Genre:
From “The Exorcist,” to “Halloween,” horror movies have always been a staple of the box office. Perhaps its the unease one might feel when watching Michael Myers on his rampage or the true terror found in “The Strangers,” that somehow felt too imaginable. Horror movies undoubtedly evoke emotions that are unique to its genre. They bring our worst fears onto the big screen(and later home when the sky is dark and the lights are dim).Genre Conventions(content):
Horror movies incorporate a variety of elements in order to captivate our minds with a heart-pounding experience. Horror movies always often feature a protagonist in which we often watch through antagonists prospective. Antagonists vary from supernatural creatures to deranged psychopaths. Most often the villain is as twisted as the producers can make him, and lack humanity and empathy. Often the villains will have a specific pattern to their madness that not only helps develop the character(little to nothing is often known about the antagonist). Often murder and death is the main aspect of a horror movie, and religious beliefs are often used to try and create "realistic monsters." The characters often follow stereotypical though process's that may seem "rational," to the viewer in their attempt to avoid the Antagonists which is ultimately the plot of many horror movies. The idea of isolation is typically repeated, and we often see one person or a group struggle with a killer or other antagonist while nobody around them can help. Overall, many conventions of horror are only used in horror movies to create atmosphere.
Genre Conventions(production techniques):
The setting of a horror movie typically involves a dark and gloomy place, like a cemetery or a cabin in the woods. Dark colors, as well as colors associated with power and evil, such as red, are often used to help convey a dark and gloomy atmosphere. The lighting most commonly used is lowkey, in which various parts of the Anatognistare not seen directly which leads to an emotional pull from the audience as suspense builds up. Over the shoulder shots in which a focus pull is used, is another main technique used to shift focus from the protagonist to antagonist in a typically kill or fight scene. Costume design is made so that the audience can easily see and understand who the villain is, as they are typically in dark colors, and commonly wear a mask that is associated with the movie brand.
Institutional conventions
Marketing for horror movies is typically targeted towards young adults, with a wide emphasis on creating a film for teenagers. Often horror movies are released in time periods in which they receive little to no competition, especially those projected to do not so well. The content of horror films is often connected to life and is advertised as, "a true story," in order to draw a larger group to see the movie. Advertisements for the movie often show the beginning of a storyline and include one or two, "jump scares," in order to try and attract viewers. Major horror companies such as Blumhouse and Platinum Dunes often market their production companies in an advertisement in order to draw traction.Film sample #1- Insidious
Insidious is one of the most iconic horror movie brands ever and uses many techniques in order to create a dark and scary atmosphere for the viewers. Lowkey shots as well as dark settings as well as many non-digital sounds in order to set a mood. The plot of insidious follows a religious idea of astral projecting with a various set of heroes who deal with the "paranormal world." The movies are set in the wrong chronologically order, but the content is shown in a way that makes sense. The use of jump scares is common throughout all four movies, and is used in conjunction with loud synchronous sounds in order to create a scare for the audience. It is a perfect example of using a religious idea in order to create a marketing buzz as well as an engaging story perfectly set for young adults.
Film sample #2-The Strangers
Another horror movie, which has been arguably known as one of the most frightening horror movies ever created, is "The Strangers." This movie follows the common theme of isolation as well as a cabin in the woods, in which we watch a couple get terrorized by three masked killers. Lowkey shots in which we never see the killer's face's even though we should be able to are utilized. The use of marketing it as a "real story," is also used and monotone colors are used to create an atmosphere of fear and distress for the couple. It embodies the horror genre in a very strong manner.
Famous horror movies:
