The document provides details for an individual assignment to create a short film pitching the psychological horror genre. It discusses choosing this subgenre due to available resources and interest in how tension is created. Five example films are listed, along with conventions like settings, costumes, and music. The potential opening describes a possessive antagonist harassing his partner in public, leading to deaths. Meeting genre conventions through techniques like flashbacks, editing, and music are explained. The film aims to explore the antagonist's motivations and mental state through narrative enigmas and tension-building cinematography.

1. ASSIGNMENT 26:
INDIVIDUAL PITCH
(PLANNING)

2. Horror Subgenre: Psychological Horror
■ I decided to choose the psychological horror subgenre due to the resources that we
have available within our group and due to the fact that I’m fascinated with how
tension is created within these types of films; the directors create the illusion that
what happens in the film can possibly occur in reality and so, as a result, creates the
enigma of the unknown.
■ For choosing this subgenre, our group would not have to primarily focus on the blood
and gore of the horror genre and so, collectively, we would be able to rely on the
character’s mental and emotional instability to frighten the audience at hand. By
exposing universal psychological and emotional vulnerabilities and revealing the
‘darker parts’ of the human psyche to the audience, our piece would, hopefully, have
more substance to that of other horror subgenres e.g. Zombie and Slasher.

3. Five films that are in this subgenre…
■ Session 9 (2001)
■ Seven (1995)
■ The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
■ Angel Heart (1987)
■ The Shinning (1980)

4. Conventions of the Horror Subgenre:
■ Props e.g.Weapons (knives/ guns etc…)
When watching a psychological horror film, the props you tend to see, that are used to
expose the universal vulnerabilities of a particular individual, are not actually apparent as
they’re not needed in order to meet the narrative enigmas of the subgenre. Instead it is the
costume, acting and make-up that help ones character to meet the requirements of the
genre. For example, in one of the five films that I listed earlier (that are in this subgenre:
The Silence of the Lambs) the protagonist mainly uses his mind in order to get what he
wants- he uses it as a weapon for fear and self-destruction.
Mirrors are commonly used in psychological horrors as they are used to portray the
reflections of a characters inner self as well as representing the inhumane side of a
character.

5. Conventions of the Horror Subgenre:
■ Setting:
The main settings used as a convention for this subgenre, that are seen time and time
again on screen, are houses, woodland areas, schools etc.These types of settings create a
sense of realism for the target audience as they’re put under the illusion of the fact that
whatever occurs on screen may occur in their life- as a result, this capitalises the fear of the
target audience as they picture themselves in those kind of situations.This is displayed in
The Shining as we see the events that ensue in a hotel.

6. Conventions of the Horror Subgenre:
■ Make-Up:
*Naturalistic
In order to meet the conventions of the subgenre, make-up is needed to depict a natural
image for the audience- therefore, heightening the effect of the illusion as a result. For
example, in the film SeVen a lack of make-up is used for the protagonists to make the
audience perceive them as a normal-everyday kind of working individual and likewise,
with the sins/ antagonists; the individuals have smudged eye makeup, dark sullen eyes etc
to display the emotions the character(s) uphold.

7. Conventions of the Horror Subgenre:
■ Music:
The musical conventions of the subgenre are shown through contrapuntal sounds.This is
significant in depicting the enigma of the subgenre as it negates the action taking place on
screen- adding to the intuitive fears of the film as a result. An example of a film in which
such things occur is in Reservoir dogs, in the ‘eat cutting scene’, in where the man who is
torturing the victim starts dancing to an upbeat song.
■ Costume:
The antagonist typically wears smart clothing and this clothing normally matches the
locations that they’re in. InThe Shining the antagonist wears smart clothing and is in an
urban area.Also, the antagonist typically wears dark clothing to represent suspicion,
mystery and death and the colour that is most susceptible for this is the colour black.

8. The possibility of what could happen in
the first two minutes of the OTS…
■ The antagonist will make his partner feel small within the scene e.g. “Okay that’s enough
now. I’m not having you or that bastard over there make me look like a fool… Alright?! …
Take one more look… I dare you…”
■ He is convinced that his partner has a ‘’secret lover’ but in fact it is all in his head due to his
possessive nature. E.g. PARTNERS SAYS… “I can never win ‘CHARACTER’!!! If I said I was
thinking of every man in here, or if I said I was thinking of you or whoever…or whatever… it
wouldn’t make the slightest of differences,Would it?!Would it?! ……”….
■ (He will exploit his partner’s vulnerabilities.The partner will question why he is acting in this
way but due to his twisted mind he will continue with his persistence to harass her in
public… Leading to her death and a strangers death as a result due to his possessive
nature.)
■ This scene is a ‘snippet’ of a flashback of events that the antagonist has taken in order for
him to become a killer- it makes the audience think of how he got to this stage in his life as
a result… (*OBSSESSION??)

9. Meeting the Conventions…
■ Editing: E.G. MONTAGE  the quick pace of editing used within the scene allows the audience to encapsulate the idea of
the unknown- creating tension as a result. ***There is also the possibility of using a chase scene within the piece in where
the antagonist hunts down his partners ‘secret lover’….This would conventionally help our piece meet the subgenre but due
to the technology we have, dolly tracking may not be able to occur, for example…
■ Flashbacks: Is used to show the past--- gives an insight into a characters past and shows why they are in a certain state in
the present day.
■ Musical effects/Contrapuntal sounds:  to build a tense and eerie atmosphere.
■ Stereotypical victim: Female (*always under threat) – the audience in hindsight have the impression of what may occur...
(that she may be the only victim within the OTS…)
■ Weapons  are not used to meet the codes and conventions of the subgenre as only illusion is used within the OTS to
exploit the universal vulnerabilities of characters.
■ Enigmatic  the audience don’t know what’s going to happen in the final ‘showdown’.
■ Non diegetic music  used to reflect the different stages of the film, representing before and during the psychological
downfall of the antagonist…
■ Short takes and/ or fades  used during the scary scenes, the OTS will create a fast pace fear for the audience.

10. Narrative Enigmas:
■ The viewer wants to know what the motif of the antagonist is…
■ What is driving him...??
■ What has made him like that…??
■ Why is he like this…??
■ Who has made him like this…??
■ Will he recover his mental state of mind…??
■ ETC...

11. Main targets to make this OTS effective:
■ Low key lighting  creates suspense and tension  can create shadows and can unnerve and terrify the
audience… HIGHLIGHTSTHETHEME OFTHE UNKNOWN…
■ Close up and mid shots  are used to help the audience relate to the characters – it creates the idea of
realism and so heightens the tension within the genres OTS…
■ Flashback  gives an insight into the antagonists past and therefore shows why he is acting in a certain
way in the present day…
■ Props  are not needed as it is the mental weapon of man that can expose the universal vulnerabilities of
oneself…
■ Setting: HOUSE  sets the illusion of the fact that whatever occurs on screen may occur in the audiences
life… REALISM*
■ Montage  quick pace of editing used within the scene allows the audience to encapsulate the idea of the
unknown- creating tension…
■ Contrapuntal sounds  negates the action taking place on screen- adding to the intuitive fears of the
film…