Task 2.3 Genre Research

Task 2.3 Genre Research

Our film is a Thriller-Horror hybrid in terms of genre. The conventions we have researched include adding a blue hue to the scenes. This is a convention of horror and really gives a cold feel to the film, however, to coincide with the setting of the forest we were thinking of making it a green hue, which is equally as cold, but is also in touch with nature. We also plan to use music that builds up tension and gets faster as it goes along. Another convention of horror we are going to use is the non-diegetic sound of voices inside the killers head. This will make the viewer scared and feel that there is more to the killer that meets the eye.

The setting of the woods is also a convention of horror. There are a number of horror films that use the woods as a setting, such as Cabin in the Woods (2012) and The Evil Dead (1981). It is an isolated location with little chance of rescue, meaning the audience will fear for the safety of characters involved.

A film that inspired us was The Silence of the Lambs, which is also set in the woods and uses some great shots that make it seem isolated and eerie. It does this with the use of music, as well as some unsteady camera work. The unsteady camera work is a convention of horror, as shaky cam is often a feature to represent fear and a race against time.  They make the shot dark despite it being daytime, which increases the fear of the viewer.

With the horror genre, costume choices should be considered, as they can symbolise certain emotions of the characters. For example, black usually represents mystery and red represents danger. A film that uses costumes to represent ideas in the film is The Dark Knight, a thriller-action hybrid, as the protagonist, Batman, wears black to show a hidden identity and also so he blends into the night sky.  In contrast, the antagonist, The Joker, wears purple, white, green and red, representing a clown to emphasize joking and irony. We can use this as inspiration when deciding what colors our characters can wear. Black represents mystery so that is something we are considering using in the film.

Camera angles are another convention of horror, with lots of high and low angle shots being used to increase tension and to show where control and power is in the scene. Low angle shots are usually used to show little power, but high angle shots show lots of power.

In terms of editing, we believe that our film should have few cuts and very long scenes. This will be used to build up to a reveal at the end. This is another technique used in The Silence of the Lambs, as the first shot is a massive 1 minute and 6 seconds. Our shots will be considerably less than this, but there will be infrequent cuts initially, building up to more cuts when the dead body is revealed.

In terms of sound, Horror films conventionally use volume changes from quiet to loud. This is done to provoke an emotional reaction from the viewer, to get them to ‘jump out of their seats’. We think we will initially start with silence, and then build up to very dramatic music at the end.  This is generally used in all horror films, as it provides the scare factor that they wish the audience to feel to really entice them into the film.

Horror films usually have a recognizable pattern in that it tries to terrify viewers. In many horror films, the antagonist will be the cause of the horror. This benefits the filmmakers as they can make a sequel with the same antagonist and it is likely to be just as popular. Examples of horror films with sequels are the Saw films and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. It's believed that the roots of filmed Horror began in the late 1700's with Gothic Horror, which saw settings such as dark castles, dungeons and forests being used. The term 'Horror'; however did not come into play until the 1930's. The post-war period to the 1950's was perhaps the most difficult time for horror films, with them all having a strict B-list in Hollywood, as opposed to A-list. In the modern era, horror films include various unique features due to the introduction of Computer Generated Imagery (CGI).The scale of horror films is a lot greater, with films such as World War Z dealing with themes such as post-apocalypse and pandemics.

Feedback - Miss Spencer

Well done Joe, you have produced some excellent analysis here. You have thought about the DISTINCT model of analysis and I really like the way you give a little synopsis of the film and director etc at the beginning.
This is a solid level 3 at the moment.

Now you need to move on and complete your Genre research.

Task 2.1 Night of the Living Dead (1990)

Task 2.1 Night of the Living Dead (1990)

Night of the Living Dead is a horror film made in 1990 and is a remake of the famous Night of the Living Dead film from 1968. It is directed by Tom Savini and stars Tony Todd and Patricia Tallman. It is about unburied dead coming to life and targeting human victims.

Like most films, Night of the Living Dead begins with the logos of the film companies that where involved in the production of the film. It starts with a fade from black. This editing could be used to represent the night time. The fade is suspenseful as we are waiting for what is revealed. The still camera shot shows the moon rising from the leaves. The fact that it is concealed by the leaves shows that it is hidden and then revealed, which could be representative of the dead, who come to life after being hidden.

The title is then revealed to the left of the screen, as opposed to the centre of the screen. This is to keep the moon clear, as there is nothing standing in its way, and if it represents the zombies, it could show the weakness of the humans trying to prevent the danger. The title is conflicting as it says night, but the text is light. This is irony that is also in the plot of the film, as only danger are the people already dead. The title is capitalised, which emphasizes the danger that is proposed in this film, as it is almost 'shouting' the title to the audience. There is then a fade back to black. This fade could show the change in time scale from this shot to the next, which is set in the day.

The post title shot is an establishing shot of a road. The foreground is a very plain field with freshly cut grass, which shows little danger. In contrast, the background shows a dark forest that the viewer will subconsciously link with danger, with it being a setting that is a convention of horror. The sound is diegetic at this point with the sound of people talking. It was initially non-diegetic as it began before the shot. We know these are people in the car as the sound gets quieter as the car is further away from the camera.The car is white, which also contradicts the title of being night and it means we no longer associate the people with the dark. 

The next shot is a low angle shot and this time the car comes closer to the camera. The low angle shot increases the importance of the people in the car as the viewer looks up to them. The shot after this, however, is a high angle shot of the car entering a graveyard. This immediately changes the viewers perception as the people in the car now seem vulnerable.  The camera initially showed the gates but then tracked to follow the car and subsequently, the graveyard. There are dark trees in the foreground now which links with both the titles and also the forest in the background and the viewer expects danger. The background looks misty on the alternative route to the one the car is taking which could show that they have narrowly avoided the dangerous situation. The graveyard is another convention of horror films, as it is a commonly used setting in horror films.

Throughout the whole of the opening scene, there is eerie and mysterious non-diegetic music playing. This is used to keep tension with the viewer and to make them not feel entirely calm even though there is nothing dangerous shown in the opening scene.