Horror conventions

Mise-en-scene (icon):

• isolated or domestic settings
• use of shadows
• lighting ( dark)
• knives or any sharp objects
• blood
• masks
• ghosts

Camera Angels/Editing:

• cross cuts to create suspense
• speed of cuts increased to reveal less information
• hand held ( documentary)
• point of view shot to be in the villain shoes or other characters.

Characters:

• Propps character theory:
  1. The villain (struggles against the hero)
  2. The donor (prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object)
  3. The helper (helps the hero in the quest)
  4. The princess (person the hero marries, often sought for during the narrative)
  5. Her father
  6. The dispatcher (character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off)
  7. The hero or victim/seeker hero, reacts to the donor, weds the princess

Music:

• Heartbeat
• screaming
• instruments
• loud noises
• foot steps
• eerie music

Narrative structure:

• Good triumping over evil
• conflict played put as a battle between good and evil
• the supernatural haunting an individual
• unfinished business with villain coming back
• for revenge
• confusion withh identity
• unsolved muders
• unexplained events

Audience Theories

Hypodermic Theory:

This theory shows how the media can be so powerful that it can change what a person thinks this is revealed as being 'injected' into the persons brain. This shows that many people take in account and this goes into the mind of the audience this theory is related to women and children as they are shown to be the most vulnerable, however, this theory was created in the 1930's where there wasn't many positive/ negative shown to the audience and less knowledge on what goes on behind the media and how over exaggerated they can make a story. This theory suggests that, as an audience, we are take into account of the media texts, and that our behaviour and thinking might be easily changed by media-makers. It assumes that the audience are passive.

The copy cat theory:

This theory is about how the audience that watched certain scenes might replicate that among themselves or to someone else. This was a major problem as two 10 years old boys had kidnapped a Jamie Bulger (2 years old) and had tortured him leaving him dead on the train tracks they had argued that this was an imitation from 'Child Play 3' as the scenes from the film were related to the murder.However, the copy cat theory does not look into the reason why the person might of committed this crime because not all crimes that are related to the media might not be conclusion on the other hand, the person might have aggressive behaviour, illness etc.

The final girl theory:

This theory is about the final girl standing that defeats the villain or escapes as a class we had discussed what all the final girls have in common; brunette, intelligent, Unisex name ( Sydney, Billie), Purity, tend to be more masculine. This can be related to 'Scream' as Sydney the main character as all the aspect of the final girl theory that survives and continues on to 'Scream 2' this also happens in 'Halloween' were Laurie defeats the villain . The way the character is portrayed in the film is seen to be vulnerable, however, when they defeat the villain the audience are left questioned as they were expecting a male instead of a female.

Key scenes

The image on the left is the most famous scene, of Marion being killed whilst having a relaxing shower. This is famous for its shots combined together, to make such a incredible scene. My favourite scene from this film is when the camera zooms into Marion's eyes ,which zooms out into the drain where her sins are being washed away. The image on the right is also one of my favourite, as you do not see the killer as you can only see the silhouette of the person slashing Marion.

The use of shadow being used in 'Nosfertu', has given me ideas as now on this present day and age not many films use shadows to keep the audience engaged, as the audience are more harder to please and frighten.The image on the left is a image of 'Nosfertu' who is a Dracula. This is not as scary as it seems as it is a black and white film.Looking into the picture this image is quiet frightening as 'Nosfertu' is entering the persons room also that fact that his hand and that he is a Dracula keeps the audience engaged as you would like to know what he is up to?.

This scene is a famous scene as the Carrie kills her mother and positioned in the same way as Jesus was crucified on the cross.however this is also unique as the genre of the film is horror and being apart of the audience you will not think that someone will be killed in that particular way.

Research-Horror genre

In order to understand how horror genre had developed over the years,we had done this by watching various of films and how they have produced films that contain viewers worst fears, terror of the unknown:

• Nosferatu (1922
• The Faculty (1998)
• Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
• Bramstoker's Dracula (1992)
• Psycho (1960)
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
• Halloween (1978)
• Carrie (1976)
• Scream (1996)

When we had finished watching sectors from every film we had analysed on how the horror genre had developed over the years and how it has improved; edits, music, mise-en-scene, camera. Analysing the films that were produced they contained scenes that were copied from previous horror films in the 1900's such as 'Scream' had iconic scenes from 'Halloween, Psycho'. 'Nosfertu' was the oldest black and white horror film that we watched,by watching this film which contained no dialogue wouldn't have been a film that I personally wouldn't of chosen to watch.However, my views on 'Nosfertu' has changed as I enjoyed the the narrative of this film, I had analysed on how much media has changed over the years.