Analysis of Genre

Horror/Thriller

Thriller is a genre of literature, film, video game stories and television programming that uses suspense, tension, and excitement as its main elements.

Horror is a film genre seeking to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's primal fears. Inspired by literature from authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, and Mary Shelley, horror films have, for more than a century, featured scenes that startle the viewer.

Horror/Thriller Film Associated Production Producers and Developers

·         Warner Brothers

·         Blumhouse

·         Screen Gems Productions

These three companies are known for being a part of horror and thriller films.

Their company logo advertisement’s at the beginnings of films are usually unpleasant to view, such as the blumhouse productions logo advertisement, it is very fitting with the horror/thriller theme of the upcoming films. Horror/Thriller film trailers and advertisement trailers for horror and thriller films are quite a crucial element in the success and popularity of films in these genres. This is because people tend to generally hear about new horror/thriller films through their trailer advertisements, which are posted and spread around social media sites. Their trailers usually consist of snippets of the film and these are chosen carefully and wisely as shots that we see are usually intriguing and are shots that would attract the target audience. The main stars of the film also always appear in the trailers, and this is a technique of attraction as members of the audience may be a fan of an actor involved, edging them to watch the film. Different locations and scenes are shown in the trailers to make the audience aware of the different locations and places that are involved in the film.

Another form of advertisement is the film’s poster/cover. These are usually created to scare or make the audience feel uncomfortable, yet grab people's attention and draw them in.

Camera Camera work in this genre of film is an important aspect of creating an image or adding tension or atmosphere to a scene or the film as a whole. Some films base their storylines around rely on the type of camera work to create all of the ‘horror’ or ‘thriller’ in the film. A related example of this could be a film such as ‘The Blair Witch Project’ or ‘Paranormal Activity’. The use of camera work in these films are very interesting and seem to be very successful in creating a thrilling film experience for an audience. A lot of the camera work on this film looks as if things are being filmed on a handheld camera. I personally feel that this is a very good technique and a very successful way of engaging the audience and making them feel on edge or scared. This is because the use of these camera angles and techniques make the audience feel included and apart of the film, as it is more of a personal shot / way of viewing a film. Other camera angles that are commonly used in horror/thriller films are angles such as Match On Action shots, where we are directly viewing something that could lead to something bad, such as a gunshot or a knife being pulled out of a pocket. Over Shoulder Shots are also very common as these seem to convey some sort of intimidation, especially when we see another character doing something such as walking far in front or running ahead in panic or chaos. I personally feel long shots and panning shots are also used quite frequently as shots such as these are used and then cut short, with editing and added music scenes likes these when an audience is waiting for something to happen but it doesn’t, and cuts to the next scene or a black screen, it can add a jumpy effect and gets a reaction from the viewers as they are engaged and then are suddenly cut out of this engagement.

Sound
Voice overs and loud sounds/music is commonly used which tends to grab the attention of the audience. All of these things usually attract the audiences and creates instant interest. Horror/Thriller film fans are usually watching these trailers to make an instant judgement on the film, this means that trailers are designed to slightly scare the audience as that is what a horror/thriller films main intention is.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the main things that link in with other areas to make a horror/thriller film, a horror or a thriller. This is because the use of lighting changes within different genres to increase or help create an image/message for the audience. Personally, I believe that the significance and convenience of lighting increases within the genres of horror and thriller films (also within Sci-Fi films). This is because, with these genres, it can be harder to present the message of the production. In these types of films, there is a strong expectation and stereotype that goes alongside them. A use of dark, low-key and general lack of lighting is usually expected from a horror or thriller film and this is because a lack of light creates a sense of tension and adds a chilling/sinister tone. Sometimes a use of extremely bright lights can be used in more chaotic scenes, and this is a contrast to the lack of light. This usually helps the audience to see everything that is happening and understand exactly what is happening to something in particular in one scene.