The Development of Horror Films

(http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/the-development-of-horror-films)

Journey - Elliptical editing

Elliptical editing journey from Group Fifteen on Vimeo.


We filmed a short journey to demonstrate elliptical editing which is a technique that we may use in our film.
Elliptical editing involves cutting out unnecessary parts of a sequence to shorten the length and only show the parts that are interesting, for example in our sequence the person starts off on the fourth floor and after walking down two flights of stairs is on the second floor. In real time she would be on the third floor however by cutting out part of her journey from one destination to another it allows the audience to see where she is going and how she gets there without them having to watch 10 minutes of footage. Instead the journey only lasts 18 seconds. We may use this in our film when the characters are travelling from the shop to Charlie's house as it will shorten the sequence in order to fit it into the film and also only show the interesting parts that the audience need to see.

Title Sequence Analysis

American Horror Story: Murder House

The title sequence for American Horror Story was done by Kyle Cooper. As well as this, he also created the opening titles for Se7en. All three have similar styles when it comes to cinematography, editing and sound. 

0.03

The title sequence is fast paced and edited to the music.
American Horror Story, similarly to Se7en, uses quick editing and cuts in order to trick us. It makes us think that we've seen something different or weird but we can't remember what it is. Cleverly, the title sequence uses shots that are on for only milliseconds.
It is hard to tell what is in these shots due to the short amount of time that they are on screen.
 The close up shot at 0.03 shows some sort of medical equipment with blood on it, this is on for less that a second. we recall the blood even if we don't remember (or didn't see) what else was in the shot. This allows us to make the connection that the story ahead will involve blood/gore and other violent things. This assumption is backed up by the man with the hedge trimmers appears and disappears on the chair, due to quick editing. In another shot at 0.38 those hedge trimmers are left on the chair.
The use of colour in this title sequence is particularly important, it uses a lot of yellows, reds and oranges. Yellows and dark oranges can be linked with deceit and warning, reds can also be linked with this, as well as blood, rage and danger. The title sequence also uses browns and greys as well as black, these colours connote with death, evil and mystery.

Title Sequence Analysis

American Horror Story: Coven

I have chosen to analyse the title sequence of American Horror Story: Coven as it a horror and so is our film and it is also in a similar location to our film as they are both set in woods for the majority of it.

Our film's location 

American Horror Story: Coven location

The title sequence contains a lot of fast paced editing with a mixture of transitions such as fade to dark, fade to light, flash of light and jump cuts. It has mainly short-fast shots with a few longer ones which are followed up by more short shots, this is effective in creating a dramatic effect. Some of the shots are also distorted and the angles on some shots are canted. There is also a range of height between low, medium and high, with a lot of erratic movement throughout the title sequence.

Low angle

High angle

Canted angle

The mise-en-scene of the title sequence is also a factor to consider. In this one the location is mainly in the woods, the whole of the title sequence contains dark scenes with some having poor lighting, creating a dark, eerie feel. Furthermore, some of the shots are in black and white. The clothes which are worn are also dark and mysterious and there is a shot of someones shoes with spikes on which looks quite threatening. The props follow the forms and conventions of horror as well, for example voodoo dolls, fire, smoke, blood and animal skulls.

Threatening costume

Poor lighting

Poor lighting

Voudoo doll

Smoke

Blood

The sound in the title sequence is all non-diegetic, there is no dialogue. The music is quite slow however it builds up and there are quite a few strange and unusual sounds. It contains eerie sound effects however it is hard to tell what they are supposed to be which makes it uneasy to listen to giving it an uncomfortable feel.


The titles and graphics are black and white, with an unusual font, a creepy picture beside it and some of the shots move and flicker or have some sort of effect on them. The title sequence doesn't really tell you anything, it just creates a scary atmosphere and a sense of fear to the audience. The title sequence is very mysterious and you don't find much out about the characters as they are only seen quickly in some scenes.

It looks like a low end budget in the sense that there aren't any massively expensive special effects and the props and location etc are basic such as in the woods which is easily accessible to anyone, however this doesn't mean it looks low budget in how good it is as in my opinion it is a really effective opening sequence.

The styles and codes are all relevant to the horror genre, from the very beginning we can tell it is going to be a horror film for example with the props, the lighting, the fast paced editing and the location. It is mysterious and intriguing and contains a lot of elements of horror which makes it very gripping.

Research into film classification related to our film

The BBFC determine what certificate a film receives before release and is based on many factors. The examiners look at issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, sexual violence, theme and violence when making decisions. They also consider context, the tone and impact of a work, which is how it makes the audience feel and even the release format, for example, as DVDs are watched in the home, there is a higher risk of underage viewing as older relatives could buy the DVD for them.

Our film certificate

We think that our film would receive a 12 certificate as it is going to contain only one or possibly two uses of moderate language and no use of strong language, however it will not be used in an aggressive way which would mean that it would pass as an 18. We are no going to include scenes of gore including blood that would be unsuitable for under 15's and are going to insinuate the gore instead. The BBFC states that most horror films are rate 15 and so our film will be unlike most horror works ours as it will contain only moderate threat but will not be sadistic or sexualised which complies with the 12 rated guidelines. The contents of threat and menace will be the main feature that classifies our film as a 15 rather than a 12 as the BBFC guidelines say that 'moderate physical and psychological threat is permitted at 12 or 12A as long as disturbing sequences are not too frequent or sustained.' and our film has sustained threat.

The Woman in Black is an example of a horror film that has been adapted to meet a certain certificate criteria in order to reach a specific audience. The Woman in Black film was given a 12 certificate however received many complaints from viewers and the parents of viewers stating that it was too scary for a 12 rated horror film. 6 seconds of the film were cut, sound levels were lowered and some scenes darkened to allow the film to receive a 12 certificate, by releasing the film as a 12 a wider audience could be reached including young fans of Harry Potter who would most likely want to see the film as it stars Daniel Radcliffe. The 6 seconds that were cut included strong violence and horror that the BBFC decided would make the film a 15.

Our film would best reach our target audience by receiving a 12 certificate as we concluded that our target audience would most likely be 12-20 year olds.

Audience profile

Film certificate: 12

Audience age: 12-20

Gender: Male and females

Region: England.

Ethnicity: White 

The audience for our film will be around the age of 12-20 years old, this is because the characters in the film are around this age. This would allow the audience to relate to the characters and imagine themselves in that situation. The film isn't suitable for families or people under the age of 12 and is mostly likely to be watched by couples or groups of friends. The film is equally aimed towards males and females as this is because males tend prefer horror films, however female audiences will be able to identify with the three female characters more than males.

The regional identity for the film is England, this is because the characters are from all over England, however they all live in the north. The ethnicity that the film is mainly aimed at is White this is because the characters are all White British, however other ethnic groups may enjoy the film also.

Films that include similar features to ours are:

• Scream - The film features around one villain killing entering the house of the victim and killing them with a knife, also includes the mention of other horror films.
• The Blair Witch Project - Includes footage on a hand-held camera
• Paranormal Activity - Hand-held footage and dark lit scenes, also a similar house setting

Title Sequence Research

Stylistic factors:

• Editing techniques (pace, rhythm, cuts and transitions)
• Cinematography (shot sizes, movements, angles and height)
• Mise-en-scene (props, locations, lighting, costume and performance)
• Sound (music and tone, dialogue, sound effects and ambience)
• Titles and graphics (font, typefaces, colour, layout and movement)

Other factors:

• Narrative - what are you being and not being told?
• Introduction to characters - what do you find out about them? Like/dislike them?
• Production values - does it look high end or low budget?
• Genre - does it give you a clue to the genre? what are the styles and codes?
• Gripping - does the opening grab your attention and keep it? how does it do this?
• Reflection - does it sell the films content and and themes?

Film Certificate Examples

U

PeeWee's Big Adventure

Sex & Nudity - 2/10
A man listens in to a couple talking, the few phrases he catches imply they're doing more than just talking.

Violence & Gore - 3/10
A few light fights and bike/foot chases.

At the end, Pee Wee gets his revenge against the villain who had his bike stolen in the first place by allowing him to get on it, and then activating the ejection seat to send him flying to a presumably hard landing.

Profanity - 2/10
1 'crap' and 1 'hell'.

Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking - 2/10
Pee-Wee enters a truckstop bar at one point with several customers smoking and drinking. However Pee-Wee himself never participates in this behavior, and it is certainly not glorified. No one is shown drunk or high.

Frightening/Intense scenes - 2/10
Scary clowns and devils

A woman morphs into a creature for a brief moment that may be frightening to some

Danny Elfman's odd-sounding score may be disturbing to some at times


Pee-Wee's Big Adventure is a U rated film. Although the film contains scenes which may be scary to some viewers, it is light hearted and funny. There are some sinister dream sequences and and near-fights however he always manages to get out of scrapes without ever getting hurt. 

PG

Coraline


Sex & Nudity - 1/10
At one point in the movie what appears to be a large sized woman wearing a thong and her breasts only just covered. However this turns out to be a costume worn by a skinny lady. Coraline shouts "She's practically naked"

Violence & Gore - 2/10
We briefly see a boy who has had his mouth sewn with stitches so that he is smiling forcibly, but this is soon removed.

A cat kills two rats over the duration of the movie. The rats are not real and simply turn into dust when the cat bites them.

We see a wall covered in dead dogs stuffed with sawdust, but with angel clothing on.

In one scene, the protagonist is briefly strangled. The mark is visible for the rest of the scene.

The other monster has one of her metal claws slammed off in a door. A few minutes later it attacks and chases Coraline and Wybie.

Profanity - 1/10
"Crap" is said once. God is blasphemed twice.

Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking - 0.5/10
n one scene, Coraline's mother tells Coraline that Mr. Bobinski is drunk. Coraline later tells her mother: "Mr. B is not drunk mum, he just, eccentric"

Frightening/Intense scenes - 4.5/10
One intense fight/chase scene.

Many creepy and eerie scenes.

The idea of this film is about a monster living in a flat who seduces children away from their parents with games and treats and makes them feel like it is perfect. But this is before she convinces them to let her sew buttons into their eyes and them locks them away. (We never see any buttons being sewn in).

The opening scene wear we see metal claws sewing a doll of a child is a bit creepy and disturbing.

Very young children are likely to be scared.



Coraline was given the rating PG however many people after watching the film complained saying they believed the film should have been given a higher rating as when in the pictures a number of parents had to take their children out due to being scared. BBFC defended their decision of giving it a PG as the classification decisions took into account factors such as the frequency, length and detail of scary scenes as well as horror effects including music and sound, and whether there is a swift and reassuring outcome. Some of the concerns were that some of the scares come from people or places that should feel safe to children, for example their homes and parents. It is clear that Coraline's world is different from the real world due to the talking cats, performing mice and animated models rather than human actors. These fantastical elements give a more comfortable feel for children viewing. There are also elements which lessen the intensity of the more frightening scenes, for example moments of comedy and fun like silly songs and performances by dancing mice. There is also a lot of emphasis placed on the reassuring happy ending.

12/12A

The Woman in Black

Sex & Nudity - 0/10
One brief written reference to a "harlot". However, this is hard to read and see.

Violence& Gore - 5/10
Several children die while in a trance-like state; the deaths are blamed on the ghost of a woman.

Three young girls calmly jump to their deaths from the attic windows (off screen, we hear their mother's screams.)

Another girl smashes an oil lamp onto her feet and goes up in flames, silently - brief and not too graphic.

Two young boys walk into the sea and disappear and we hear they died; another boy walks to the edge of a train platform, jumps onto the tracks and walks toward an oncoming train - no injuries are seen.

The ghost jumps from a chair with a rope around her neck, reenacting her suicide hanging; very brief.

Several scenes feature zombie-like children standing in the middle distance in graveyards or on town streets.

A decayed corpse stands at an angle to the camera; the head turns and shining eyes gleam at the camera.

A young girl coughs up a large amount of blood after ingesting caustic soda.

A doctor pulls a white sheet over a woman; we briefly see a large, red stain on another sheet between her legs, indicating childbirth.

Two men bury the body of a boy in a grave where we see a rotting yellow skeleton with gaping mouth.

Profanity - 3/10
5 mild swears, including "hell".

6 religious exclamations ("oh my god").

A woman emphatically wishes that another woman "rot in Hell" in a letter.

Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking - 3/10
A man and a woman drink a few whiskeys in a pub.

A couple of bottles of liquor are seen behind the bar.

A man in a haunted house drinks several short glasses of whiskey.

Two dinner scenes show glasses of wine that men and women drink and two men drinking brandy beside a fireplace.

Frightening/Intense scenes - 7/10

The film as a whole can be frightening in parts and the subject matter involving the death of young children may be shocking and disturbing to some viewers.

We see several scenes where a man is terrorised by a ghost in a haunted house. The ghost itself may seem frightening and her scream is very loud and intense.

There are several jumpy moments throughout the film and some brief disturbing images as described under 'violence and gore'.

Originally this film was rated 15 however the distributor decided to make cuts of 6seconds, reducing moments of strong violence and horror along with reducing the sound levels on some shots and darkening others to achieve a 12A classification.
Although the ratings were lowered to 12A, The Woman in Black was still reported to the British Board of Film Classification 120 times, triple the number of reports for the previous years' most complained-about film. This is because some viewers had certain expectations about the film due to it starring Daniel Radcliffe, the Harry Potter star. Some young viewers didn't realise how scary the film was going to be, as it was given a rating of 12A which is the same classification as the final instalment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The general tone of the film is quite bleak and the premise of a ghost manipulating children into harming or killing themselves makes it a potentially disturbing feature.

15

Insidious

Sex & Nudity - 0/10
Unintentionally, mildly revealing clothes.

One woman in two scenes wears a scoop neck top that reveals cleavage.

Violence & Gore - 7/10
This movie doesn't use violence to scare or sicken.

A man shouts obscenities at a woman, slams her into a chair, chokes her (her lips redden) and the scene ends; we later see the dead woman sitting alone, staring open-mouthed and when another woman finds her, she gasps loudly. This is the most violent scene in the movie.

The man finds a young boy crying, chained to the floor, the man fights off a demon, picks up the boy, and he runs through a group of ghosts and back into his body (he gasps deeply).

Several people fend off ghosts trying to enter a house through the front door, a closet door, and a kitchen drawer (we see only a child's green hand there); they shout and scream and one of the men falls down several times, but no one is injured.

A boy falls off a ladder and bumps his forehead, we see no damage but the next morning he is in a coma that lasts for months; we see the boy at home in a hospital bed with a heart monitor and oxygen mask attached, along with two IV lines.

There are several instances of a large bloody hand print with pointy claws on a sheet. In one scene, we see two hand marks pressed on a window from outside and the window cracks.

Profanity - 5/10
2 F-words (1 spoken and 1 written but you have to pay attention to catch either uses), 1 sexual reference, 12 mild obscenities, name-calling (crazy, stressed, nut-jobs, parasite, bad guy, dog and pony show.)

Stereotypical references to aging and older people, young mothers, children, priests, churchgoers, sci-fi geeks, ghost hunters, psychics, supernatural worlds, ghosts, demons, 8 religious exclamations.

Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking - 1/10
Technicians explain to a family that leaking electricity from their old house fixtures can cause visual and auditory hallucinations, just like a drug.

Frightening/Intense scenes - 10/10
Many jump scenes

A man is hypnotized to leave his body and enter a netherworld of darkness and mists, we see his body fidget and shudder in his chair several times and we see him in the other world fighting ghosts and demons.

A séance is held in darkness, while a woman wears a large gasmask attached to a man with a hose and he listens and writes as she whispers words from "the other side":

Light bulbs flash and things pop and slam as the woman shakes and finally passes out; the words written on the paper include mild obscenities and a plea for help.

A comatose boy stands at a table, slaps his hand on it, making furniture and people fly and two men take many pictures of the melee and we later see ghosts in the pictures, standing beside humans.

A man shouts at the ghost of an old woman at a window (she's peering in at him) to leave him alone; she slides back and disappears.

We see a tall black shadow with a red forehead and nose and black claws point at a child in a bed.

Macabre faces appear and peer into the windows of an old house:

Four times we see the face of a humanoid entity with yellow eyes, red forehead, nose and chin, white pointy teeth and black horns.

We see a humanoid entity with black tattoo lines over its face as it sticks out a long red tongue and sharpens the claws of its hands on an electric grindstone; its chest and arms have long, thick fur and it has goat hooves for feet.

We see parents and two teen girls looking like wax figures, and one girl stands in front of the other three seated on a couch (the three look dead although we see no wounds) and the girl holds a shotgun and grins.

We see images of people walking slowly in a group with outstretched hands, grasping for a man that walks between them.

We see images of people stream out of a closet and into a boy's bedroom where a man and a woman scream and slam them back into the closet.

We see photographs in which ghosts appear reflected in windows and a car windshield or are actually standing beside humans.

A psychic describes what she sees on the ceiling of a room and a man shows a sketch of it (we see a drawing of a black and red shadow).

Macabre music plays frequently in the background of the film and we see many unexplained human-like shadows and hear distant noises.

We hear noises that include humans and violins screeching, female screams, various snarls and howls, grunts and male shouts, whistling, muffled pop music, heavy breathing like that of a wolf, creaking and door slamming.

We see the sick room of a comatose boy after it is ransacked and destroyed off screen -- the furniture is broken and the boy is lying on the floor unconscious with a red hand and claw print on what is left of a sheet.

A woman talks about spirits that try to take over human bodies and that spirits can smell an empty body and the worst kind possess a body in order to hurt other people.

A boy draws several crayon pictures of a black humanoid figure with an eyeless red face and black horns.

The whole movie is centered around how a demon/monster are trying to possess a child.

A Red-Faced Demon is shown sharpening his claws, with some freaky music playing. Not disturbing, but very scary.

There are some "Jump Scenes".

In the "Other World" scenes are quite intense, with some moments and disturbing ghosts.

There is a scene in which Josh and Renae see photos of little Josh. A ghost always appears in them. This time can be particularly frightening. 

The "Tip-Toe Through The Tulips" or as you may call it, the bad guys' song, is quite disturbing and freaky

One of the jump scenes shows a red-faced demon appearing suddenly behind one of the characters, this is one of the scariest moments in the film. 

18

The Descent

Sex & Nudity - 3/10
A female cave person's bare breasts are visible in one scene

A woman wears a low-cut top that reveals cleavage.

We understand that a woman has had a sexual affair with another woman's husband.

A woman makes a joke about giving a lemon an orgasm.

Violence & Gore - 10/10
Cave people are human underground dwellers who have lost the ability to see, their skin is pale white, they snarl and make animal noises and their teeth are pointed.

A cave man stands behind a woman, then skitters across the ceiling of the cave, we hear noises and screams, and one woman is attacked by the cave person, who bites out her throat (she writhes and blood sprays).

A cave person grabs a woman by the feet, he drags her back into the darkness, he tears open her abdomen and feeds on her intestines while the woman screams and thrashes -- until the cave person tears out her throat.

A woman runs through a dark cave, she tries to climb across a rock ceiling over a deep crevasse, her hands are badly cut and bloody, a cave person lunges at her, her throat is slashed (blood spurts), she fights with the cave person knocking him off into the crevasse and the woman hangs dead from a rope around her waist.

A woman wakes up in a cave filled with human remains and skeletons, she hears a noise, a body is thrown into the cave and many cave people come to feed on it (we see blood spraying as they tug at the body and pull out internal organs).

A head-on collision leaves a man and a girl dead when copper piping from the other vehicle crashes through their windshield and through the head of the man (we hear a crunch and see the piping pass through his head and the car's headrest); we do not see the girl's injury but hear that she died.

A woman opens another woman's pant leg and reveals a large bloody opening in her leg and part of the bone is broken and sticking out; the other woman pushes the bone back into the leg (the injured woman screams and twitches and we hear squishing), and then wraps it with bandages.

A woman runs through a dark cave, she falls into a hole, slams into a rock formation, hits the ground hard and we see that she has broken her leg badly (a bloody piece of bone protrudes through torn pants, just below her knee).

Two women enter a cave where many cave people are gathered, the women are attacked, they fight back killing many of the cave people with spelunking gear and by banging their heads against rocks, and one plunges her fingers deep into the eyes of a cave person (blood sprays and pours and spurts).

A cave person tries to drag away the body of a woman, another woman fights with him, she strikes him several times, he bleeds, tries to bite her, and she stabs him in the chest repeatedly.

A cave person attacks a woman, she fights with her and stabs her in the eye with a spike.

A woman falls into water where she is attacked by a cave person and the woman stabs him (blood spreads in the water).

A cave person attacks a woman and tries to bite her, she pushes him off and kicks him repeatedly, killing him (we hear crunching).

A cave person attacks a woman, who swings at him with a pick, and another woman hits him from behind and then breaks his neck.

A woman beats a cave person in the head until his skull is crushed.

A woman swings a weapon around and behind her and strikes another woman in the throat; the woman gurgles and falls to the ground, and blood pours and spurts from the wound.

A woman crushes a wounded woman's skull with a large rock.

A woman is stabbed through the leg with spelunking gear and is unable to run; she is surrounded by cave people, and we hear her screaming.

A woman runs through a dark cave and stumbles into a puddle of blood (she comes out of the puddle soaked in blood).

A woman climbing across a tether over a deep chasm falls, the rigging breaks loose, she slams into a wall, and a woman who tries to grab the tether is severely injured (her hand is cut open and we see tissue and blood pouring); the woman is pulled up and is OK.

A woman pulls things from the dead body of a woman (she is blood soaked) in order to build a torch. Birds peck at a dead deer (we see blood and maggots wriggling on the carcass).

A woman discovers a part of a cave filled with animal bones.

A woman has a nightmare that a copper pipe crashes through a cabin window and pierces her through the head.

A woman climbing through a very narrow passageway becomes stuck and panics, another woman goes back in to help her through, they hear rumbling and the cave begins to collapse on them, but they manage to get out just in time.

There are a couple of scenes where women try to hide from cave people who come very close to them and even touch them as they pass by, but remain undiscovered.

A woman finds a cave person drinking water, she shines her light on it, it turns toward her and it snarls.

A woman is swarmed by many bats, and she screams and thrashes around.

We see a dark form, hear snarling and see slime drooling from what could be a mouth; several women are gathered in a dark cave.

We hear noises and what sounds like snarling in dark caves where women are spelunking.

A woman in a hospital pulls off her monitors and IVs, runs through a hallway, the lights begin switching off behind her, she cries for her daughter and collapses in the arms of a friend, who tells her that her daughter died.

A woman, trying to secure a line for other women to climb across, dangles from one hand, high over a precipice, while attaching the spelunking rigging.

A woman climbs through a dark and very narrow passageway, goes under water and then up through another passageway.

Three women whitewater raft over rough water, and they nearly tip over.

A woman drives fast and recklessly along a road, she pulls over, is nearly struck by a passing truck and she vomits out of the window.

A woman is startled when she sits up and sees another woman next to her.

A woman hears a child laughing inside a very dark cave in several scenes.

A woman pushes another woman into apparently frigid water (she seems to be joking).

Profanity - 9/10
44 F-words, 14 scatological terms, 1 anatomical term, 5 mild obscenities, 14 religious exclamations.

Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking - 5/10
Two women smoke marijuana.

Women drink beer.

A woman smokes a cigarette.

A woman takes a prescription pill.

A woman makes a remark about "getting wasted."

Frightening/Intense scenes - 10/10
The movie is about surviving underground with monsters lurking around every corner, so sustained terror and horror can be found throughout.

This movie is overall very tense, and its main themes are claustrophobia, isolation, pitch black darkness, and monsters. It is also quite psychological at times.

Sudden appearance of the monsters are used primarily, as well as quick but scary appearances of them in the darkness, seen by the characters.

Some close-up shots of the creatures reveal their gruesome and horrific features.

There are many intense fights, and the ways of killing can be quite disturbing, even to viewers used to watch horror movies.

U	PG	12/12A	15	18
	Comedy and peril	Exposition less	Psychological	Gore
PeeWee’s Big Adventure Hotel Transylvania	Corpse Bride Gremlins Ghostbusters Edward Scissorhands The Nightmare Before Christmas Coraline	The Woman in Black Warm Bodies Dark Shadows The Hole	Mirrors Paranormal Activity Unborn Silent Hill The Devil Inside The Possession Chernobyl Diaries Insidious	Texas Chainsaw Massacre Saw My Bloody Valentine Exorcist Friday 13th Nightmare on Elm street Carrie Halloween The Descent

Film Classification for Horror

Film classification for horror

The use of frightening elements which might scare or unsettle an audience is part of a long tradition of story telling and film making. Many children enjoy the excitement of scary sequences, but, where films are targeted at a younger audience, classification decisions will take into account such factors as the frequency, length and detail of scary scenes as well as horror effects, including music and sound, and whether there is a swift and reassuring outcome.

Older audiences often pay to see horror films because they like being frightened or shocked and such works are classified at an appropriate category to ensure that the young and vulnerable are protected from too intense an experience.

Scary sequences should be mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety to young children. The outcome should be reassuring.

Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense. Fantasy settings may be a mitigating factor.

Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.

Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.

The strongest horror works are passed at 18, they may contain strong horror, gore or sustained threat and menace which exceeds the boundaries of 15.

Film Classification Research

In the UK Films are regulated by the BBFC (British board of Film classification). They are an independent, self-financing and not-for-profit media content regulator who formed in 1912. They aim to protect the public from content which might raise harm risks, empower the public to make informed viewing choices, recognise and respect adult freedom of choice within the law, provide a cost-effective, efficient classification service within their statutory remit, work in partnership with the industry to develop innovative service models to provide content advice which support emerging media delivery systems and to provide an effective service to enforcement agencies.

BBFC examines and age rates films and videos before they are released. This ensures the highest possible level of protection and empowerment. They watch films all the way through and award an age rating and insight into each one, then they reach an age rating by applying the standards and criteria contained in their Classification Guidelines. In order for them to rate the film they look at issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, dangerous and easily imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex and violence, as well as considering the context, tone and likely impact of a work on the potential audience.

                                                                                                                                     

There are seven different certificates given to films, these are: U, PG, 12, 12A, 15, 18 and R18.

	Universal – Suitable for all It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror. If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.
	PG - Parental Guidance General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older.  However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.
	12A/12 Suitable for 12 years and over exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them. The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult. The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work.
	15 Suitable only for 15 years and over. No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.
	18 Suitable only for adults No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.
	R18 To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years. The ‘R18’ category is a special and legally restricted classification primarily for explicit works of consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults. Films may only be shown to adults in specially licensed cinemas, and video works may be supplied to adults only in licensed sex shops. ‘R18’ video works may not be supplied by mail order.