Batman 1989
This film is not of the horror genre, but its gothic aspects create a very interesting soundtrack. The soundtrack consists, mainly, of orchestral elements. However it uses more individual and spookier instruments such as a celeste - a piano-like instrument which creates a high pitched chiming sound.
Composed by Danny Elfman, who features minimalistic aspects in his compositions, the piece gives a dark feel which suits the directing style of Tim Burton. The gothic yet heroic feel of the piece suits Batman's character perfectly through a minor tone.
This would fit perfectly into my piece as a 'dark' element within the soundtrack is essential to a horror movie. r
Friday, December 10, 2010
Case Study 2: Saw II
Saw II begins with production titles. The first scene commences with a close up of a light bulb through a green filter, depicting the scene as isolated and gloomy, and also being representative of the light of thew protagonist being engulfed by the evil of the antagonist. A panning shot is then taken, across a dark space, to create a wipe effect which immediately leads to a close up of a vent, giving the feeling the character is being watched and thus provoking fear.
The camera then pans across the room in order to focus on a small, green filtered light on the wall - implying more feelings of isolation and claustrophobia. A motivated cut is then used to show the audience a telivision and a half open box. This hinting nature keeps the audience attracted by making them more involved with the movie, making them look for answers.
Iconography is then revealed through a close up of a mirror depicting the characters mutilated eye. The use of a mirror and a television creates noteable distance between the antagonist and monster fodder, which leads us to view the antagonist as 'unbeatable' or omnipotent, though this view, generally, changes and the antagonist is defeated at the end of the piece - equilibrium restored. The shot revealing the device around the neck of the character completes this establishing sequence of shots, stereotypical iconography of the genre (blood, darkness etc) are used throughout.
The majority of shots are handheld, a common trait of the horror genre which evokes a sense of closeness and places the audience into the film. Frantic quick edits are used to build tension and panic, reflective of the character, in the viewer. Filter lights are favoured over key and back lights to create lots of shady dark corners - almost a chairoscuro effect,
The camera then pans across the room in order to focus on a small, green filtered light on the wall - implying more feelings of isolation and claustrophobia. A motivated cut is then used to show the audience a telivision and a half open box. This hinting nature keeps the audience attracted by making them more involved with the movie, making them look for answers.
Iconography is then revealed through a close up of a mirror depicting the characters mutilated eye. The use of a mirror and a television creates noteable distance between the antagonist and monster fodder, which leads us to view the antagonist as 'unbeatable' or omnipotent, though this view, generally, changes and the antagonist is defeated at the end of the piece - equilibrium restored. The shot revealing the device around the neck of the character completes this establishing sequence of shots, stereotypical iconography of the genre (blood, darkness etc) are used throughout.
The majority of shots are handheld, a common trait of the horror genre which evokes a sense of closeness and places the audience into the film. Frantic quick edits are used to build tension and panic, reflective of the character, in the viewer. Filter lights are favoured over key and back lights to create lots of shady dark corners - almost a chairoscuro effect,
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Case Study 1: Scream
Camera angles/shots
- Handheld shots give the movie a sense of realism and lack of stability. It is this loss of control, combined with the realistic mise en scene, that provokes horror in the audience.
- Shots are mainly medium with little use of long shots. This gives a sense of isolation, emphasising the lack of suppport the monster fodder character has (a trait common within the teen horror genre). When close ups are used, they are taken from the antagonist's perspective in order to give a sense of closeness and dominance.
Editing
- Slow paced editing is used at the beginning to give a sense of calmness, making the initial scare more effective.
- Jump cuts are used to link antagonists location with dangerous objects. For example, a shot of outside the house cuts to an ovens naked flame. This could have been done to foreshadow danger.
- Cuts to shots away from the main character are very brief, her despair is highlighted.
Lighting
- Predominantly, filter lights are used. This creates dark corners and partly lit areas, suggesting to the viewer that there is more than meets the eye in this situation.
- Upon the antagonists presence, only natural lighting is used. This signifies the true dominance of the antagonist over the monster fodder.
Sound
- A parallel crescendo of orchestral music has been used to build tension as the antics of the antagonist become more violent.
- The telephone call becomes somewhat of a trademark of this franchise and, along with constant diegetic screams, is used to provoke horror in the viewer.
Mise en Scene
- An abundance of objects and ornaments in the house almost adds to the sense of shock then the antagonist enters and causes destruction.
- The mise en scene gives a sense of normality which makes the sense of horror more identifiable with the majority of the audience.
- Handheld shots give the movie a sense of realism and lack of stability. It is this loss of control, combined with the realistic mise en scene, that provokes horror in the audience.
- Shots are mainly medium with little use of long shots. This gives a sense of isolation, emphasising the lack of suppport the monster fodder character has (a trait common within the teen horror genre). When close ups are used, they are taken from the antagonist's perspective in order to give a sense of closeness and dominance.
Editing
- Slow paced editing is used at the beginning to give a sense of calmness, making the initial scare more effective.
- Jump cuts are used to link antagonists location with dangerous objects. For example, a shot of outside the house cuts to an ovens naked flame. This could have been done to foreshadow danger.
- Cuts to shots away from the main character are very brief, her despair is highlighted.
Lighting
- Predominantly, filter lights are used. This creates dark corners and partly lit areas, suggesting to the viewer that there is more than meets the eye in this situation.
- Upon the antagonists presence, only natural lighting is used. This signifies the true dominance of the antagonist over the monster fodder.
Sound
- A parallel crescendo of orchestral music has been used to build tension as the antics of the antagonist become more violent.
- The telephone call becomes somewhat of a trademark of this franchise and, along with constant diegetic screams, is used to provoke horror in the viewer.
Mise en Scene
- An abundance of objects and ornaments in the house almost adds to the sense of shock then the antagonist enters and causes destruction.
- The mise en scene gives a sense of normality which makes the sense of horror more identifiable with the majority of the audience.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Sub Genres
The horror genre has many sub-genres. These are, ultimately, genres within genres that help define horror movies further. I have conducted a short research into both psychological and teen horror.
Psychological Horror
This sub genre involves the antagonist being a relatively normal character in physical terms, but is normally mentally abnormal, e.g psycho or sociopathical. He/she will torment the protagonist by means of threats, psychological torture and kills of monster fodder before commiting to a physical attack. These movies are generally fairly simplistic, low budgeted and use little gore/special effects, an example of psychological horror is The Sixth Sense.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7yisJGI0Lg&feature=related
Teen Horror
This involves young, defenceless teens and an antagonist. Normally, the teens are in a vulnerable situation (i.e a party) as is depicted in the film Shrooms. In this movie the teens are taking drugs in the wilderness when the antagonist attacks, leaving the teens unable to call for adult help (a common trait of teen horror movies). The Antagonist is also portrayed to be an older, more powerful being - as is the case in nightmare on elm street. This sub genre uses more special effects in the form of gore, making it harder to film on my budget.
Psychological Horror
This sub genre involves the antagonist being a relatively normal character in physical terms, but is normally mentally abnormal, e.g psycho or sociopathical. He/she will torment the protagonist by means of threats, psychological torture and kills of monster fodder before commiting to a physical attack. These movies are generally fairly simplistic, low budgeted and use little gore/special effects, an example of psychological horror is The Sixth Sense.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7yisJGI0Lg&feature=related
Teen Horror
This involves young, defenceless teens and an antagonist. Normally, the teens are in a vulnerable situation (i.e a party) as is depicted in the film Shrooms. In this movie the teens are taking drugs in the wilderness when the antagonist attacks, leaving the teens unable to call for adult help (a common trait of teen horror movies). The Antagonist is also portrayed to be an older, more powerful being - as is the case in nightmare on elm street. This sub genre uses more special effects in the form of gore, making it harder to film on my budget.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Characteristics of the horror genre
Iconography
Iconography is a prolific feature in both modern day and classical horror movies. These are images of objects which intentify with a symbolic representation, assiciating the icon with a certain subject (for example, we associate a blooded knife with a stereotypical slasher movie). Many horror films have iconography specific to the film rather than the genre, which could be said to make the film a classic. In this i refer to horror movies such as Scream and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, who's iconography, a mask and chainsaw respectively, allow the audience to indify the films as part of a franchise or as cult/ classic horror movies. Creating an iconic antagonist, situation or weapon could boost awareness and popularity of the horror film, paving the way for a franchise.
Stock Characters
There are certain types of character which feature frequently in films of the horror genre, these are;
The 'Final Girl' character & theory
This type of character is, essentially, a female protagonist with noteable masculine characteristics. The 'final girl' almost always shows a higher intellegence of the antagonist whilst others appear naive and more vulnerable. Carol. J. Clover, the theorist behind 'Final Girl', states that this character is typically sexually unavailable or virginal, is more rational and avoids situations, such as narcotic use, as they effectively lead to the demise of each victim via the antagonist. These characters are often branded with a unisex name, such as Sidney (Scream), which immediately takes them away from the stereotypical 'monster fodder' type girl who is; sexually objectified, relatively unintelligent and constantly screaming/ in fear. The film Saw II adds an element to this theory as the antagonist has a previous experience with the 'final girl' leaving them to join together in the end. Though Carol J. Clover acknowledges this, it is rare.
Clover also states, in her book Men Women and Chan Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film, that the 'final girl is often made masculine via a phallic appropriation in the final antagonist-final girl confrontation. A weapon is usually the tool the character picks up, identifying herself as masculine with this phallic object. This can be seen in films such as Alien vs Predator, in which the final girl takes a spear (phallic object) and thrusts it through the chest (representitive of heart, love, emotions and sexuality) of the antagonist.
Sexuality is the basis on which the final girl theory is formed. It states that there is a crisis in the identification of the sexuality of both final girl and the antagonist, which is settled in a final battle situation. The final girl is rarely introduced in the opening scene, with a monster fodder/ stock character being the likely replacement, as in scream;
This shows monster fodder being introduced in the opening scene.
Monster Fodder
These are characters which, to an extent, never develop any characteristics or traits. They exit the film after only a brief appearence and little character development, after being killed by the antagonist. Monster fodder can be seen in movies such as Scream,
Saw II and Creep. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r91EJ2pDlF4
Iconography is a prolific feature in both modern day and classical horror movies. These are images of objects which intentify with a symbolic representation, assiciating the icon with a certain subject (for example, we associate a blooded knife with a stereotypical slasher movie). Many horror films have iconography specific to the film rather than the genre, which could be said to make the film a classic. In this i refer to horror movies such as Scream and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, who's iconography, a mask and chainsaw respectively, allow the audience to indify the films as part of a franchise or as cult/ classic horror movies. Creating an iconic antagonist, situation or weapon could boost awareness and popularity of the horror film, paving the way for a franchise.
Stock Characters
There are certain types of character which feature frequently in films of the horror genre, these are;
The 'Final Girl' character & theory
This type of character is, essentially, a female protagonist with noteable masculine characteristics. The 'final girl' almost always shows a higher intellegence of the antagonist whilst others appear naive and more vulnerable. Carol. J. Clover, the theorist behind 'Final Girl', states that this character is typically sexually unavailable or virginal, is more rational and avoids situations, such as narcotic use, as they effectively lead to the demise of each victim via the antagonist. These characters are often branded with a unisex name, such as Sidney (Scream), which immediately takes them away from the stereotypical 'monster fodder' type girl who is; sexually objectified, relatively unintelligent and constantly screaming/ in fear. The film Saw II adds an element to this theory as the antagonist has a previous experience with the 'final girl' leaving them to join together in the end. Though Carol J. Clover acknowledges this, it is rare.
Clover also states, in her book Men Women and Chan Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film, that the 'final girl is often made masculine via a phallic appropriation in the final antagonist-final girl confrontation. A weapon is usually the tool the character picks up, identifying herself as masculine with this phallic object. This can be seen in films such as Alien vs Predator, in which the final girl takes a spear (phallic object) and thrusts it through the chest (representitive of heart, love, emotions and sexuality) of the antagonist.
Sexuality is the basis on which the final girl theory is formed. It states that there is a crisis in the identification of the sexuality of both final girl and the antagonist, which is settled in a final battle situation. The final girl is rarely introduced in the opening scene, with a monster fodder/ stock character being the likely replacement, as in scream;
This shows monster fodder being introduced in the opening scene.
Monster Fodder
These are characters which, to an extent, never develop any characteristics or traits. They exit the film after only a brief appearence and little character development, after being killed by the antagonist. Monster fodder can be seen in movies such as Scream,
Saw II and Creep. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r91EJ2pDlF4
Monday, October 4, 2010
My Chosen Genre
Horror
I have chosen to create the opening two minutes of a film of the horror ge
nre.
This will be highly applicable to the extensively low budget and lack of special effects technology I have. I can make a film that is easily identifiable as a part of the horror genre, as the icronography of this genre is extremely emphasised in setting and mise en scene. Features such as monster fodder are both easy to identify and recreate, emphasising the horror genre, which helps create a specific target audience. Teen horror movies are extremely popular in modern times, which is ideal as a specific audience is made available, along with free actors/actresses from the drama department at my sixth form college.
I have chosen to create the opening two minutes of a film of the horror ge
nre.This will be highly applicable to the extensively low budget and lack of special effects technology I have. I can make a film that is easily identifiable as a part of the horror genre, as the icronography of this genre is extremely emphasised in setting and mise en scene. Features such as monster fodder are both easy to identify and recreate, emphasising the horror genre, which helps create a specific target audience. Teen horror movies are extremely popular in modern times, which is ideal as a specific audience is made available, along with free actors/actresses from the drama department at my sixth form college.
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