Media Studies Portfolio: Horror

Genre: Horror

Horror films are definitely one of the oldest and most popular film genres. Not to mention that this type of genre is also one of the hardest to produce due to the fact that it has to contain a specific amount of suspense while still following a story. There are no limits to horror film as they can be just about anything from fiction to nonfiction. In most films there is always a villain which can be characters such as aliens, monsters, demons, or spirits, but of course when there is a villain, there is always a hero which in many cases is the main character of the film. These films usually try to use realistic human problems so that the audience is even more frightened because they can relate to it. Overall, the main purpose of horror films is to create a feeling of terror for for the entire audience, which is not easy because what some people might find scary, others don't.

There are numerous techniques involved in horror films which all aid in storytelling. Some of these techniques are mise-en-scenes, such as lighting, set design, location, and costume design. These mise-en-scenes all play a specific role, but all have the same aim which is to create suspense and make the audience nervous. The location of these films are usually in an isolated area which lets the audience know that there is no way for the characters to call for help or are able to escape. The type of lighting used in these films is usually low key lighting as horror movies are supposed to be dark and frightening. This sort of lighting is commonly used when the villain appears on screen or to show when the characters are feeling sad or scared. The costume and make-up design is also an important factor as it gives the audience a sense of who the characters are. For example, its common to see the hero in nice bright clothes vs. seeing a villain in dark raggy clothes due to stereotypes. The most common colors in these film of course  are dark, such as grey and black to create a sort of spooky mood and  the color red which symbolizes blood. Props such as guns, knives, and chainsaws are used in these films because they give a sense of danger, and obviously are deadly. Sounds such as diegetic sounds are probably one of the most important techniques in these films as they can be used for all sorts of things like, creaking, breathing, footsteps, and screams. Camera angles such as low angles are used to point out the characters in a moment of weakness and high anges are used to point out their moment of power and strength. 

Horror films are usually marketed by posters, magazines, talk shows, and of course, trailers. It's easy to say, that trailers are probably the most popular way that these horror films are advertised. Cliff hangers such as “Omg did she die?” or “Who is the killer?”  are left at the end on purpose to make the audience crazy about not knowing what happened which makes them want to watch it. These trailers show just the right amount of information to catch the audience's attention, but does not give away the entire movie. The target audience for horror films ranges from ages 16-30, as age 16 is the common age where teens are mostly interested in horror movies and past age 30 is when many adults don't find these movies scary or entertaining anymore . Most of the covers advertising horror films, include the main character or victim, the villain, and the location of where it takes place. Talk shows are also used to have some of the cast members answer some questions about the film which gives the audience a taste of what they are in for.

Would You Rather (2013) - This film is a perfect example of horror film conventions. The film is about a woman named Iris, who has been taking care of her seriously ill brother for as long as she can remember. Iris’s brother, Raleigh,  is in desperate need for a bone marrow transplant which is why Iris was willing to do just about anything to get money. Iris decided to accept an offer from a wealthy philanthropist who just tells her that she can win a lot of money if she simply goes over for dinner, but little did she know the catch. The location of this film like many horror films is in a isolated house, which is owned by the philanthropist. In the film, you can find the philanthropist and all his servants wearing dark colors like black and grey suits which gives the audience a sense of authority and power. The lighting plays a big role in this film as well because as Iris enters the dining table, low key lighting is used to show suspense. Basically what is happening at dinner is that the philanthropist is making them play a game, called “Would you Rather” which is when you have to pick between 2 dares. This sort of game was different because if the guest did not complete the dare they would die and the winner at the end, unlike them would receive a huge amount of money. Most props used in this film play a crucial role in storytelling as they are how many guests die. Some of these props include an electric shock operator, a gun, a timer, a whip, a knife, and barrel. For example, the timer is used to show the audience that the characters have a certain time limit to complete their dare and the barrel was used to show how Iris had to dunk her head in a barrel full of water for 2 minutes, which is really hard to do, but she did it. Lastly, close ups are used many times in these films to show how each character is feeling during the time of their dare. 

Truth or Dare (2018) - This film is about a group of teenagers who go on vacation to Mexico and end up playing a game in a abandoned house.The setting of the abandoned house is once again in an isolated area to give a sense of terror. This film is about the teenagers having to complete their dare or else the spirit of the game takes possession of their body and it kills them. The game is called truth or dare and even though the teenagers returned to their hometown from vacation, the game followed them. This is a different type of truth or dare as the spirit pushes the teenagers to reveal all their deepest secrets. The main prop used in this film is a computer as in order for the teenagers to stop playing, they have to get other people to play, which is why they take a video of themselves and posted it for everyone to see. The usual lighting that is used for horror films, which is low key lighting is used in this film when the spirit takes over someone's body. The close up shots also play a crucial role in showing the audience when the spirit has taken over, since the spirit has a sort of demonic look.