Research into Horror Genre

 My Team and I have concluded to create a film opening in a genre based of Horror. Here is my research into the codes and conventions that are used in the openings of media text in this genre!

Typical conventions from the Horror genre :
Films from this genre usually includes typical conventions such as, blood / gore, jumpscares, supernatural locations, ghosts, low lighting and shadows, distorted sounds and eerie music, the unknown, killers, isolated locations. This narrative is normally about the villain that has a bad backstory or a certain plot that made the villain, a villain.


The Exorcist : Believer 

Produced by : Blumhouse Productions, Morgan Creek Entertainment, Rough House Associations

Distributed by : Universal Pictures 

Genre / Sub Genre : This is a hybrid-genre; Horror, Thriller, Mystery and Supernatural.

What conventions does it conform to? : The conventions that it conforms to is the possession of a certain person by a malevolent force which makes the film more focused to the supernatural genre of the film. The convention of the unknown within the film makes the horror genre because, the characters within the film disappeared out of nowhere which makes it a bit of the mystery and horror genre. Chasing from a malevolent spirit or an unknown being can be for the thrilling genre. The religious themes within the movie that associates with Christian religion, the demonic voices that was said by the possessed characters which is the two girls in the film that disappeared in a forest, which that usually conforms to the horror genre. There was also a side in the film where it was involving psychological horror which was the mental hospital included in the film and also, one of the traumas which was the death of the character's mother.

What conventions does it subverts to? :  There were no clear conventions that subverts in the trailer above, because it conforms to the genre Horror.

What representations are there (people/places/events)? : Two possessed girls, priests, parents, typical American suburban house, churches, gloomy forests, mental hospitals, possession, exorcism, supernatural phenomenon.

What technical elements are used to represent them?

The priests are mostly portrayed to be very holy and clean dressing, they were dressed with traditional religious clothing, this can also symbolize the fight in the trailer between faith and demonic forces. The two possessed girls were shown with an appearance with their physical body are marked by the white-pale skin, dark veins, distorted features with distorted voices that are also combined with a demonic-type voice. The parents were also shown with usual casual attire with tidy hair and appearance. Furthermore, with the camera angles, low angles were used on the two possessed girls to show that they were powerful and they put fear amongst the people, close-up shots were used to show the character's faces that they had a sense of fear or vulnerability. The trailer also used dim, shadowy lighting to create a eerie, isolated type atmosphere to the audience when they were showing the typical American suburban houses. Hospitals were also shown with a medical environment, which show that the basic explanation for health fails to against the supernatural occurrences. They also showed the usual gloomy forests which is in the typical horror movies and it gives off a isolating, eerie  In addition, they also showed churches which reflects on the binary opposites which was faith vs demonic forces. They also put editing within the trailer with the quick, yet disorientating cuts between different scenes of the possession or the exorcism to increase the suspense or tension to the audience. There were also flashes of imagery of disturbing or symbolic props such as the crucifixes, the Bible, demonic faces which follows the eerie atmosphere with the places. The possessions and exorcism were represented with handheld or shaky camera to make the whole scene feel chaotic or unsteady as well as the supernatural phenomenon that happens within the trailer. 

The Autopsy of Jane Doe

Produced by : 42, IM Global, Impostor Pictures

Distributed by : Lionsgate, IFC Films

Genre / Sub-genre : This is a hybrid genre, Horror, Mystery, Thriller, and Supernatural.

What conventions does it conform to? : 
The film conforms to supernatural horror conventions, particularly through the autopsy of an unknown body (Jane Doe) that seems to hide a malevolent force. The mysterious nature of the body leads to chilling, unexplainable occurrences, establishing the supernatural and mystery aspects. The unexplained phenomena happening within the morgue heightens the horror, while the increasing tension as the events unfold fits the thriller genre. The sense of the unknown, and the eerie stillness in the morgue, along with the progressive unraveling of disturbing secrets tied to the corpse, conform to mystery conventions. There is also the classic horror trope of being trapped in an enclosed space (the morgue), with nowhere to run from the supernatural forces.

What conventions does it subvert to? : 
The conventions that it subverts is rather than focusing on traditional horror settings like haunted houses or churches, the film subverts these by setting the supernatural events in a clinical and sterile environment which is a morgue. The protagonist's attempt to use scientific and medical methods to understand the strange phenomena, as opposed to religious or spiritual ones, challenges the usual battle between faith and demonic forces seen in conventional horror.

What representations are there (people/places/events)? : 

A father-son team of coroners. (people)

The body of "Jane Doe" (a mysterious, pale corpse). (people)

The morgue. (place)

Autopsy procedures that progressively uncover the unknown. (event)

Supernatural phenomena tied to the body. (event)

What technical elements are used to represent them? :
The morgue is depicted as a sterile, enclosed, and dimly lit environment, creating an eerie and claustrophobic atmosphere. The Jane Doe corpse, with its pale, untouched body, represents something both innocent yet deeply unsettling. The technical elements play on this duality, using close-up shots of her untouched, lifeless body juxtaposed with the chaos and terror happening around her. Low lighting is utilized to intensify the feeling of dread, with dim bulbs casting long shadows that make the space feel oppressive. The camera work often features slow zoom-ins on Jane Doe’s body to build suspense, while handheld shots are employed when supernatural events occur, adding to the feeling of chaos and instability. Sound design is a technical element, with creaking doors, sudden noises, and distorted sounds enhancing the eerie atmosphere, making the audience feel on edge. Additionally, the trailer uses fast cuts between calm moments and terrifying occurrences to increase tension and unpredictability. The use of silence, particularly during the scenes focusing on the body, adds an unsettling stillness to the environment, making the audience anticipate something horrifying to break that silence. Quick cuts are put during scenes where the supernatural events adds the suspense which then creates the sense of panic and danger for the characters.

A Quiet Place : Day One 

Produced by : Platinum Dunes, Sunday Night, Paramount Pictures

Distributed by : Paramount Pictures 

Target audience and how are they appealed to? :
The target audience for A Quiet Place: Day One is more mature, likely adults or older teens who enjoy slow-building tension. The opening relies on silence, minimal action, and subtle suspense, which appeals to viewers who enjoy psychological horror and deeper storytelling. Younger audiences might find it too slow or quiet because it doesn’t have a lot of fast-paced action or loud scares. The film focuses on suspense through sound design and atmosphere, which the young audience can be attracted to.

What would you like to use in your opening in this? :
For our own opening, we would like to use similar techniques, such as relying on dialogue to build tension and set the tone of the scene without jumping into action right away. We’d also adopt the low-key lighting style, using dark surroundings with focused light to create an eerie atmosphere and heighten the sense of mystery and unease. Close-up shots of characters faces will be important to us as this allows us to convey their emotions and help the audience connect with their fear or anxiety. We might also include casual attire or maybe old dirty casual attire for the characters and give off a serious tone to them.

What would you like to avoid in your opening from this? :

There are certain technical elements we’d avoid which is rather than setting our scene in a formal or everyday location like an office or house, we would prefer to use an abandoned or eerie location like a gloomy forest at night or afternoon to create an immediate sense of danger and unease. We would also steer clear of the total silence used in A Quiet Place: Day One, we could choose instead for non-diegetic, discordant music to build tension and discomfort. While we want to focus on dialogue, we’d also include subtle actions or movements to keep the audience visually engaged and add layers of suspense.

Smile

Produced by : Paramount Players, Temple Hill Entertainment

Distributed by : Paramount Pictures

Target audience and how are they appealed to? : 

The target audience for Smile is likely adults and older teens who enjoy psychological horror and supernatural themes. The film appeals to viewers who like building tension and creepy images. The trailer uses unsettling visuals, jump scares, and eerie sound effects, which attract horror fans looking for both psychological fear and traditional horror elements. The strange and disturbing smiles in the trailer are particularly appealing to those who enjoy being unnerved rather than just scared by gore or action. Younger viewers might also be drawn to the supernatural aspect and effective jump scares, but more mature audiences may appreciate the psychological depth and suspense.

What would you like to use in your opening in this? :

For our own opening, we would like to use similar techniques to create tension which is to include creepy visuals, such as unsettling facial expressions or strange body language, to build fear and unease. Using low lighting will be important to create shadows and darkness around the characters, increasing the mystery and fear of what’s hidden. Close-up shots of characters’ faces will help show their fear or emotional struggles, allowing the audience to connect with them. We might also dress the characters in everyday clothes that look slightly worn or messy, giving them a relatable yet unsettling look.

What would you like to avoid in your opening from this? : 
There are some technical elements from Smile, we should avoid for our project. Instead of relying too much on jump scares, we want to focus more on building ongoing tension through the pacing of the dialogue and subtle, creepy movements. We would also avoid setting the scene in bright, typical places like hospitals or offices, choosing an isolated or abandoned location, such as a rundown house or empty street, to create a sense of unease right away. Finally, we wouldn’t rely only on silence or loud noises to create tension. Instead, we’d use non-diegetic, unsettling music along with background sounds to slowly build suspense, avoiding sudden jumps for a more lingering feeling of dread.

Insidious : The Red Door

Produced by : Alliance, Blumhouse Productions, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Releasing, Stage 6 Films

Distributed by : Columbia Pictures

Target audience and how are they appealed to? : 

The target audience for Insidious: The Red Door is mainly adults and older teens who enjoy supernatural horror. The film attracts viewers who like creepy atmospheres and a mix of suspense and jump scares. The trailer shows unsettling images, dark themes, and eerie sounds, which appeal to horror fans looking for a scary experience. The focus on family issues and personal fears adds depth to the story, making it more interesting. Younger viewers might also like the supernatural elements and effective scares, but older audiences may appreciate the deeper themes and psychological tension.

What would you like to use in your opening in this? :
In our opening, we want to use similar techniques to create a spooky atmosphere. We’d include strange visuals, like shadows or creepy images, to build suspense. Low lighting will help create a dark setting that keeps the audience on edge. Close-up shots of characters’ faces will show their fear and emotions, helping the audience connect with them. We also plan to dress the characters in everyday clothes to make them look casual to the audience, the casual teenager look.

What would you like to avoid in your opening from this? : 

There are some things we would avoid from Insidious: The Red Door for our film opening, which is instead of using too many jump scares, we want to focus on building ongoing tension through the dialogue and small creepy actions. We’d also avoid bright, normal settings like homes instead, we would choose isolated or spooky places, like an abandoned building or a foggy street, to create unease right away. Lastly, we wouldn’t rely only on silence or sudden loud noises for tension but, we would use unsettling background music and sounds to build suspense, to give a lingering feeling of fear instead of quick surprises like sudden jumpscares.

Here is the video that helped me get the main idea with my group to further develop our knowledge into the Horror genre and how to open scenes in that specific genre!

How this video help? : This video helped us ( the group ) to know what to put as the opening scene, and this also lets us know what different types of opening are there to help incase, we decide to change things within the project (Comp 1).

Reflection : I researched deeply into the Horror genre on films, this showed a lot about what conforms in the horror genre, what to use and get inspired to use in our film opening project and what to prevent in our project to avoid any misunderstanding because, we do not want to subvert anything in our film opening to make an immersive experience for our audience.