ThrillerandHorrorFilmGenreAnalysis

DefinitionofaThrillerandaHorrorfilm
(TakenfromGoogledefinitions)

Thriller
isa
genre
ofliterature,
film
,videogamestoriesandtelevisionprogramming
thatusessuspense,tension,andexcitementasitsmainelements.

Horror
isa
filmgenre
seekingtoelicitanegativeemotionalreactionfromviewers
byplayingontheaudience'sprimalfears.Inspiredbyliteraturefromauthorslike
EdgarAllanPoe,BramStoker,andMaryShelley,
horrorfilms
have,formorethana
century,featuredscenesthatstartletheviewer.

Horror/ThrillerFilmAssociatedProductionProducersandDevelopers

^WarnerBrothers
^Bumhouse
^ScreenGems
Productions
Productions

Thesethreecompaniesareknownforbeingapartofhorrorandthrillerfilms.Their
companylogoadvertisementsatthebeginningsoffilmsareusuallyunpleasantto
view,suchastheblumhouseproductionslogoadvertisement,itisveryfittingwith
thehorror/thrillerthemeoftheupcomingfilms.

Horror/ThrillerFilmTrailers+Advertisement

Trailersforhorrorandthrillerfilmsarequiteacrucialelementinthesuccessand
popularityoffilmsinthesegenres.Thisisbecausepeopletendtogenerallyhear
aboutnewhorror/thrillerfilmsthroughtheirtraileradvertisements,whichareposted
andspreadaroundsocialmediasites.
Theirtrailersusuallyconsistofsnippetsofthefilmandthesearechosencarefully
andwiselyasshotsthatweseeareusuallyintriguingandareshotsthatwould
attractthetargetaudience.Ifthiswasnotincludedinthetrailer,theaudiencewould
notbeasinterestedinthefilmasitcouldbeseenasboringorcliche.
Themainstarsofthefilmalsoalwaysappearinthetrailers,andthisisatechnique
ofattractionasmembersoftheaudiencemaybeafanofanactorinvolved,edging
themtowatchthefilm.Differentlocationsandscenesareshowninthetrailersto
maketheaudienceawareofthedifferentlocationsandplacesthatareinvolvedin

thefilm.Finally,voiceoversandloudsounds/musiciscommonlyusedwhichtends
tograbtheattentionoftheaudience.Allofthesethingsusuallyattracttheaudiences
andcreatesinstantinterest.Horror/Thrillerfilmfansareusuallywatchingthese
trailerstomakeaninstantjudgementonthefilm,thismeansthattrailersare
designedtoslightlyscaretheaudienceasthatiswhatahorror/thrillerfilmsmain
intentionis.

Anotherformofadvertisementisthefilmsposter/cover.Theseareusuallycreated
toscareormaketheaudiencefeeluncomfortable,yetgrabpeople'sattentionand
drawthemin.

Examples:

CameraWork
Cameraworkinthisgenreoffilmisanimportantaspectofcreatinganimageor
addingtensionoratmospheretoasceneorthefilmasawhole.Somefilmsbase
theirstorylinesaroundrelyonthetypeofcameraworktocreateallofthehorroror
thrillerinthefilm.ArelatedexampleofthiscouldbeafilmsuchasTheBlairWitch
ProjectorParanormalActivity.Theuseofcameraworkinthesefilmsarevery
interestingandseemtobeverysuccessfulincreatingathrillingfilmexperiencefor
anaudience.Alotofthecameraworkonthisfilmlooksasifthingsarebeingfilmed
onahandheldcamera.Ipersonallyfeelthatthisisaverygoodtechniqueandavery
successfulwayofengagingtheaudienceandmakingthemfeelonedgeorscared.
Thisisbecausetheuseofthesecameraanglesandtechniquesmaketheaudience
feelincludedandapartofthefilm,asitismoreofapersonalshot/wayofviewinga
film.
Othercameraanglesthatarecommonlyusedinhorror/thrillerfilmsareanglessuch
asMatchOnActionshots,wherewearedirectlyviewingsomethingthatcouldlead
tosomethingbad,suchasagunshotoraknifebeingpulledoutofapocket.Over
ShoulderShotsarealsoverycommonastheseseemtoconveysomesortof
intimidation,especiallywhenweseeanothercharacterdoingsomethingsuchas
walkingfarinfrontorrunningaheadinpanicorchaos.Ipersonallyfeellongshots
andpanningshotsarealsousedquitefrequentlyasshotssuchastheseareused
andthencutshort,witheditingandaddedmusicsceneslikesthesewhenan
audienceiswaitingforsomethingtohappenbutitdoesnt,andcutstothenext
sceneorablackscreen,itcanaddajumpyeffectandgetsareactionfromthe
viewersastheyareengagedandthenaresuddenlycutoutofthisengagement.

Lighting
Lightingisoneofthemainthingsthatlinkinwithotherareastomakeahorror/thriller
film,ahorrororathriller.Thisisbecausetheuseoflightingchangeswithindifferent
genrestoincreaseorhelpcreateanimage/messagefortheaudience.Personally,I
believethatthesignificanceandconvenienceoflightingincreaseswithinthegenres
ofhorrorandthrillerfilms(alsowithinSciFifilms).Thisisbecause,withthese
genres,itcanbehardertopresentthemessageoftheproduction.
Inthesetypesoffilms,thereisastrongexpectationandstereotypethatgoes
alongsidethem.Auseofdark,lowkeyandgenerallackoflightingisusually
expectedfromahorrororthrillerfilmandthisisbecausealackoflightcreatesa
senseoftensionandaddsachilling/sinistertone.
Sometimesauseofextremelybrightlightscanbeusedinmorechaoticscenes,and
thisisacontrasttothelackoflight.Thisusuallyhelpstheaudiencetosee
everythingthatishappeningandunderstandexactlywhatishappeningtosomething
inparticularinonescene.

AtechniquecalledBackLightingiscommonlyusedinthesegenres.Thisisa
techniquewherealightisusedbehindanobjectorapersonwhichthencreates
shadowandanunclearidentityfortheaudience,whichthencreatestensionand
uncertainty.
LightingsuchasHighKey,Underlighting,FillerLightingandTopLightingare
alsoused.Theselightingtechniquesallareusedtocreateeitherasenseoftension
orshadow,whichalsomakessceneslookmorerealisticandlifelike.

Miseenscene
Herearealistofdifferentmiseensceneelementsthatarecommonlyusedand
seeninahorror/thrillergenrefilm:
1. Dark
2. Eery
3. Abandoned/poorlyconditionedlocations
4. Paranormal
5. Ghosts
6. Spirits
7. Isolatedplaces
8. Modernlocations(modernhorrors)
9. Darkclothing
10. Greys,blacks,dull
11. Raining
12. Dull,darkweather
13. Horror/thrillingscenesusuallyatnight
14. Shadows
15. Unknownfigures
16. SerialKillers
17. Foggy,mist
18. Undistinguishablecharacters
19. Diseases?Unnaturaleffects
20. Monsters,inhuman
etc.