The genre that I’ve been considering for my portfolio project is Horror! Such an interesting genre that has been gaining popularity throughout the past few years. Even though it is one of the most done projects I still want to do the research since it really calls my attention.
From the beginning of the film industry Horror has been a genre that has been prominent and seen as a form for many persons to express themselves in way that is very out of the ordinary. From the first Horror film, Le Manoir du Diable, it was meant to amuse rather than horrify. As the years have gone one hundreds of horror films have been developed, and like everything in the world, it has progressed, now rather than just scaring the viewer, they are meant to send a message, to leave a lasting mark. A few examples of that are:
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| Psycho (1960) |
Midsommar (2019)
Typical Target Audience:
- Teen and Young Adults (15-25)
- Slightly more male centered
Characteristics of Science Fiction
Genre Conventions with Content
Themes
- Fear of the unknown or something that the character does not understand which makes it even scarier.
- Most horror movies focus on life or death events, sometimes even both.
- Losing control of someone part of their lives, such as body horror, or losing control of their mind.
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| The Fly (1986) |
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| The Blair Witch Project (1999) |
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| Hereditary (2018) |
Settings
- Haunted houses
- Isolated Wilderness
- Liminal Spaces
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| The Shining (1980) |
Characters
- The final girl
- The skeptic
- The Slasher
- The Supernatural
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| Final Girl (Maxxine 2024) |
Genre Conventions with Technique
Shots/Composition
- The use of a Dutch tilt to show a character’s mental state.
- Framing a character to one side, leaving another one with a lot of empty space.
- Tight close-ups to make the viewer uncomfortable.
Mis-en-scene
- Using light that deepens the shadow’s on someone’s face
- Using fog, and silhouettes to make a gothic moods
- Dominantly use red (blood), black (the unknown) to make an eerie atmosphere.
Audio
- Diegetic distortion, making normal sounds louder and heavier (ex: heavy breathing, floorboard creeking)
- Lack of sound, which makes the viewer focus on their own anxieties
Editing
- Alternating between slow paced cuts and quick paced cuts.
- Timing cuts perfectly when it comes to jumpscares.
Institutional Conventions
Marketing
- More bite sized content for the younger generations to engage with (ex: Sinners).
- Real world marketing like making people do characteristics of a movie (ex: Smile).
- Building mystery through marketing campaigns (ex: Longlegs).
Distribution
- Wide theatrical release
- Direct move to streaming platforms after theatrical release ends.
- Specialized horror platforms like Shudder and Screambox.
Reflection
Analyzing Horror films
Black Phone
In this film we follow the abduction of a 13 year old boy by a psychopath serial killer known as "The Grabber". In this film the mis-en-scene really gives off a scary and eerie vibe, from the school to the basement of The Grabber everything feels out of place. In the scene specifically where The Grabber leaves the door open for Finney to escape the gray colors all around, the little light peeking through makes the scene feel incredibly disturbing. This film focuses on the predators out in the world, and how they will do anything to prey on the innocent and young.
The Substance
We follow the life of an aging celebrity known as Elizabeth Sparkle, who after loosing her job and getting in a car accident acquires a black market drug that makes a younger, better version of her that comes from her spine. In this film the use of tight close ups makes the viewer feel a sense of disgust and eerinies. In the lunch scence where Elizabeth is talking to a television executive, during this sequence tight close ups are used on his mouth while he chewes, this is also done on the left over food on the plate which is left over shrimp heads. This film highlights the impossible demand that many actresses feel when it comes to beauty standards, and the lengths they will go to achieve it, even if it means losing themselves.
References
El Raton Media Works. (n.d.). 30 horror-making techniques.
Follows, S. (2023, October 30). How is the horror genre changing? Stephen Follows.
Haller, K. (2014, October 23). Mise en scene in horror [Slide show]. SlideShare.
Maher, M. (2014, October 23). 7 pacing tips for editing horror films. PremiumBeat.
Mistry, J. (2017, February 8). Generic conventions of horror film posters [Slide show]. SlideShare.
Round Our World. (2024, October 23). Understanding production choices in horror films [Video].
Stiver, D. (2014, June 3). When editing a horror movie or thriller, timing is key. Videomaker.
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