2. Common Audience fears and phobias
• The dark
• Silence
• Isolation
• The stranger
• Pain
• Spiders
• Snakes
• old places
• Disease
• Lightening/rain/wind
• Strange noises
• Clowns
Fear can be created using Misc en scene and
through the narrative of a horror film. When
watching a horror film the audience is expecting
certain scares depending on the sub genre, but
this is what gives the audience the thrill with in a
horror film.
Chandler says that these ‘frame the audience’s expectations.’
3. The Fear technique
Fear can be created with in the film through …
Camera –
• Extreme close ups (showing small parts of the monster)
• Establishing shots (showing the location – often isolated)
• Wide shot ( how isolated some scenes are – long road with nothing
else around)
• Long shots ( sometimes showing a character or family/ group – who
will either be the victim or the monster)
4. Sound
• Silence ( to create tension, when something happens its more dramatic
because the audience is not expecting it) Diegetic Sound
• Screams ( a stereotype of horror films, but something that is relatable to,
connotes panic) Diegetic sound
• Crying ( normally hysterically, connotes physco, questions audience – what
are they crying at or about?) Diegetic sound
• Creaks (ambient sounds from the location e.g. an old house, normally most
effective with a single character as it makes the audience feel the fear of
the character – wondering who else is around) Diegetic sound
• Soundtracks ( non diegetic sound, adds to atmosphere , creating the fear of
the unknown
5. Editing
• Often slow paced ( hesitation)
• Match on action ( there is always going to be a reaction to what we as
the audience see the character do – often a hand on a door handle
and the monster lays with in the room)
6. Misc en scene
• Masks ( the monster is unknown)
• Weapons ( danger, sometimes can be the monster)
• Dirty and rough clothing ( often warn by the monster, represents that
the character should stay away)
• Run down or old fashioned houses or locations ( haunted, dangerous,
derelict)
7. Fear has changed
Fear has changed with society, peoples fears have changed over time. The
first horror films were Gothic horrors – which included vampires and
supernatural activity, this is what society was scared of at the time. An
example would be Frankenstein.
Over time fears changed meaning new sub genres arised such as ; Gore,
psychological, slasher and paranormal. Changing the fear made the films
more interesting and appealing to audiences as it offered something new
that hadn’t been seen before.
John Cawelti – ‘The horror genre reflects aspects of society. Society’s fear
is shown through the genre.’
8. Tudor - ‘monstrous threat’ and this threat is ‘based on notions…from
the producing society.’
If a director plays to the fears that an audience already feels then they
are going to feel part of the film and this will increase the verisimilitude
they feel when watching the film.
9. Depending on the sub genre there will be different monsters for
different fears – the audience can be made to feel these fears through
the use of Misc en scene, Sound, Editing and Camera.
Neale identified that horror texts have different types of monster.
The monster is the source of the fear.
10. The External Monster – an outsider
• Has come from some where
else and brings the fear with
them
• They can never be a part of
society
• The Descent (2005)
• The Blair Witch Project (1999)
11. The Man Made Monster – Man’s creation
• The archetypal man made
monster
• Creation of a member of the
community
• Would appear in more modern
films
• The Hills Have Eyes (2005)
12. The Internal Monster – Man gone wrong
• The monster is human
• The human may be part of the
community but they are
changing and causing threat
from with in the community
• Often represented as ‘different’
to everyone else
• Psycho (1960)
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
13. Wood -‘normality is threatened by the monster’ in all horror films.
I agree strongly with Wood normality is always threaten by a monster
seen to be not ‘normal’, this can be in many ways for different reasons.
Cohen said that monsters are ‘difference made flesh’ and this
difference can be ‘cultural, political, racial, economic or sexual.’
You could argue that all of the factors link into culture, but they do all
play a part along with audience preferences.
