In preparation for this blog post, I researched the genre of horror.
Its main purpose is to elicit fear in the audience. This genre may overlap with many other genres, such as fantasy with supernatural antagonists. Typically, horror films may contain some force of evil or unusual figure that everyone fears, such as a disfigured face. Sometimes, the icon may be an item that people are not scared of in everyday life, such as a doll. Children are also used because they are expected to be innocent and empathetic. Children are typically the ones affected the evil figure or force.
Horror movies commonly use particular production techniques.
The first is dim lighting. There are three main light sources on a set. Back light, which is behind the subject, and key light and fill light which are towards the front, on the sides of the subject. By lighting a figure with just the back light, this may create a silhouette, concealing the identity of a figure. Low-key lighting is commonly used to control how much is revealed to the audience. In general, clips may be underexposed to create a mysterious and dark atmosphere.
Another technique typically used for horror films that tie with a family or story is showing the character in isolation. It may even be in the daytime to unsettle the audience that regardless of the time, they are unsafe. This may be through a glass looking in or a wide shot of one’s house with them sitting alone inside. Especially when transitioning back to the home or another main location, a long, establishing shot is used. On the other hand, extreme close-ups are used to draw attention to what is on screen.
Specific compositions and angles are also utilized. Sometimes, when showing the antagonist behind another character, they may be composed in the side margin using an over the shoulder (shot from the front). Dutch angles may be used to capture the subject’s uneasiness and tension.
As for sound, music may not be used, keeping many scenes kept silent. This allows the audience to pay attention to sound effects that may play, such as creaking and walking.
Other common techniques and further analysis will be discusses with some media examples below.
One example is of the film Insidious, the first part. The plot is about a couple who’s child is a host for ghosts that want to inhabit his body. For music, the film used “scratchy violin scores” and “piano bangs” to startle the viewer on what just occurred on screen.
This image shows the use of low-key lighting. The father of the child enters the alternate world to save his son, and he has this lamp. This evokes fear as there are no details revealed about his surroundings, leaving it unknown on what could happen to him.
Another example is the film Get Out. In comparison to the other film, this one is more about psychological unrest rather than their being an actual figure with a distorted face. It is about a young black man who is in a relationship with a white woman. They go over to her parent’s home to meet them for the first time. However, as the weekend progresses, he encounters a troubling series of events. For the beginning, the cinematographer wanted to capture a very welcoming home. To create a false sense of security, bright lighting and warm tones are used. Later, gels of cyans and green are used to create an unusual tone. Scenes generally became underexposed. At an important part of the movie, when Chris finds out his girlfriend is working against him, darker lighting is used. The reflection from the low-key lighting from the fire place was used to.
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Messer, Ron (April 4, 2011). "James Wan & Leigh Whannell INSIDIOUS Interview; The SAW Creators Also Discuss Their Untitled Sci-Fi Project, NIGHTFALL, and Recent Horror Remakes". Collider.com. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
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