Tuesday, 28 June 2016
Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Research: Conventions of the Horror Genre
Genre is important for both audiences and institutions as it makes it easier and more specific. For audiences it is important as it allows them to be specific in knowing what they know and enjoy, it also means they can chose the films that they know they like and don't waste their money when purchasing a ticket or the film. Audiences like the ritual and the reassurance that comes with knowing what is going to happen in the storyline. Institutions need genre as it allows them to know hat they are making in order to market to the appropriate audience and means they can use the conventional storyline that goes with the genre.
By looking at the horror genre as a whole there are very common conventions that are underlying in all films. These conventions make up the formula for horror films that will be used by the institutions when producing a film of the horror genre. Institutions use the conventional elements as they know they work and are popular with the audience that their film will be targeted at, this also helps them with marketing because it means they know who to market to and what the audience finds interesting and what gives them thrills.
The conventional location is either isolate locations and deserted houses, however a few of the more modern horrors are set in everyday recognisable locations to make it more realistic which will give the audience more thrills.
With the horror genre there is a very concise conventional narrative and that is - a group of people people persecuted by the films antagonist. This fits all horror films and is the key element to the horror film formula used by producers and directors.
The conventional characters that are present in the horror genre formula are either a group of teenagers or a family. This gives it more of a personal feeling when the audience are consuming it as they can relate to both. The characters present within horror films are usually an even gender mix however they will be disappearing one by one whether that is being murdered, tortured or possessed. At the end of the films there will conventionally
be a final survivor which was Carol Clovers
final girl theory.
--> The two photos shown here on the right are examples of the final girl theory. The top photo is the final girl surviving against Michael Myers (the killer in Halloween), and the bottom photo is the final girl running away from and surviving against Leather face (the killer in Texas Chainsaw Massacre).
In the 1978 film Halloween the conventions of the genre are used and subverted. The conventions were followed with the theory of the final girl, and they also had the storyline that consisted of a group of teenagers slowly being killed off by the antagonist, in this case Michael Myers is the killer and he kills the teenagers in the film. The location is a realistic every day recognisable location as it is set in a town/village.
In the 1984 film A Nightmare on Elm Street the conventions of the horror genre were used and subverted. The conventional elements of the horror genre formula that are used in this film are again a group of people are persecuted, they are persecuted by the antagonist - Freddie Krueger. The locations are a mixture of both isolated deserted burned houses and everyday recognisable locations, for example some of the death scenes are in bedrooms. This film also follows Carol Clovers final girl theory.
In the 1974 film Texas Chainsaw Massacre the conventional elements in horror films were used and subverted. TCM includes the final girl theory which is one of the members of the group that are slowly killed off throughout the film. It follows the conventions by having a group of young adults that are all either friends or family and they are being persecuted by the antagonist, in this film the antagonist is known as Leather face. The film is set in an isolated area within Texas which is also a conventional element to the film.
In the 2013 film The Conjuring the conventions linked to the horror genre were used and subverted. In the conjuring it is a little different to the three films used above as the antagonist isn't a real life human it is a demon that lives in their new isolated house. It follows the conventions still by there being a group - in this case a family with a mum and dad that have 5 daughters. They aren't killed off, the mother gets persecuted by being possessed. This film does not include the final girl theory as they are more commonly known to be in Slashers.
In the 2001 film The Others the conventional elements shown in horror films were used and subverted. This film is similar to the one above as it is al about paranormal elements. Although this film is the most subversive of all as it is a whole family of paranormality messing with a full family however we don't see it from the peoples view, we see it from the view of the ghosts living in the house. Most of the conventions are subverted hear however some conventions are still used, for example it is set in an isolated house in darkness.
Sub Genres:
Sub-genres are important because the horror genre is too broad for audiences and institutions to be specify with what they make and what they want to consume. Sub-genres have developed through time each being created after the other, they follow what the consumers at the time enjoy and find thrills in.
Gothic:
In the gothic sub-genre the conventional locations will be dark, misty forests or castles in an isolated location. The narrative will be based around a supernatural being or revenge, with the narrative full of suspense. The 1931 film Dracula is an example of gothic horror sub genre as the antagonist which is Dracula is a supernatural being. The audience enjoy watch gothic horrors as it gives them a sense of mystery throughout.
Slasher:
The conventions of a slasher film will include a psychopath as the antagonist, this antagonist will usually stalk and kill a series of victims throughout the course of the film. Slasher films conventionally consists of a lot of violence and gore. Slasher films thrill the audiences by making them watch something that is very realistic and with a narrative that could be in real life and happen to them at any point. In the 1996 film Scream, there are plenty of conventional elements from the slasher sub genre. Those conventional elements include the violent, psychopathic stalker and killer that brutally murders a group of teenagers and young adults in an everyday, recognisable location.
Psychological:
The conventions of a psychological horror include ghosts and spirits that haunt and posses the protagonist to the point that they begin to turn into the antagonist. In psychological horrors there is conventionally a lot of blood and gore as the characters are still seen as normal humans not monstrous beings. Psychological horrors thrill the audiences by playing with their minds. The 1980 film The Shining, it includes the slasher conventions such as, the protagonist turning into the antagonist by going psycho, it follows the conventional elements of the horror genre as a whole due to the film being set in an isolated hotel in the winter.
Paranormal:
The conventions of the paranormal sub genre that the narrative is based around movements of unseen paranormal spirits. The locations are based inside everyday houses that are in recognisable locations. Also the conventional characters shown in paranormal films are either a family or a group of teenagers. Audiences seek pleasure from this sub genre as it feels real and due to it being set in recognisable locations, it means that the narrative is relatable for the audiences. In the 2007 film Paranormal Activity the conventions of a paranormal horror film are followed as its narrative consists of paranormal movements putting a family in fear within their own home.
Conventionally in the gore sub genre there is a lot go blood and gore shown throughout the film with the use of the weapons as props for the mass killings that conventionally occur within gore films. Gore and blood is the main aim of the film with the use of a lot of violence. Audiences enjoy watching gore horrors as they like the thrill of guessing who goes next and the fear that they will get as it is a realistic storyline that could happen in the everyday world. The 1976 film Carrie has since been remade in 2013. By the film being re made it shows that this is a conventional narrative within the gore genre that still interests audiences now even though the fear levels have progressed.
Found footage:
The conventions go the found footage genre are what it say, they are films as though the narrative is a true story and they have found the footage of the real events. The narrative consists of a lot of screaming, crying and fear within the characters. The conventional locations will be abandoned houses in the woods which links to the isolated locations of the overall horror genre as a whole. Audiences seek pleasure from these films as they escape from their everyday life and feel as though they are watching real of footage of true events, this thrills them as it could be real and could happen to them. The 1999 film The Blair Witch Project the conventions were followed by the whole film being made of 'found footage' and I say it in the apostrophes as it is made to look as if it is found footage however it isn't real life found footage. The film follows more conventions by including a lot of screaming and crying as a group of teenagers fight for their lives.
By looking at the horror genre as a whole there are very common conventions that are underlying in all films. These conventions make up the formula for horror films that will be used by the institutions when producing a film of the horror genre. Institutions use the conventional elements as they know they work and are popular with the audience that their film will be targeted at, this also helps them with marketing because it means they know who to market to and what the audience finds interesting and what gives them thrills.
The conventional location is either isolate locations and deserted houses, however a few of the more modern horrors are set in everyday recognisable locations to make it more realistic which will give the audience more thrills.
With the horror genre there is a very concise conventional narrative and that is - a group of people people persecuted by the films antagonist. This fits all horror films and is the key element to the horror film formula used by producers and directors.
The conventional characters that are present in the horror genre formula are either a group of teenagers or a family. This gives it more of a personal feeling when the audience are consuming it as they can relate to both. The characters present within horror films are usually an even gender mix however they will be disappearing one by one whether that is being murdered, tortured or possessed. At the end of the films there will conventionally 
be a final survivor which was Carol Clovers final girl theory.
--> The two photos shown here on the right are examples of the final girl theory. The top photo is the final girl surviving against Michael Myers (the killer in Halloween), and the bottom photo is the final girl running away from and surviving against Leather face (the killer in Texas Chainsaw Massacre).
In the 1978 film Halloween the conventions of the genre are used and subverted. The conventions were followed with the theory of the final girl, and they also had the storyline that consisted of a group of teenagers slowly being killed off by the antagonist, in this case Michael Myers is the killer and he kills the teenagers in the film. The location is a realistic every day recognisable location as it is set in a town/village.
In the 1984 film A Nightmare on Elm Street the conventions of the horror genre were used and subverted. The conventional elements of the horror genre formula that are used in this film are again a group of people are persecuted, they are persecuted by the antagonist - Freddie Krueger. The locations are a mixture of both isolated deserted burned houses and everyday recognisable locations, for example some of the death scenes are in bedrooms. This film also follows Carol Clovers final girl theory.
In the 1974 film Texas Chainsaw Massacre the conventional elements in horror films were used and subverted. TCM includes the final girl theory which is one of the members of the group that are slowly killed off throughout the film. It follows the conventions by having a group of young adults that are all either friends or family and they are being persecuted by the antagonist, in this film the antagonist is known as Leather face. The film is set in an isolated area within Texas which is also a conventional element to the film.
In the 2013 film The Conjuring the conventions linked to the horror genre were used and subverted. In the conjuring it is a little different to the three films used above as the antagonist isn't a real life human it is a demon that lives in their new isolated house. It follows the conventions still by there being a group - in this case a family with a mum and dad that have 5 daughters. They aren't killed off, the mother gets persecuted by being possessed. This film does not include the final girl theory as they are more commonly known to be in Slashers.
In the 2001 film The Others the conventional elements shown in horror films were used and subverted. This film is similar to the one above as it is al about paranormal elements. Although this film is the most subversive of all as it is a whole family of paranormality messing with a full family however we don't see it from the peoples view, we see it from the view of the ghosts living in the house. Most of the conventions are subverted hear however some conventions are still used, for example it is set in an isolated house in darkness.
Sub Genres:
Sub-genres are important because the horror genre is too broad for audiences and institutions to be specify with what they make and what they want to consume. Sub-genres have developed through time each being created after the other, they follow what the consumers at the time enjoy and find thrills in.
Gothic:
In the gothic sub-genre the conventional locations will be dark, misty forests or castles in an isolated location. The narrative will be based around a supernatural being or revenge, with the narrative full of suspense. The 1931 film Dracula is an example of gothic horror sub genre as the antagonist which is Dracula is a supernatural being. The audience enjoy watch gothic horrors as it gives them a sense of mystery throughout.
Slasher:
The conventions of a slasher film will include a psychopath as the antagonist, this antagonist will usually stalk and kill a series of victims throughout the course of the film. Slasher films conventionally consists of a lot of violence and gore. Slasher films thrill the audiences by making them watch something that is very realistic and with a narrative that could be in real life and happen to them at any point. In the 1996 film Scream, there are plenty of conventional elements from the slasher sub genre. Those conventional elements include the violent, psychopathic stalker and killer that brutally murders a group of teenagers and young adults in an everyday, recognisable location.Psychological:
The conventions of a psychological horror include ghosts and spirits that haunt and posses the protagonist to the point that they begin to turn into the antagonist. In psychological horrors there is conventionally a lot of blood and gore as the characters are still seen as normal humans not monstrous beings. Psychological horrors thrill the audiences by playing with their minds. The 1980 film The Shining, it includes the slasher conventions such as, the protagonist turning into the antagonist by going psycho, it follows the conventional elements of the horror genre as a whole due to the film being set in an isolated hotel in the winter.Paranormal:
The conventions of the paranormal sub genre that the narrative is based around movements of unseen paranormal spirits. The locations are based inside everyday houses that are in recognisable locations. Also the conventional characters shown in paranormal films are either a family or a group of teenagers. Audiences seek pleasure from this sub genre as it feels real and due to it being set in recognisable locations, it means that the narrative is relatable for the audiences. In the 2007 film Paranormal Activity the conventions of a paranormal horror film are followed as its narrative consists of paranormal movements putting a family in fear within their own home.
Gore:
Conventionally in the gore sub genre there is a lot go blood and gore shown throughout the film with the use of the weapons as props for the mass killings that conventionally occur within gore films. Gore and blood is the main aim of the film with the use of a lot of violence. Audiences enjoy watching gore horrors as they like the thrill of guessing who goes next and the fear that they will get as it is a realistic storyline that could happen in the everyday world. The 1976 film Carrie has since been remade in 2013. By the film being re made it shows that this is a conventional narrative within the gore genre that still interests audiences now even though the fear levels have progressed.Found footage:
The conventions go the found footage genre are what it say, they are films as though the narrative is a true story and they have found the footage of the real events. The narrative consists of a lot of screaming, crying and fear within the characters. The conventional locations will be abandoned houses in the woods which links to the isolated locations of the overall horror genre as a whole. Audiences seek pleasure from these films as they escape from their everyday life and feel as though they are watching real of footage of true events, this thrills them as it could be real and could happen to them. The 1999 film The Blair Witch Project the conventions were followed by the whole film being made of 'found footage' and I say it in the apostrophes as it is made to look as if it is found footage however it isn't real life found footage. The film follows more conventions by including a lot of screaming and crying as a group of teenagers fight for their lives.
Theories of the Horror Genre:
Rick Altman:
---> Rick Altmans theory says that audiences enjoy watching films from the horror genre as the narratives open a portal for them to remove themselves from their everyday life.
---> Slasher films help to support his theory as films such as psycho use the techniques of switching between between the killers and the victims perspectives.
---> This allows the audience to place themselves into the life of the characters and removes them from normality.
Richard Dyer:
--->Richard Dyers theory says that the audiences enjoy watching horror films as it gives them the opportunity for escapism.
--->With the offer of escapism, it allows the audiences to get away from their everyday lives and the normality of their surroundings. It allows the audience to feel like the killer for 2 hours and leave behind their morals.
---> Films such a scream support this theory as throughout the film there are sequences where the camera is shot from the killers perspective allowing the audience to feel as though they are the killer.
Jackie Stacey:
---> Jackie Staceys theory argues against Richard Dyers.
---> Her theory is that genres will progress and change throughout time along with the audiences demand and preferences.
---> This will be because of changes within social lives and the progression within history and that proves that not every audience member is going to be wanting the same thing.
---> Jackie Staceys theory argues against Richard Dyers.
---> Her theory is that genres will progress and change throughout time along with the audiences demand and preferences.
---> This will be because of changes within social lives and the progression within history and that proves that not every audience member is going to be wanting the same thing.
Saturday, 4 June 2016
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