Research presentation

Research presentation

• 1.
  By Jonathan Larham
• 2.
   From myresearch into the horror genre, it has helped me to identity specific conventions that will help me to develop my own horror film trailer.Common examples of the conventions are:
• 3.
   Common settingsare isolated places, away from main settlements and civilisation, for example a cabin in the woods-Evil Dead, Cabin in theWoods.  Commonly they are places that revolve around the themes of isolation and being alone.
• 4.
   High andlow angles are used to connote fear.  POV shots are used to show the characters account and to make the audience connect with their fear and for them to experience it.  Handheld camera shots are very effective in the case of movies such as Cloverfield,The ParanormalActivity series andThe Blair Witch Project.
• 5.
   Fast editingis used during the scary, suspense filled scenes, in order to keep the audience glued to the screen and they’ll be scared too.  Chase scene, which are common in slasher movies such asTheTexas Chainsaw Massacre series, fast editing mixed with long shots are common, just like in the opening scene of Scream.
• 6.
   Low keylighting to establish dark shadows and to create unfamiliar shapes in the blackness.  The character’s costumes differ from each movie, but for a slasher movie the casts are mostly the same, being a group of teens, including a nerdy girl who ends up saving the day, a jock who the nerdy girl had a crush on since they were young and he’s always not liked her until today, the token black character best friend of the jock who dies early on.A blonde, ditsy cheerleader-ish girl, who dies early, and has sex with someone, leading to her death.Then there are minor characters who’s story isn’t fully developed and they are just easily killed off.Their costumes are general high school kids clothes.
• 7.
   The conventionalsound in horror movies are that sudden loud noises and screams are often associated with them, to scare the audience.  An ominous score will sometime accompany the scene as in Jaws and Halloween.
• 8.
   The conventionsof a form in the horror genre are that the plot is not revealed, but it does show a distinct equilibrium and the disequilibrium within the trailer as seen in trailers such as the Sinister trailer, as it shows the family all happy and then quickly turns into the antagonist doing his evil deeds and it turns the tide of the trailer.
• 9.
   The targetaudience of the Horror Genre is generally 15-25, mostly males.  The target audience of horror movies are generally those people who can connect with the characters on screen.  Middle class people who have enough expendable time to watch them at the cinemas and at home.