist driving in her car shows the period of equilibrium as the pathetic fallacy of a sunny day shows everything to be in order and untouched.
· Moment of Disequilibrium
The audience can depict the moment of disequilibrium when one character mentions the ill health of another character, which took place in the attic. The line “pretty much paralysed him...up in the attic” suggests there is something in this house. The low angle shot of the attic emphasises the moment of disequilibrium as it shows the darkness within. The flashing imagery of candles also adds to the moment of disequilibrium.
· Period of Disequilibrium
The period of equilibrium is presented through the fast paced camera shots revealing to the audience peculiar objects, which is also being revealed to the female protagonist for the first time in the trailer. Closer to the end of the trailer the shot reverse shots of the protagonists show uneasiness and fear, presenting the period of disequilibrium throughout.
Sound:
The non-diegetic sound at the beginning emphasised the period of equilibrium as the song Iko Iko by Trad and Anon was used, which presents a calm relaxing tone to the beginning of the trailer. This song is known by a vast number of people which is what will help them to relate to the film in the first instance. However, the non-diegetic sound becomes eerie and tense when the shift in equilibrium to the moment of disequilibrium sets in. From the period of disequilibrium till the end, the non-diegetic sound becomes instrumental with a recording played over it. This creates uneasiness and a tense atmosphere emphasising the period of disequilibrium for the audience.
Codes and Conventions/ Genre Iconography:
From the establishing the codes and convention of being isolated and alone is presents through the female protagonist driving down a long-stretched road. The clip of the car pulling up to the house also enforces the codes and conventions of horror as it is a big isolated house which the movie is set in. For the reason that the house is isolated and cut off from the rest of civilisation suggests when the period of equilibrium comes in, there will be no where for the female protagonist to run, a very common code and convention of horror movies. As this is a supernatural horror movie, the use of candles clearly presents the genre as candles are strongly associated with séances and summoning dark forces. Close ups of dark, ancient marking also suggest the supernatural genre of this film as the audience associate strange marking with hoodoo or dark magic. Throughout the trailer, mirrors are used to present ghosts or unnatural elements, this is an iconography of the genre as some believe mirrors are possibly the gate way into parallel worlds; this is clearly suggested in this trailer.
Editing:
Similar to other horror movie trailers, The Skeleton Key uses smooth transactions to begin with, to emphasise the period of equilibrium. The fade to black’s used suggest the shift in time in the female protagonists journey, suggesting she is going far away from home, consequently far away from safety. However, during the moment of disequilibrium quick, flash editing is used to switch between the realities of the characters to the magical, supernatural nature of the movie. The fade to blacks used in the beginning are still used throughout the moment and period of disequilibrium, however they become faster and create more tension for the audience. When explaining the past, the shots become black and white and have a disorientated effect to it. This makes the audience uncomfortable and uneasy and adds more darkness to the trailer.
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Jeepers Creeper Trailer analysis
Jeepers Creepers (2000)
Narrative Structure:
· Period of equilibrium
Two teenagers telling each other scary stories whilst travelling together is seen to be the period of equilibrium, as they have nothing to be concerned about.
· Moment of disequilibrium
The line, “I haven’t seen a car in 15 miles” indicates the moment of disequilibrium within the trailer, along with the long shot of the man in the woods. Both these clips create curiosity for both the characters and audience.
· Period of disequilibrium
The idea that the teenagers are curious about what they see, marks the period of disequilibrium because curiosity always links in with death. Similarly to The Decent, the period of disequilibrium continues as the teenage boy goes down into the tunnel, presenting entrapment and isolation to the audience, as well as vulnerability. The chase scene and the warning from the civilians indicate danger and death, thus presenting the period of disequilibrium.
Sound:
The non-diegetic eerie, orchestral music at the begging of the trailer builds up tension for the audience and develops the curiosity of the characters. During the period of disequilibrium, the heavy metal, rock music used suggests the fast-paced thrillers and actions of the killer and its victims.
Codes and Conventions/Genre Iconography:
Like many teenage slasher horror movies, the trailer clearly shows the two teenagers to be isolated and unaware of the area. The flashing religious imagery captures the codes and conventions of the fear of the unknown and the curiosity of the characters reinforce the idea that curiosity kills. The darkness within the trailer adds to the codes and conventions of horror movies because it allows the audiences’ imagination to create the rest, making the scene even more terrifying than it really is. The weapons shown in the trailer coincide with the iconology of teen slashers as they are sharp metallic objects being used.
Editing:
Throughout the trailer fade to black shots are used for montage editing. As the period of disequilibrium becomes clear, the fade to black shots become jump cuts to create a anxiety and fear, with many different shot types in a small period of time, i.e. more than 5 different shot types in 10 seconds. The non-diegetic, heavy metal music emphasises the pace of the jump cuts which mirrors the audiences fast-paced heartbeat.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
The Decent Trailer analysis
The Decent (2005)
Narrative structure:
· Period of equilibrium
Similar to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the group of women taking pictures and having a memorable time sets the period of equilibrium.
· Moment of disequilibrium
The characters are unaware of where they are heading, “are you sure we’re going the right way?” The second sign which indicates to the audience the moment of disequilibrium is when the group of women are in a cave and “ the only way out is down the pipe,” illustrating to the audience that these characters are cut off from civilisation as well as trapped.
· Period of disequilibrium
The period of disequilibrium is clear when we see the characters to be trapped in a tunnel with an unknown, monstrous creature. The fear of claustrophobia, being trapped and being kept in the dark, as well as the cave-ins in the tunnel, are all presented to the audience which enhance the period of disequilibrium because the characters are helpless and in a deadly situation which creates fear for the audience.
Sound:
Throughout the trailer, there isn’t much non-diegetic sound used. This is because the diegetic sounds of panting and rocks crumbling create a realistic effect on the film, which, on its own, creates the audiences fear of claustrophobia and being trapped.
Codes and Conventions/ Genre iconography:
The weapons seen within this trailer are similar to that of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, sharp, stabbing weapons. The iconography of the torch and it light going out, act on the fear of the dark like many other horror movies. The codes and conventions of being isolated are also presented in the trailer, through the establishing shot of the road and the tunnel, like many horror movies creating fear and anxiety for the audience.
Editing:
Fade to black shots are also used within this trailer to show time passing and to create tension from the beginning. The use of night vision half way through the trailer adds a sense of realism to the trailer. The quick shots used at the period of disequilibrium disorientate the audience, as well as startling the audience when the monster is revealed.
Thursday, 14 October 2010
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre trailer analysis
The Texas
Narrative structure:
· Period of Equilibrium
The audience can tell the period of equilibrium as the group of teenagers are on a road trip. The fun and carefree atmosphere emphasise the period of equilibrium of the movie.
· Moment of Disequilibrium
The first sign of the moment of disequilibrium is when the group of friends find the hitchhiker on the roadside. The line, “they’re all dead” is the biggest suggestion that this part of the trailer is the moment of disequilibrium. One other factor which suggests the period of disequilibrium is the teenagers’ curiosity of the house.
· Period of Disequilibrium
The trailer clearly represents the period of disequilibrium through the group of friends being split up and the individual chase scenes; along with clips of the teenagers being attacked by the psycho killer.
Sound:
The non-diegetic sound at the beginning of the trailer suggested and emphasised the period of equilibrium because it was calm and relaxing, as the establishing sequence suggested. However when the moment of disequilibrium is introduced the sound immediately stops up until the period of disequilibrium, where the non-diegetic sound becomes fast-paced orchestral music, in synchronisation with the chase scenes and action.
Codes and Conventions/ Genre Iconography:
The establishing shot shows the code and convention of isolation as the audience see a car travelling on a long, deserted road. The clip we see of two teenagers kissing and the other teenager taking drugs, adds to the codes and conventions of sex, and any other immoral acts, linking straight to death. The “Final girl” theory is also shown within this trailer as the audience are shown the female survivor at the moment of disequilibrium. Further along the trailer, the iconography of the dark, abandoned, isolate house is presented to the audience as it creates fear of the unknown for the audience. The feminist view of films is clearly portrayed as a codes and convention within this trailer, because of the voice over of a woman screaming for help, showing the female characters of a horror movie to be weak and inferior. The weapons used by the psycho killer are sharp, violent, piercing weapons, following the codes and conventions of slasher horrors.
Editing:
The beginning of the trailer consists of smooth transactions such as Fade to blacks. This represents the passing of time and makes the clip seem to have a laid-back atmosphere. During the moment of disequilibrium the fade to black editing becomes quick to show shock and fear of the teenagers. The dissolves used at the moment of disequilibrium creates uncertainty and curiosity for the audience as well as the characters. This is emphasised by the freeze frames used for the audience to clearly see the torture. At the period of disequilibrium the editing has a fast pace as the jump cuts create fear for the audience. The fast-paced jump shots not only mirror the audiences’ heartbeat but make them feel disorientated adding to their fear.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Sunday, 10 October 2010
My History of Horror essay
The history of horror
Horror movies are seen to be a big hit in the box office, no matter which sub-genre they are cast under. The biggest impact and the main inspiration for horror movies is society. This is because many horror movies tend to reflect the fears of the general public at the time. Many directors and film critics believe fears change from generation to generation, so horror movies are always evolving due to what has the public in frenzy. One of the very first horror movies to be made regarding society at the time was Fredrick Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922). Murnau presented the flu epidemic of the 1920’s to society as a monster, Count Orlok, who infected his victims through a bite. Not only did Murnau show the flu epidemic to be spreading through a single bite, he also presented the spread of sexual diseases with these films, along with other vampire films to come. This relates back to the golden rule of sex=death, though it isn’t very obvious. Movies such as, Nosferatu (1922) struck fear into the audience not only because it expressed what was happening in real life, but it put to the audience’s attention how serious the flu epidemic was; with a result of 17 million deaths in Europe. This was the beginning of the vampire era, shortly followed by the science fiction horror of the ‘30’s.
During the 1930’s Darwin
The destruction of the planet was the main issue in society in the 1940’s and onwards. Many of the sci-fi horror movies focused on things known as “nuclear bugs.” An example of this would be Gordon Douglas’s Them! (1954). The enormous bugs attacking people in the movie was the central fear of society, because the overriding message in this sci-fi horror movie was to teach the audience that if the planet wasn’t treated properly, living organisms would be in danger, thus creating a focus for the film industry.
Also during the ‘50’s along with the fear of the destruction of the planet, the fear of being invaded by aliens, swept over the American people. Many alien-invading sci-fi horrors were seen to be startling as they were out of this world; however, alien sci-fi horrors became even popular and terrifying for the audience when technology had improved in the 1970’s, because the special effects made the creatures look realistic. An example of this would be Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979). The horrors that occur in out of space in this film made audiences’ feel uneasy and afraid, because the 70’s was the time when the fear of life out of this world became more of an issue. This was due to the fact that the USA and Russia
The Civil Rights movement in America in the ‘60’s was the next inspiration for horror movies as the sub-genre of Zombies was formed. Night of the Living Dead (1968) was the first zombie movie to show a mass eating and killing ordinary civilians. This showed the audience a sense of integration in a vague way as it was no longer concerning race, but humanity against the living dead. Many zombie movies consisted of a family who were cut off from the rest of civilisation due to the fact that the community around them had all been infected, and had turned into zombies. The concept of family within Night of the Living Dead scares the audience as they can relate to the characters as well as be able to imagine themselves and their families in the horrific position in which this family are in. One other big zombie movie is The Evil Dead (1981). When technology had improved and coloured films were produced, movies such as The Evil Dead horrified audiences due to the graphic horror, violence and gruesome scenes of gore and blood. Coloured productions made society more afraid because it felt as if it was real and therefore the violent and bloody scenes were to be more shocking than the ones of previous black and white horror movies. This was the main reason for the ban of The Evil Dead from world-wide cinema. However, the court case carried out for The Evil Dead of being the “No.1 nasty” made it one of the biggest selling video, because of the uproar created around it.
Coming out of ‘60’s, horror movies focused more on the fear of promiscuity in the 1970’s. Films such as David Cronenberg’s Shivers (1975) focus on the aspect of society being too sexually active. The plotline of Shivers also explores similar ideas to Frankenstein (1931) because of the scientist playing with nature, consequently creating evil. It also portrays sex to be linked with death, following the golden rule of sex=death, striking fear into the ‘70’s generation.
Following up Alien (1979) sci-fi horrors in the 1980’s projected another fear of society which showed scientific discoveries of genes and DNA. In the ‘80’s scientist were seen to have made the biggest discovery in relation to evolution, as they researched for human DNA as well as experimented with it. These discoveries led to the horror film industry to focus on sci-fi horror movies in yet another light from earlier, proving that society was advancing in knowledge and research, creating anxiety and curiosity for society as they passed through to the a new time period. The aim of the movie The Fly (1986) was to show to the audience and society the discrimination of the human body, through the main character slowly disintegrating and transforming into a fly. It also highlighted the ongoing fear of illness in society. Sci-fi horrors such as The Fly were “terrifying” for the audience but fascinating at the same time, because it wasn’t something the audience witnessed in everyday life.
Throughout the film industry, religion has always been classified as taboo. The supernatural element plays on the fear of the audience as it consists of something which they cannot see, thus making the audience feel in the same role of the characters in the horror movie. Satanic children were considered to be popular in the 1970’s because the vulnerability of children was compromised due to the fact that their mind and soul was replaced with ‘Satan’. Many of the inspiration for religious/possession horror movies came from 1940’s America where there were many cases of possessions. The reality would have had an impact on the audience beforehand, and the possessions movies would have reinforced the fears making religious/possession movies a huge success. An example would be The Exorcist (1973), the highest grossing film making $160,000,000 and being named “the most scariest film.” The advanced technology established in the ‘70’s added to the special effects used, which helped to keep the audience on edge at all times due to the horrific and blasphemous scenes.
The sub-genres of psycho-killer horrors were established in the 1960’s where real figures in society were seen to be committing mass murderers, such as Jack the Ripper in England and Ed Gein in America. Ed Gein was supposedly the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) where the golden rule of sex=death is applied. The killer in Psycho was a very close to normal man; he was seen as charming and the “ivy league” type. The characteristics of the killer in Psycho would have added to the audiences’ terror as the killer is a normal person, no deformities or recognisable flaws, which add to the society’s fear of meeting strangers.
Later on in the century, teen-slashers became the central focus of the horror film industry. Movies such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) were made to depict the Vietnam war and how many soldiers were being soldiers, similarly to the characters in the movies, the concept of butchered civilians were explored. Other horror movie, such as John Carpenteen’s Halloween (1978) points out to the audience the fear of untimely death. The aspect which made Halloween even more scary was the fact that it was aimed at teens, a young audience who would be frightened at the situations the characters had to face. For the reason that the characters with the film resemble certain characters in society adds to the fear as it is made more realistic and inescapable.
The last of the horror movie sub-genre is found-footage horrors created in the 1980’s. Found-footage horrors had an effect in society as the audience felt it was real, resulting to the audience feeling uneasy and generally afraid of the film as it’s set up to be reality. Cannibal Holocaust (1950) created a huge frenzy within society as it was labelled to be an unethical movie, as the slaughter and cannibalism was believed to be true, with help from the elaborate special effects used. This resulted to the film being banned in over 50 countries and the director having a court case.
Saturday, 11 September 2010
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