2. The Blair Witch Project
• Visual Codes: black and white
footage is often used in horror films. It
is used in this film to create a serious
tone. The black and white footage
also makes the video look older
which is effective as in the opening of
the film black and white video is used
whilst the actor talks about the past.
• Hand held footage is used in order to
create a documentary style film. The
jerky camera movements allow the
audience to feel like they are part of
the film and therefore a sense of
realism is created. This means that
the viewer does not feel like an
observer.
3. The Blair Witch Project
• Audio Codes: The audio in the
opening of The Blair Witch Project is
silent. This allows the audience to
focus on the writing on the screen
which gives background knowledge
so that they are able to understand
what is about to happen.
• We hear commentary from the
camera person as if we are with them
throughout. We hear jokes and the
group of young people appear to be
exited about the making of the film.
• Music is also heard playing, this
suggests that the characters are in a
car and that the radio is playing.
4. The Blair Witch Project
• Narration Codes: The camera
person acts as a narrator in
the film. They ask questions
and make sure that the
audience is aware of what is
happening.
5. The Blair Witch Project
• Action Codes: The film firstly
shows us some text informing
the audience that three
student filmmakers went
missing in a woods whilst
shooting a documentary. We
are then told that the students
footage was found a year later.
• Once the text has been shown
we see footage of students.
This is an action code as we
see the students footage after
we have been told about it.
6. The Ring
• Visual Codes: A detached house at night
whilst it is raining is seen first by the
audience. This creates an eery
atmosphere.
• Very dark colours are used which have
connotations of bleakness and fear.
• The rain storm may symbolise that
something negative is about to happen.
• In the bedroom, where the opening
scene is set, the lighting is very dull and
therefore the room is darker. Darkness is
associated with the supernatural.
• A grey fuzzy television turning itself on
and off indicates the presence of
something supernatural.
7. The Ring
• Audio Codes: At the beginning of
the film we can hear the sound of
rain harshly hitting the ground. This
suggests that a storm is happening.
Rainfall is often associated with
negativity. This prepares us for
something bad that may happen in
the film.
• A low pitched sound is used when
the scene gets tense to increase the
tension. 'Katie' then begins to
pretend to suffocate and the phone
rings afterwards. The sound is
slowly layered together and the
increase in sound creates more fear
for the audience.
8. The Ring
• Action Codes: The two
females speak about a horror
story involving a phone call.
Minutes later, the phone rings.
This creates fear and makes
answering the phone feel
extremely daunting. When the
girls answer the phone we as
the audience are relieved that
it is the main characters
mother. The fact that she is
making sure she is okay is a
reverse stereotype of what we
thought was going to happen.
9. Saw
• Visual Codes: Flashing green lights introduce Lions
Gate Films. This flashing animation is very fast
paced and jumpy. We are then introduced to Twisted
Pictures. The animation for their logo contains
barbed wire and is very dark.
• Many fade to blacks are used which are a main
characteristic of horror films.
• The lighting is very dark in the opening. We can just
about make out that the scene is a bathroom of
some sort and that water is present.
• When the lights are turned on we are made aware
that the bathroom is very dirty and appears to be
industrial. Two men appear to be distressed as the
lights turn on indicating that they have been held in
darkness for a long period of time.
• The men take a while to recapture their eye sites but
then notice a dead body between them. There is a
pool of blood around the body suggesting that the
man has been brutally killed. We know that blood
and gore is a key characteristic for horror films.
10. Saw
• Audio Codes: Thunder is heard on the logo for
lions gate. Thunder signifies that a storm is
happening and storms are often associated
with negativity and fear. Twisted Pictures use
the sound effect of sharp blades. This hints
that the barbed wire on their logo is razor
sharp and also foreshadows blood and gore
that will be present in the film.
• Water is heard whilst the scene is dark and we
believe that a man is drowning however he
manages to get out of the bath and is very
disorientated. He panics a lot and doesn't
know where he is. The dark room along with
the panicking suggests that he has been held
somewhere against his will.
• Lots of low pitched noises build tension
throughout and as the men notice a dead
body large thuds are heard. These emphasise
the negative things that they are seeing such
as the gun and pool of blood.
11. Target audiences
• Most horror films are aimed at young people
from the age of 18 upwards. The film saw is
rated 18 in the UK and therefore the target
audience for the film is 18-24 year olds. This is
because this age range stereotypically enjoys
blood, guts and gore which many horror movies
feature.
12. Enigma code
• A film maker will ask a question to the audience
which will remain unanswered for the majority of
the film. This makes the viewer want to keep
watching the film as the answer will be unveiled
towards the end.
• In the Blair Witch Project we are told that 3
students went missing whilst making a
documentary. As the audience, we want to know
what happened to the teenagers. The only way to
find out what happened is by watching the film.
