Research on Horror Films
For my portfolio project, I will be doing a film opening with a horror/thriller genre. I was assigned to make a comparison chart with my group mates about other films in the genre. I was then asked to research my genre.
Some visual components for some horror movies would be underexposure, mirrors and reflections, tight framing, and subliminal imagery. Exposure over all is important because it can set the mood. Underexposure accentuates shadows, captures a mysterious scene, gives an overwhelming sense of dread, and many more other things. It's one of the ways a filmmaker can use to play with the audience's sense of what is caught in the frame, it can hide things from you that the directors don't want you to see until the appropriate time. Mirrors and reflections are used in connotations with superior techniques by illustrating both reality and the duality of the characters. A way to survive in a horror movie is to not look in the mirror because as stated previously, there is a connotative purpose behind mirrors and things that reflect in movies such a horror. They are a tool used to illuminate and visualize depth. But in this genre, they are utilized as a tension builder, drawing into a good jump scare, or by subverting this all too familiar tactic. Tight framing is used to draw attention to one specific idea. Tight framing can also be used to entice the audience to a variety if concepts around the protagonist. Subliminal imagery is to make you feel something you aren't used to. These subliminal images are meant to get a feel for the audience is a sense and to makes those who end up seeing them viscerally ill.
Horror films usually take place in cabins, dorms, amusement parks, forests, cemeteries, and abandoned/old buildings. Of course there are occasionally other settings but these few are the most frequent. 9 times out of 10, they are shot at night.
The usual target for the films of this genre are teens to adults within the ages 15-24. These films often attract a slightly younger audience. They tend to intertwine with thrillers in a way that viewers seek out by diving into a world that isn't their own. Making a film based on what has high views and get good ratings would draw attention to your movie when creating a film for your target audience.
Fonts for this genre may range from something simple and elegant to bold and dramatic. The size is moderately large. They commonly come in colors such as red, white, off white, and yellow. Sometimes the letters gave blood spatter. The letters are almost always uppercase.
There are different types of stereotypes in horror. The dumb blonde, the bad boy/girl, the non-believer, the scholar, the cop, and the killer. There is occasionally black people who die first, if there is no black person, it's usually the dumb blonde.
Sources
