2. the popularity of the genre with
audiences
The audience seem to really love horror, so I decided to find why people love it so much. Most of
my friend and family’s love horror so I decided to interview them on what's so good about this
genre. And they seemed to come out with really interesting reasons.
They're funWith so many reasons why the
genre remains popular, it’s
easy to forget the main thing
that keeps us watching just as
many awful horror films as
good ones. They don’t just
simply scare us, they also
provoke feelings of joy by
making us laugh at ourselves
They Help Us Face Our FearsWith all the tragedy and real
life horror that occur around
the world on a daily basis,
horror movies give us an
outlet to rationalize and face
our biggest fears.
The Directors-Horror has
given us such legendary
directors as Sam Raimi, David
Cronenberg and George A.
Romero – who began their
careers by creating lowbudget independent horror
movies.
3. Research narratives that link to the
horror
Narrative structure provides a formula or template in film production It works as a
‘contract’ – the implicit agreement between a film and it’s audience that governs the
way fans enjoy it Without a typical narrative structure genre films would not be
recognizable to audiences and conversely films would not be able to break with
predictability.
story in which the focus is on creating a feeling of fear. Such tales are of ancient origin
and form a substantial part of the body of folk literature. They can feature
supernatural elements such as ghosts, witches, or vampires, or they can address more
realistic psychological fears. In Western literature the literary cultivation of fear and
curiosity for its own sake began to emerge in the 18th-century pre-Romantic era with
the Gothic novel.
4. Research character types linked to
horror
Female Victim -There is almost no horror film without a female victim, as they are portrayed as
being vulnerable and in need of protection.
Non-Believer Can be of either sex-although often male. Portrayed as being cocky and at ease,
convincing the other characters that they are over reacting and that nothing is going on Typically
overconfident.
Hero -Pretty much always a male character of strong, masculine build. Although he is the ‘hero’,
there aren’t many horror films where the good triumph over evil. In these cases, he tends to be
the brave character that goes after the murderer, often never returning
Hysterical Character- Usually female They are typically known to not want to leave the building
they are in, usually after witnessing the murder of one of her friends.
Evil Character Can take many forms; serial killer, demonic possession, ghost, monster (vampire,
werewolf, zombie etc.)
Loved up Couple Male and female characters- usually all over each other when they are killed.
They are typically away from the rest of the group when the first murder occurs.
5. Research the iconography of horror
Iconography refers to recurring images/traits in a certain genre. These iconic elements are
usually immediately recognizable thus letting the know what to expect. Especially in a horror film
iconography follows a standardized pattern and won’t deviate from its original format.
Horror iconography can be linked to certain symbolic images that have appeared throughout the
genre’s history. These include; a haunted location (sometimes the creature/killer itself will lurk in
these areas), symbols of death, a disfigured face, the victim(s),The phallic murder weapon and
dismembered body parts.
The costumes are varied in a horror film and this is probably because characters depicted in
horrors are normal people in an extraordinary situation. For example cabin in the woods explores
normal teenagers fighting for their lives but all of them have a different sense of style.
