a. Horror - Target audience can include any person invested in films that create a feeling of adrenalin, there are no limitations to those who primarily watch horror as it appeals to emotions ultimately applying to every human being.
b. Content: The content of a horror film is created in order to elicit fear in audience members. This is done by including common themes of plot such as including the intrusion of an evil force, demons, vampires, vicious animals, serial killers etc. The genre of horror films originated from fear inducing literature by popular authors/poets such as Edgar Allen Poe and Mary Shelley. The content of the horror genre is one meant to be unsettling and its sole purpose is to ensue unwanted emotions such as terror and panic. Often themes such as the unknown or myths are used to create this specific response. The variances in human fears and emotions allows for horror to break into a multitude of sub genres such as psychological horror, slasher, zombie, and found footage horror. Although make believe stories and folklore are commonly used to create films in this particular genre, the use of real life stories and/or footage also instill fear in the human psyche. The range of emotions felt allows for flexibility in the genre which makes it all the more appealing, as different routes of presentation can be taken to display content.
c. Production Techniques: The production techniques used in this genre include a well written screenplay. The majority of the tension and emotion derived from the film comes from the dialogue of characters and plot that pushes the film forward to build intensity and instill 'horror' in viewers. The screenplay ultimately allows for context of the film to be accurately portrayed giving the viewer a reason to be scared. However, this is not always the case, in the film A Quiet Place (2018), fear is evoked from the lack of dialogue, this took a different approach to the commonality of dialogue in screen play in the horror genre, only going to show the versatility and freedoms within this specific category in film. Another production technique that is commonly used are jump cuts, these create the widely used "jump scare," where the viewer is taken aback and is surprised at the sudden jump to a frightening frame. The unexpected nature adds to the emotional qualities the horror genre provides. Makeup and design of set is also used in order to create a realistic portrayal of the 'unreal.' Gore is a frequently used element in this genre as it emotes feelings of disgust and is a key feature used in horror films. One of the most important and influential elements in production techniques is sound. In this genre the sounds and ominous potential of music is quintessential in evoking the intensity and build up of fear in the film itself. This added suspense is crucial in defining the horror genre and it's ability to create emotion through the simple use of sound.
d. Marketing Techniques: Some of the most popular marketing tactics to promote the genre of horror are keeping elements of the film secretive. By leaving viewers with the feeling of uncertainty or curiosity, as often seen in trailers for horror films, more people will show up at the box office to put their curiosity to rest. This is commonly used to also create the element of added emotional fear prior to the movie even being shown. Although this has been one of the most commonly used strategies when marketing for horror films, more innovative approaches have arisen over the last couple of years in this genre. Disruptive social experiments promoting the film will take major cities by storm and serve as a publicity stunt. The random yet eventful approaches create an uproar of feedback and often leave the same feelings of curiosity in the minds of many. For example, a publicity stunt recently generated for the hit movie 'IT' based off the novel written by Stephen King, placed red balloons around a city with no one holding the singular red balloon. This unusual sight sparked media attention around the world, ultimately adding to the number of people becoming interested in what the red balloons were representing.
e. Sample #1- Halloween (1978)- This sample embodies the horror genre because of it's influence on human emotion and elicits fear in the viewer through the combination of menacing music as well as a progressive storyline. Halloween has become an iconic film in the horror genre and has set the standard for common themes used in the genre today. In this film the main enemy/element that creates the context for the film is the character, Michael. Michael Myers is on a killing spree against people, in this case he is a regular human being who escapes a psychiatric hospital every Halloween's Eve. Due to his nature and "average" qualities he becomes all the more frightening to viewers as it can be compared to every day life and makes it all the more plausible. The event of Halloween is a yearly occurrence filled with all things horror, the idea of implementing a serial killer into the popular holiday adds to the appeal of the genres application to everyday life. In Halloween, the plot moves forward through dialogue of characters who are fearful of Michael and his stalking nature. The fear in the characters speech and visible emotions creates a similar feeling in the viewer as it becomes relatable as human emotions are universal. John Carpenter, the director and commonly known as the creator of the sub genre of slasher films, through Halloween created a score in two weeks which became an infamous theme song that instantly is associated with the holiday and the fear created through the horror genre. The menacing music is played every time Michael is near, the association with the music and the serial killer character allows for the viewer to properly understand the context of the score and its attachment to the perpetrator. Through fear inducing sound, specific character development, and storyline, Halloween accurately falls under the horror genre, and actually created the commonality in traits of the genre for the future of the genre and sub-genre of slasher films.
f. Sample#2- The Exorcist (1973)- This sample falls under the horror genre because of it's demonic qualities. The Exorcist stars a young girl possessed by a demonic entity which takes over her body, an exorcism is conducted in order to rid her of the demon. The fear created by this film was established not only through special effect makeup and progressive story line, but between the conflict of heaven and hell. This controversial issue creates a humane fear of the unknown. The terror filled qualities of hell are not confirmed as we have no way of knowing if the location used in biblical quotes is real or not. This dynamic instills fear in the viewer as it relates to everyday aspects of religion. In the Exorcist, special effects, used to create a demonic appearance of the young girl, is used to create a more realistic perception. This ultimately adds to the fear created by gore, in this case the vomit used in the portrayal of the young girl's exorcism. The feelings of disgust and adrenalin kick in, leaving the audience with a set of emotions common of horror films. The Exorcist is an accurate representation of the genre as plot, makeup, and set design allow for the classification of horror. Not only does the Exorcist portray the film as scary/spooky, but it was so frightening that critics after box office claimed the film itself was demonic. All contributing factors of what makes this film as one of the most influential in the horror genre allow for it to become iconic in instilling fear in viewers.
g.
IT
Annabelle
Silence of the Lambs
Poltergeist
Insidious
The Conjuring
b. Content: The content of a horror film is created in order to elicit fear in audience members. This is done by including common themes of plot such as including the intrusion of an evil force, demons, vampires, vicious animals, serial killers etc. The genre of horror films originated from fear inducing literature by popular authors/poets such as Edgar Allen Poe and Mary Shelley. The content of the horror genre is one meant to be unsettling and its sole purpose is to ensue unwanted emotions such as terror and panic. Often themes such as the unknown or myths are used to create this specific response. The variances in human fears and emotions allows for horror to break into a multitude of sub genres such as psychological horror, slasher, zombie, and found footage horror. Although make believe stories and folklore are commonly used to create films in this particular genre, the use of real life stories and/or footage also instill fear in the human psyche. The range of emotions felt allows for flexibility in the genre which makes it all the more appealing, as different routes of presentation can be taken to display content.
c. Production Techniques: The production techniques used in this genre include a well written screenplay. The majority of the tension and emotion derived from the film comes from the dialogue of characters and plot that pushes the film forward to build intensity and instill 'horror' in viewers. The screenplay ultimately allows for context of the film to be accurately portrayed giving the viewer a reason to be scared. However, this is not always the case, in the film A Quiet Place (2018), fear is evoked from the lack of dialogue, this took a different approach to the commonality of dialogue in screen play in the horror genre, only going to show the versatility and freedoms within this specific category in film. Another production technique that is commonly used are jump cuts, these create the widely used "jump scare," where the viewer is taken aback and is surprised at the sudden jump to a frightening frame. The unexpected nature adds to the emotional qualities the horror genre provides. Makeup and design of set is also used in order to create a realistic portrayal of the 'unreal.' Gore is a frequently used element in this genre as it emotes feelings of disgust and is a key feature used in horror films. One of the most important and influential elements in production techniques is sound. In this genre the sounds and ominous potential of music is quintessential in evoking the intensity and build up of fear in the film itself. This added suspense is crucial in defining the horror genre and it's ability to create emotion through the simple use of sound.
d. Marketing Techniques: Some of the most popular marketing tactics to promote the genre of horror are keeping elements of the film secretive. By leaving viewers with the feeling of uncertainty or curiosity, as often seen in trailers for horror films, more people will show up at the box office to put their curiosity to rest. This is commonly used to also create the element of added emotional fear prior to the movie even being shown. Although this has been one of the most commonly used strategies when marketing for horror films, more innovative approaches have arisen over the last couple of years in this genre. Disruptive social experiments promoting the film will take major cities by storm and serve as a publicity stunt. The random yet eventful approaches create an uproar of feedback and often leave the same feelings of curiosity in the minds of many. For example, a publicity stunt recently generated for the hit movie 'IT' based off the novel written by Stephen King, placed red balloons around a city with no one holding the singular red balloon. This unusual sight sparked media attention around the world, ultimately adding to the number of people becoming interested in what the red balloons were representing.
e. Sample #1- Halloween (1978)- This sample embodies the horror genre because of it's influence on human emotion and elicits fear in the viewer through the combination of menacing music as well as a progressive storyline. Halloween has become an iconic film in the horror genre and has set the standard for common themes used in the genre today. In this film the main enemy/element that creates the context for the film is the character, Michael. Michael Myers is on a killing spree against people, in this case he is a regular human being who escapes a psychiatric hospital every Halloween's Eve. Due to his nature and "average" qualities he becomes all the more frightening to viewers as it can be compared to every day life and makes it all the more plausible. The event of Halloween is a yearly occurrence filled with all things horror, the idea of implementing a serial killer into the popular holiday adds to the appeal of the genres application to everyday life. In Halloween, the plot moves forward through dialogue of characters who are fearful of Michael and his stalking nature. The fear in the characters speech and visible emotions creates a similar feeling in the viewer as it becomes relatable as human emotions are universal. John Carpenter, the director and commonly known as the creator of the sub genre of slasher films, through Halloween created a score in two weeks which became an infamous theme song that instantly is associated with the holiday and the fear created through the horror genre. The menacing music is played every time Michael is near, the association with the music and the serial killer character allows for the viewer to properly understand the context of the score and its attachment to the perpetrator. Through fear inducing sound, specific character development, and storyline, Halloween accurately falls under the horror genre, and actually created the commonality in traits of the genre for the future of the genre and sub-genre of slasher films.
f. Sample#2- The Exorcist (1973)- This sample falls under the horror genre because of it's demonic qualities. The Exorcist stars a young girl possessed by a demonic entity which takes over her body, an exorcism is conducted in order to rid her of the demon. The fear created by this film was established not only through special effect makeup and progressive story line, but between the conflict of heaven and hell. This controversial issue creates a humane fear of the unknown. The terror filled qualities of hell are not confirmed as we have no way of knowing if the location used in biblical quotes is real or not. This dynamic instills fear in the viewer as it relates to everyday aspects of religion. In the Exorcist, special effects, used to create a demonic appearance of the young girl, is used to create a more realistic perception. This ultimately adds to the fear created by gore, in this case the vomit used in the portrayal of the young girl's exorcism. The feelings of disgust and adrenalin kick in, leaving the audience with a set of emotions common of horror films. The Exorcist is an accurate representation of the genre as plot, makeup, and set design allow for the classification of horror. Not only does the Exorcist portray the film as scary/spooky, but it was so frightening that critics after box office claimed the film itself was demonic. All contributing factors of what makes this film as one of the most influential in the horror genre allow for it to become iconic in instilling fear in viewers.
g.
IT
Annabelle
Silence of the Lambs
Poltergeist
Insidious
The Conjuring
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