Iconographies and conventions in Horror films

Settings:

Horror films tend to be set in dark isolated places, such as woods, small villages/towns, countryside, abandoned areas and places such as asylums. This is because they give the feeling of lonelyness and isolation. Woods, for example, can make the character and audience feel lost and confused. They can also make them feel vulnerable.

Lighting:

Lighting is very important when it comes to horror films. The slightest change in lighting can change the whole feel of the film. Low level lighting tends to be used within horror films, this is because it creates a creepy atmosphere and also creates shadows. Half lighting is also commonly used, this is used to show there is something else to a character, or that the character is hiding something.

Sound:

Sound in horror films is very important. It can change how a scene (or entire film) is portayed. In horror films, diegetic sounds tend to be overly exaggerated, this is because it allows tension to build. For exapmle, in loud snapping branches, footsteps and creaking. Non-Diegetic is equally important in the genre of film, as it can make the audience feel scared and can also make the audience jump.

Props:

Props are extremely important in this genre, as they allow the scene to be set. The different props have different conventions and iconographies that come along with them. In our film, we are using a 'camping site' in a woodland setting, this  setting will allow the audience to feel trapped like the characters are. The audience will also link the woods to other films that are set in the woods, such as 'Cabin in the Woods' or 'Evil Dead'. The feelings associated with these films will be then linked to our film.

Horror Research

Horror Through The Decades - Powerpoint

Possible tricky shots/edits

The following is a few shots/edits that may be tricky to create, we will film these first to test them and then make necessary changes.

• Car scene - We are going to film a short sequence from the inside of a car whilst one of the actors is driving, it may be difficult to position the camera in the car so that it cannot be seen in any reflections and also likely that the camera will shake as the car is moving, we will try to hold the camera as steady as possible to prevent this and check before we start filming that the camera cannot be seen in any reflections.

• Dark scenes - As we plan to have the lights go out in part of our film the rest of the scenes will be quite dark as none of the lights will be on, so we plan to place small set lights around the room we are filming in so that the scene can be seen by the audience however still looks dark, it may also be difficult to focus the camera when it is dark. If the scenes do appear too dark when we test film then we will have to increase the light on them.

• Matching sound - We are planning to have the villain character whistling whilst he is walking upstairs and as we change to different shot angles whilst he is walking upstairs we will need to ensure that the whistling sound carries on as the shot changes to maintain continuity, we may be able to do this by creating a sound bridge.