Genre ResearchHorror

The Strangers and When a Stranger calls

Scene

A typical scene for a horror film tends to be where the characters are cut off and unable to get help, in this case is the woods, which is a very common scene for horror films. The trees make it dark and add tension and they characters can hide behind them and can create an opportunity to scare the audience.

It is also common for the scene to be set in a house and for the family or couple to be targeted, also when children are involved it is always more upsetting and tense as it is in When a Stranger Calls. Also the fact it is in a home makes it scarier for the audience because they could imagine it happening in their hoe making the experience more tense and creating adrenaline rushes to entice the audience to want to watch more.

In the shot above the long shot shows the young girl in a scary mask on a swing. This is a typical prop for horror films as it is creepy and the noise tends to be a creaking swing, which adds tensions. Also the fog is common in this genre, as it adds mystery and builds tension for the audience because they don’t know what it is covering. In the shot bellow you can see the pond around the house and how dark it is, creating an isolated atmosphere

Lighting

In horror films, the lighting tends to be dark and dull making everything mysterious. The lighting is very important as it helps create a mood, in the screen shot of the Strangers trailer (above) it is yellow which reflects that the moon is out adding to the tension of being in the dark and not knowing what is out there. In the screen shot of When a Stranger Calls (below) the lighting is very dark and mysterious creating tension as someone could hiding anywhere and they wouldn’t be seen.

The shot of the damsel in distress

The shot of the damsel in distress is a typical shot in horror films. (above) She is shot at a low angle to show her desperation. This is an example of a typical character in this genre.(below) The shot is at the beginning therefore shadowing what it to come and setting the genre straight away, as in this shot she is seen to be either in pain or screaming in fear.

Props

Props are very important in scary films because they help create realism in the film, using authentic props like this axe (above) maximise the experience for the audience by adding the realism, after all it is them who need to believe it is real to get the full experience. Other weapons are always common, such as knives etc. Props arent just weapons in scary films, they can be relevant to the title (below) or in super natural movies could be a book of some sort.

costume

The key to scary films is the costume of the protagonists, they are what people will remember after they have watched the trailer, so it will entice them to go see the films. Like in these trailers, a mask is a very common costume type, as it hides the identity but also makes the audience feel creeped out and scared of it, especially in the strangers (left) as the white is a symbol of pure and innocence but is corrupted and twisted. Also, for the image below, the protagonists is in all black, therefore he can blend in a hide easily in the house, which helps keep the tension at all times