2. Extreme Low Angle
Using an extreme low angle makes the stairs look bigger than they are, as though they are looming
over the camera, and respectively, the viewer. This picture is powerful for a variety of reasons, the
shadow to the right could be a person, creating a sense of ‘fear of the unknown’ in the audience.
Lighting in this picture is important, the darkness makes the stairwell look grotty and decaying, which
heightens a sense of fear, compared to a picture taken in a well lit open space. The markings on the
wall could be ‘blood’, adding to the scare factor of the overall image.
3. This picture has used the black and white
effect to maximise the scariness by
enhancing the light-shadow contrasts
within the image. The industrial pipes and
vents in the ‘basement’ type setting are
typical in the horror genre, as they can
symbolise the entrapment and the fear of
only one way out. In this picture there is a
blurry figure near the door, this makes the
picture scarier as it makes the viewer
question whether the figure is a ‘ghost’ or
other paranormal being, a favourite in the
horror industry. The walls look dirty and
unkempt giving the impression that the
location is abandoned, which leads the
audience to believe that no one will be
around to help if something happened
here.
Low Angle
4. This is one of my favourite images depicting a horror style. The regimented look of the
metal frame beds on its own is creepy, as the audience knows that once they were
used as maybe hospital, or asylum beds, and that people may have died on them. This
leads the viewer to subconsciously think about other paranormal things such as ghosts,
spirits and poltergeist. The dirty surroundings suggest the building is abandoned,
leading to questions such as ‘why is the place abandoned?’ and ‘what happened here?’.
A sepia tone type effect has been used, probably to represent that the place is very old.
