Similar Media Works Profile

Genre: Horror
Dictionary Definition of Genre
• ‘Horror’- describes a genre of motion picture or literature
intended to thrill viewers or readers by provoking fear or
revulsion through the portrayal of grotesque, violent, or
supernatural events.

• ‘Psychological Horror’ - is a subgenre of horror fiction that

relies on character fears, guilt, beliefs, and emotional
instability to build tension and further the plot. Psychological
horror is different from the type of horror found in “slasher
films," which derive their effects from gore and violence, and
from the sub-genre of horror-of-personality, I
• n which the object of horror does not look like a monstrous
other, but rather a normal human being, whose horrific
identity is often not revealed until the end of the work

Definitions from:
http://bestuff.com/stuff/psychological-horror
Storyline and Characters
Usually based on one character who is troubled by a spirit, unnatural
creature or psycho. They are called the protagonist. The spirit, killer or
unnatural creature are called the antagonist.
There are usually minor killings throughout the film, and then the main killing
happens at the end or the antagonist gets found out. Sometimes in a
horror film, the main killing happens at the very beginning of the film then
the rest of the film is focused on the protagonist hunting the antagonist
down.
A recurring theme in horror is childhood and how problems have progressed.
For example in the ‘BOOGEYMAN’ at the beginning the main character is
a little boy, being haunted by an unnatural creature. Later on the film skips
the rest of the boy’s childhood and focuses on him as a man, trying to
figure out whether the unnatural creature is a figment of his imagination or
something he must stop.
Setting
Usually set in a big old house, like in the ‘BOOGEYMAN’ which
gives off a haunted house vibe. As well as a big old house,
murders in horror films are usually set at night making the
audience feel tense whilst watching the film. This is due to the
way that as it’s dark in the film, it makes the audience anxious
and aware to the fact that something may jump out.
Setting also varies with character. For example it would be
different based on their personality, age, sex and life story. For
example a male adult’s bedroom would be very different to
female child’s bedroom as the colours would be different, the
lighting would be different and props would be varied.
Target Audience
Horror films are usually certificate 15 or certificate 18. So this narrows the target audience down to
people aged 15 and above. The reason for the high certificate is because horrors are usually
very violent and gruesome, which would be unacceptable for children to watch. Especially as
horror films in the 21st century focus on blood, violence and gruesome special effects. However
psychological horrors focus on the storyline a lot more making it more complex and making the
audience have to think about what they are watching. As psychological horrors need the
audiences attention for the whole film because the audience need to pick up on hints and clues
to be able to understand the film and its conclusion. Therefore the audience is more likely to be
older people, 18 and above as they would concentrate on the plot much more than teenagers
who are more interested in blood and gore. Also female teenagers are not usually interested in
films with lots of depth and a complicated plot most female teenagers would rather watch a
‘chick flick’ or a ‘romantic comedy’. In addition most females are quite squeamish and wouldn’t
be interested in the violent gory part of a horror either, so horrors are more for men than
women. Horrors of the 21st century would not attract older people (60 onwards) as they would
not be used to the modern day horror; being lots of blood, zombies (‘Final Destination and
death they would rather watch a film from the 1960’s being mainly about ghosts, fear of the
unknown and social psyche.

Brides of Dracula Final Destination

(1960) (2000)
 Audience Expectations
Audience expectations for films based on the genre of horror
usually include expectations of blood, killings, special effects,
a twist in the storyline etc.
Blood is a main expectation from the genre as it links in with
killings and death. This may be horrifying for some people
and thrilling at the same time, and has been linked to horror
films for decades. Special effects and twists in storylines are
used with films that include blood and killings as a main
theme throughout the film.
Another expectation could include unnatural creatures, such
as ghosts, zombies, vampires etc. Since the very first horror
film in the 1930’s, many horror films have been based around
unnatural creatures like Frankenstein and Dracula. Mad
scientists have been linked to horror films from films like Frankenstein
Frankenstein and Dracula, and they now can be expected in
horror films, even if the film has nothing to do with that 1931
particular subject.
Some people in an audience see horror films as an expression of
our subconscious wish to smash our fears and/or the norms
that oppress us. The audience expect the underside of
normality to be exposed and for irrational chaos beneath
respectability and convention to explode and to threaten to
engulf society.
Whilst watching horror the audience expect to half long for the
forces of chaos to win but fear at the same time what that
chaos will reveal about ourselves. Mainly the teenage
audience expect and want to be frightened and amused by
nightmares.
Dracula 1931
 Technical codes
• Horror films mainly follow around one character or a group of characters. A
stereotypical storyline for a Horror following a single protagonist, for example,
would be that character’s goal to track down a murderer or a criminal, through
horrific events leading to a shocking finale. Whereas, for a storyline based
around a group of character’s, the film would follow a plotline that would
concentrate on the groups survival or there downfall.
• Horror films make a lot of use of tracking the main character. This is to make the
audience focus on this character more, and mid-shots and close ups are also
used for this effect.
• The main technical codes that are used in horror film are the “camera angles”.
Camera angles make up an entire film; they portray every aspect of a character
and the relationships involved. Also the emotion in the scene. For example, if you
wanted to show someone higher metaphorically to show authority, you would use
a low angled shot from that person so they look physically higher. To show a
lower authority, you would use a high angled shot looking down on them. There
are also; close ups, long shots and mid-shot.
• Horror films tend to use a lot of wide shots of places to create the illusion you are
looking for the protagonist or he is in the room also.
• There are often a lot of silences to create the feeling of suspense and tension. So
when an unexpected noise happens, which is again common in horrors, it
creates more of a fear amongst the audience.
 Analysing the use of Technical codes Low
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=Ravt_8esUO4
• The very beginning of this clip from the film
“The Exorcism Of Emily Rose” makes use
of a lot of technical codes. Tracking and
Dutch, low, high angles are used. Also the
camera uses close up shots on the victims
face to show her emotion. The tracking in
this is used to make the audience feel like
they are following the victim around, as if
they are the ones harassing her, which is a
common factor in psychological thrillers.
Dutch

High
 Mise-En-Scene
The main elements of Mise-En-Scene are; Sound, costume, lighting and camera angles.
• Sound – Sound in horror films is mainly silence, which is used to create suspense and tension.
A lot of extra diegetic sound is added into films such as these, as to create a realistic sound
during the filming and to make it prominent still would be difficult.
• Costume – Costume in films is normally used to represent something. So in a horror film, if
someone continually wore the colour red for example, you would link the connotations of red so
death and violence to what is going on in the scene at the time. Also, what the actors are
wearing in the scene. People who wear ragged clothes you would see were poor or of a lower
social class but in a horror film the costumes tend to show the damage and the violence that the
victim has gone through. So a cut in the sleeve of a top could show they have obviously tried to
be caught, but could also symbolise the damage to themselves from what is going on in he film
or scene.
• Lighting – Lighting in a horror film is often dark and dim or very bright lights. By having darkness
a lot in horror films it creates the illusion you’re not quite seeing everything there is to see,
therefore creating fear amongst the audience. Also the lighting used tries to make the scene
look as realistic as possible.
• Camera angles – Camera angles in horror films are often a lot of high and low angled shots and
close-ups. This is to give a detailed view of the main character, also blocking out of the shot
anything going on around them, such as the protagonist. Tracking and panning are used fairly
often and it creates the illusion you are part of the victim, which is often to main intent of a
horror – you fear for the victim because of the protagonist.
 Example of a Mise-En-Scene – The Shining.
The Shining was filmed in 1980 and was directed by Stanley Kubrick. The parts of Mis-En-Scene I’ll be analysing will be the; sound, costume, lighting and
camera angles.
At the opening of this scene you immediately get a mid-shot of Jack by the bathroom door. He is wearing a red jacket and cheque shirt. The colour red
connotes danger and death, red symbolising blood. He is singing the dialogue of the wolf when he is attacking the pig’s houses in turn. The story of this is
associated with children’s stories so to contrast the innocence of children and the stories told to them against the horror of Jack about to cut the door down to
kill his wife who is inside the door. There is also extra diegetic sound over the shot; it is of a high pitched sound but is coming in slowly so the audience
doesn’t notice it until it gets louder over Jack. The use of this sound builds tension within the audience and hints that something bad is going to happen as the
tempo of the music is slowly building up, like the mental illness of Jack. The lighting around Jack is coming from a single lamp to the left of him. The lamp is on
the bedside table shining up into his face connoting danger.
On the other side of the door, is Jack’s wife in the film. She is wearing a dressing down, showing she has obviously just got out of bed. By her wearing a
dressing gown, the audience can immediately tell that is night time and she has clearly got out of bed in a rush. The use of a dressing gown connotes the
vulnerability of her, as we associate night time with eeriness, danger and it is when we feel most vulnerable. The camera tracks her to the sink, where she has
placed a kitchen knife in the sink beforehand. Throughout this time the tempo of the music has started to get quicker and the pitch of the music is getting
higher. The lighting in the bathroom is clinical, white and sharp. It illuminates her facial expression evidently, the main light is coming from above her from a
ceiling light so therefore is not natural light.
When the shot goes back to Jack, the camera then is behind him as he raises the axe to crash into the door. You can see the mess the bed has been left in
which signifies to the audience there has been a rush. The pitch of the music then gets higher still until Jack plunges the axe into the door, where it pauses
and we hear the thud of the axe against the door and then the scream of Wendy. The scream denotes that Wendy is terrified and we don’t even need to see
her face to understand that. A scream is associated with fear so it adds again to the heightening fear of Jack. The camera tracks the axe as it goes backwards
and forwards into the door. This happens twice and on the third, the camera angle shifts to show the axe coming in the through the door. This makes the
audience feel like they’re involved in the scene and are actually a part of the moving axe. The sound of the axe coming in through the door is diegetic but
there is still the extra diegetic sound over the top. This has now suddenly turned to a high pitched, fast tempo sound to a low thrumming sound. We carry on
watching the axe hack through the door sideways. The camera now progresses around so the audience are watching the axe come through the door face on
and can see the hole that has ready been made. We can also see Jack’s facial expression, this adds to the dread we as an audience feel for Wendy as the
look on his face is sheer malice. The music then goes back to its high pitch again from the beginning of the clip, it indicates that something bad is going to
happen again as when the music was last used Jack started hacking the door.
The camera then moves back to the other side of the door again where there is a wide shot of Jack and the bedroom. Again, we see the bed and the bedside
light that is just casting a light up the wall causing the rest of the room to look dim. We then watch him successfully cut the door and walk over to the hole
created. The music then gets considerably noticeable and high pitched as the camera angle does a close up of Jack’s face looking into the door. The
expression on his face is chilling and is even more manifest as he put his face into the directly bright light of the bathroom. We then close up on Jack reaching
in to turn the key in the lock. Then we see Wendy cut Jacks hand in a close-up shot and then again on Jack’s face as he shouts in horror because of his
hand. It leaves us wanting to know if Jack successfully got through the door or not, and if Wendy will escape and survive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TVooUHN7j4
Generic Signifiers
There are some things that are seen in horrors over and over again; sometimes its
part of a set or the setting, props which are used regularly or costumes and
colours .
Set;
Common settings;
• Church- Reason being churches are for worship however to make it shocking
when there is murder in a church or by a church it is more disturbing and horrific.
• Graveyard- Simply because it is the home of dead bodies, therefore it is scary and
a common place for evil spirits, black surroundings and sad memories which all
reflect on death.
• Bedrooms- Its meant to be a place of relaxation and safety however horror films
usually focus on the fact people are unprepared and close in on bedrooms where
the antagonist catches the protagonist. Also it’s a small space with no escape
which would build tension.

Props
Common props are usually weapons as murder is the main theme in horror films.
Common weapons;
Big knives/ kitchen knives- Using kitchen knives makes it realistic and also they look
harmful and dangerous.
Polaroid pictures- Some films include Polaroid pictures of people they are hunting
down or use for evidence.
 •Release date: Cinema-Friday, February 4,2005.

BOOGEYMAN
•DVD/ video- Tuesday, May 31,2005.
•Genre: Horror
•Running time: 86min
•Director: Stephen Kay
•Studio: Columbia Pictures
•Producers: Sam Raimi, Robert G. Tapert.
•Screenplay: Eric Kripke, Juliet Snowdon, Stiles White.
•Cast: Barry Watson, Emily Deschanel, Syke McCole
Bartusiak, Lucy Lawless.

Tim (Barry Watson) is a normal, twenty-something year old guy. But an

intense, paralyzing fear that has been terrifying him since childhood
is tearing him apart. To the point where he feels his life is in danger.

The incident that left Tim fearing everyday happened when Tim was a
child, every night his dad read him a bedtime story. Many of these
stories were horror based, even though his mum disapproved of
them, but Tim and his father made sure his bedroom was safe
when the lights finally went out. Until that one fateful night. That
scarred Tim for life he watched , paralyzed with fear, his father get
violently sucked into the closet, and was never seen again.
Tim is terrified that the Boogeyman will return and take him as he
has taken so many before. Many years later, after Tim's mother
(Lucy Lawless) dies, he is forced to return to his childhood home
and face the source of all his fears.
 The Shining

• A man, his son and wife become the

winter caretakers of an isolated hotel
where Danny, the son, sees disturbing
visions of the hotels past using a
telepathic gift known as "The Shining".
The father, Jack Torrance, is underway
in a writing project when he slowly slips
into insanity as a result of cabin fever
and former guests of the hotels ghost's.
After being convinced by a waiter's ghost
to "correct" the family, Jack goes
completely insane. The only thing that
can save Danny and his mother is "The
Shining".
• Director: Stanley Kubrick
Release date: 23 May 1980 (USA)
Genre: Horror/Thriller
 The Ring
• The story begins with two teenage girls
discussing the events of the previous
weekend, during which one of them, Katie
Embry (played by Amber Tamblyn), went to
a cabin in the mountains to spend time with
some friends. While talking, the subject of a
supposedly cursed videotape is brought up.
The other girl, Rebecca 'Becca' Kotler
(played by Rachael Bella), states that
anyone who watches this video receives a
phone call, in which a voice says, "you will
die in seven days." Then, exactly seven
days (to the minute) after viewing the tape,
the viewer dies. Katie reveals in horror that
she had watched that video at the cabin last
weekend with three friends, exactly seven
days earlier. After a series of unexplainable
occurrences, involving a television in the
house turning itself on and eerie sounds,
Katie is mysteriously killed while Becca has
the misfortune of watching, causing her to
be institutionalized in a mental hospital.
• Director: Gore Verbinski
Release date: 21 February 2003 (UK)
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller
 The Blair Witch Project
Three film students go to Burkittsville, Maryland to make
a documentary on the infamous Blair Witch legend.
They go missing, but a year later their footage is
found in a bag inexplicably buried under an
abandoned 100-year-old house. The director is
Heather Donahue, her main cameraman is Joshua
Leonard and Michael Williams is the sound crew.

According to legend the Blair Witch is the ghost of Elly

Kedward of the late 1700s. Several children accuse
Kedward of luring them into her home to draw blood
from them. Kedward is found guilty of witchcraft,
banished from the village during a particularly harsh
winter and presumed dead. By midwinter all of
Kedward's accusers along with half of the town's
children vanish. Fearing a curse, the townspeople
flee Blair and vow never to utter Elly Kedward's
name again. In 1825, eleven witnesses testify to
seeing a pale woman's hand reach up and pull ten-
year-old Eileen Treacle into Tappy East Creek. Her
body is never recovered, and for thirteen days after
the drowning the creek is clogged with oily bundles
of sticks. In 1886, eight-year-old Robin Weaver is
reported missing and search parties are dispatched.
Although Weaver returns, one of the search parties
does not. Their bodies are found weeks later at
Coffin Rock tied together at the arms and legs and
completely disembowelled.
 The Omen
• Was released on 6th June 2006 “666” (A Remake of the
1976 original.)
• Directed by John Moore.
• A child that will steer humankind down the road to hellfire
has been born, and as his evil flourishes in a world full of
hate, the ominous Biblical prophecies slowly begin falling
into place in director John Moore's remake of Richard
Donner's 1976 horror classic. Robert (Liev Schreiber) and
Katherine Thorn (Julia Stiles) were as loving parents as any
young boy could ask for, but as fate would have it, their new
son Damien is far from the typical child. Now, as the
mysterious boy's growth begins to share frightening parallels
with the Biblical passages detailing the rise of the Antichrist,
and the lives of all who seek to reveal his true nature are cut
gruesomely short, Robert and Katherine are forced to face
the horrifying prospect that their child has been sent from
Satan to hasten the fall of modern civilization, and that there
is little they can do to curb his prophesied path of ultimate
destruction.