Monday, 15 November 2010

Conventions of the horror genre.

Horror films are made to scare and to panic the audience. There are different types of horror films such as psychological horror, thriller and fantasy films. When people watch horror films they are there to be entertained. When watching a horror peoples worst fears are invoked and the audiences mind is being played on.

Horror films are made to play on peoples minds; they often include a story line which the audience can relate too. Horror’s often have underlying messages and because the audience see some truth in the storyline it scares them more as they believe there is a possibility that it could happen. There are often other genres included within the horror genre. In the majority of films there is always a ‘Cinderella theme’, this is where there is a romance involved within the story. Film makers know what sells and they incorporate these themes and genres creating a sub genre.

Horror films were created at least 100 years ago and the very first horror films included fantasy creatures such as vampires and monsters. Horror films often contain sex but within the film sex is seen as wrong and the characters in these films often pay for the acts. This is another convention used within the horror genre. Previously Horror films were just based around monsters and indescribable creatures, now in the modern age these films include ‘normal’ people playing victims and protagonists which brings a reality to the film and it’s taken away from fantasy. Statistically one of the scariest horror films of all time is ‘The Exorcism’. This film shows a young girl being possessed by the devil/demons. This film had people crying and fainting because of this at the cinema. The film was that shocking to some that it was banned from England and Priests stood outside the cinema blessing people and asking people not to go and watch it. After this many film producers included religion into horrors making Religion another convention within the horror genre.

Horror films are at the top of the highest grossing genre within films and there is a new horror brought out at least once a month. The makers of these films know audiences like to be scared and this is why these films are mass produced. The majority of horrors don’t even come out at the cinema and many are just released onto DVD straight away. Jurassic Park is the highest grossing horror film so far. Although this film has many sub genres such as Sci Fi and Thriller because it also has horror as a genre it makes it the highest grossing horror film.

I have decided to use horror as my chosen genre as it is the genre most people like to watch. People love to be scared and horror conventions draw people in. The horror genre also fits in with my target audience and is my favourite type of film. Because I have watched many horror films I feel as though I can take ideas off the films I have watched and can understand the conventions and the genre more. I also think by doing a horror trailer it will be more challenging and more interesting to make. The effects I want need to be created by the camera movements, sounds and lighting I choose so I feel it will be a bigger challenge and one that communicates with the audience more.

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