Introduction -
We aim to create a psychological horror that will leave a mark on the viewer's mind.
We will use point of view shots, where you are seeing the scene from the character's point of view, this can add suspense and make the viewer one with the character.
A psychological horror aims to create discomfort by exposing common or universal psychological and emotional vulnerabilities/fears to revealing the darker parts of the human psyche that most people may ignore or deny. The characters reaction will also fuel and influence the audiences. A lot of hand held shots will be used to remove the movie feel from the scenes and remove the 4th wall. Dark/low level lighting – Low level lighting is very often used in horror films to create a
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Other times, sound designers will make the atmosphere very ominous and creepy, with very little in the background. In the film Pan’s Labyrinth, the main character is in an imaginary world, with an creepy monster. In the premise, the little girl isn’t allowed to eat any of the delicious food sitting on the table, or the creature will wake up and try to eat her. As she is walking around, the creature can be seen sitting at the table, almost like it is dead. There is not much to the background sounds. You can hear the fire crackling a bit, but there is no music. As she is walking around, the sound designer sets the tone with very ominous sounds, like breathing, for what is about to …show more content…
Even if you can’t see the horrific image, you can still hear the bones crack, the blood spray, and the victim let out one last shriek or a dying breath. For example, the sound editor would record the sound of a machete slashing a watermelon into little bits to be used where the serial killer slashes a victim's skull into little bits
Research About Psychological Horrors -
Conventions of Psychological Horrors -
Tend to rely on the characters beliefs, fears and other hidden truths about the character/what they have done.
They expose the evil that hides behind normality, but also contains elements of the paranormal genre in which the audience cannot relate completely.
Psychological horrors rarely include physical weapons as they are built mainly on supernatural/psychological “weapons” such as a killer’s twisted mind to induce fear into the victims and audience.
Typically, the settings are places that are common associations with the audience. Eg; a hospital, a house, a forest. The typical sound/music heard is a contrapuntal sound, which is a sound that does not match the action shown on the screen at that particular moment; this increases the paranormal fears of the film.
(Example of contrapuntal sound):
To begin with, some people would say they enjoy a horror movie that gets them scared out of their wits. They go see these movies once a month on average, for fun, each time choosing a newer sequel like “Final Destination” or “The evil Dead”. King says “When we pay our four or five bucks and seat ourselves at tenth-row center in a theater showing a horror movie we are daring the nightmare” (405). As a writer of best-sel...
Furthermore, to increase dread and trepidation, affect the audience’s feelings, and intensify fear the film director skillfully uses the non-diegetic music. “Filmmakers carefully choose which sounds to include on the soundtrack, knowing that emphasizing a particular sound helps to shape the audience...
Most authors use 4 utilities to make a story entertaining. They use the setting, mood, tone, and the archetypes to keep the author entertained. Cinderella by Jacob and WilHelm Grimm and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Marsha Hatfield were both scary because they showed how the tone and mood affected the story, themselves, and the readers at the same time. The horror genre is spooky and unlike other genres, because they are written to scare audiences. In order to do that authors and directors have to change settings, establish tones and moods, and use archetypes that are darker than all other genres. Multiple authors make similar decisions to create archetypes, setting, mood, and tones that uphold the horror genre.
An important part in all film is the sound effects, but it is especially vital to a horror movie. The use of sound effects in the trailer for Leatherface is successful in creating a thrilling feeling for the audience. The trailer begins with the couple driving down the road; While this is happening, calming country music are playing in the background. Starting the film off with what sounds like a soft guitar causes the audience to feel relaxed. However, after a few seconds of the soft music playing, an intense screech interrupts the scene. By incorporating the loud, train like screech right after the relaxing country music addresses the jump scare factor of a horror movie, thus, succeeding in addressing all of the aspects of a horror movie into the trailer. Along with abrupt, loud sound effects, the trailer also uses a low, constant beat to captivate the audience. When introducing the protagonist and her child, there is a chilling beat playing in the background that sounds like a low, deep drum. Adding this steady beat to the trailer is useful because it keeps the audience at the edge of their seat in anticipation waiting for what is going to happen next. In the scene involving the institution that was mentioned earlier, there is a loud siren sound constantly echoing. Then, when something unexpected
A person does not usually pay attention to cinematic techniques used in a film because one does not think of the details in the movie. These details are a key part in creating the mood and tone. Tim Burton uses similar techniques in his movies to create a suspenseful mood. Many instances of low key lighting were used to create a suspenseful mood. Along with low key lighting, low and high camera angles were used to show authority and importance. Lastly, non-diegetic sound was used to create a dramatic effect while still making the mood suspenseful.
The films musical score alerts the viewer to an approaching attack of the shark and they automatically build this association with the music in their mind. Horror films often make use of high string instrument notes that irritate viewers and increase tension. Music plays an important role in film editing and the editor must choose its placement wisely to ensure its intended effect on the viewer’s mind and
The genre of horror films is one that is vast and continually growing. So many different elements have been known to appear in horror films that it is often times difficult to define what is explicitly a horror film and what is not. Due to this ambiguous definition of horror the genre is often times divided into subgenres. Each subgenre of horror has a more readily identifiable list of classifications that make it easier to cast a film to a subgenre, rather than the entire horror genre. One such subgenre that is particularly interesting is that of the stalker film. The stalker film can be categorized as a member of the horror genre in two ways. First, the stalker film can be identified within the horror genre due to its connection with the easily recognizable subgenre of horror, the slasher film. Though many elements of the stalker film differ from those of the slasher film, the use of non-mechanical weapons and obvious sexual plot points can be used to categorize the stalker film as a subgenre of the slasher film. Secondly, the stalker film can be considered a member of the horror genre using Robin Wood’s discussion regarding horror as that which society represses. The films Fatal Attraction, The Fan, and The Crush will be discussed in support of this argument. (Need some connector sentence here to finish out the intro)
The horror genre is synonymous with images of terror, violence and human carnage; the mere mention of horror movies evokes physical and psychological torture. As remarked by noted author Stephen King “the mythic horror movie…has a dirty job to do. It deliberately appeals to all that is worst in us. It is morbidity unchained, our most base instincts let free, our nastiest fantasies realized.” (King, 786). At manageable intervals, we choose to live these horrific events vicariously through the characters in horror movies and books as a means of safely experiencing the “what if”. The horror genre allows us to explore our fears, be it spiders, vampires, loss of our identity, or death of a loved, under the most fantastic and horrible circumstances conceivable. King also points out that by watching horror movies we “may allow our emotions a free rein . . . or no rein at all.” (King, 784). According to psychiatrist James Schaller, by vicariously “experiencing contrived fears, a person develops a sense of competence over similar types of fears.” (Schaller). Horror films allow the viewer the opportunity to safely examine their fears safely and to the depth and extent they wish to do so. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 provides the opportunity for the viewer to consider a diverse range of fears, with a little humor thrown in for balance, from the safety of a darkened room, a comfortable seat and in less than 120 minutes.
The article Why We Crave Horror Movies by Stephen King distinguishes why we truly do crave horror movies. Stephen King goes into depth on the many reasons on why we, as humans, find horror movies intriguing and how we all have some sort of insanity within us. He does this by using different rhetorical techniques and appealing to the audience through ways such as experience, emotion and logic. Apart from that he also relates a numerous amount of aspects on why we crave horror movies to our lives. Throughout this essay I will be evaluating the authors arguments and points on why society finds horror movies so desirable and captivating.
Horror, crime and thriller movies are three entirely different genres, but they share some similarities. Crime movies typically focus on a hero and the pursuit of a criminal. In the end, the protagonist solves the crime. On the other hand, horror movies usually focus on the dark side of life. Evil spirits or supernatural powers often creates destruction, but the protagonist defeats them. The end of the film, however, suggests that such forces will likely come back. The horror films are designed to get frightened and give panic attacks to the viewers. Again, the thriller is a genre that revolves expectation and suspension. Marion Crane and Norman Bates crimes, guessing
The Tell Tale Heart, written by Edgar Allan Poe, and Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock were both formidable, revolutionary and horrifying creations to the audience’s of their times and to some extent, still are today. Hitchcock drew audiences in into his work by utilizing certain camera angles, mise-en-scene and diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. However, Edgar Allan Poe used a variety of literary techniques such as varying sentence structure, imagery and irony to draw his readers in. While these two masterpieces are unique in terms of content, both of them explore a prominent theme, fear.
Horror films are designed to frighten the audience and engage them in their worst fears, while captivating and entertaining at the same time. Horror films often center on the darker side of life, on what is forbidden and strange. These films play with society’s fears, its nightmare’s and vulnerability, the terror of the unknown, the fear of death, the loss of identity, and the fear of sexuality. Horror films are generally set in spooky old mansions, fog-ridden areas, or dark locales with unknown human, supernatural or grotesque creatures lurking about. These creatures can range from vampires, madmen, devils, unfriendly ghosts, monsters, mad scientists, demons, zombies, evil spirits, satanic villains, the possessed, werewolves and freaks to the unseen and even the mere presence of evil.
...violence. In the murder scenes, the non-diegetic sound provides a more dramatic effect making up for the violence of the crimes making them scenes that went around the Hays Code.
Hollywood has been using the genre Horror for centuries to scare and frighten the audience. Horror is by far the most popular genre due to the fact that it provides a descent thrill and gives the audience a rush so this make this a popular genre for teenagers a young adults. In my essay I will be exploring and researching into the genre Horror and also all the sub genres such as Drama horror, Slasher, Comedy horror etc. This will hopefully give you all insight into the genre and all its sub genres.
Would you rather be horrified beyond repair or thrilled to the point of no return? In horror, the main purpose is to invoke fear and dread into the audience in the most unrealistic way. Horror movies involve supernatural entities such as ghosts, vampires, teleportation, and being completely immortal. As thriller films are grounded in realism and involve more suspense, mystery, and a sense of panic. Though both genres will frighten the audience, it will happen in two different ways. Whether the horror thrills or the thriller horrifies, a scare is always incorporated.