Genre
The word 'genre' comes from the French word meaning 'type' or 'class'. In film, genres are imposed in order to create variation and target an audience that are attracted to certain types of styles of film. Essentially the genre of a film is defined by a set of rules and conventions that are present within a piece of film. There are many genres and sub-genres in the media world. Most common ones include:
|
Sub-Genre
Similar to genre, sub-genres are subdivisions of the more broad genres. An example sub-genre films include the following:
|
Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Slasher Horror
Slasher is a sub-genre of horror. This sub-genre focuses on gore and graphically killing the characters in the film. "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is a good example of a slasher movie, as it consists of a psychopathic mass murderer whom roams and graphically murders his victims. Furthermore, conventions of a slasher horror sub-genre typically include gore, murder weapons (such as chainsaws), and a series of random, unprovoked attacks on the victims. The Others - Ghost Horror Ghost horror films typically consist of supernatural beings, usually haunting the protagonists of the film. The plot usually consists of abandoned, haunted or demolished locations, in which the presence of beings such as ghosts and spirits exist. An audience that enjoys psychological thriller and 'the unknown' will be fond to watch ghost horror films. "The Others" is a good example of a ghost horror film, as the plot consists of a series of unexplainable and supernatural events happening in a large, haunted mansion, which are revealed to be caused by ghosts in the end. Dracula - Gothic Horror
Gothic horror films are normally surrounded by conventions associated with gothic concepts: Castles, dungeons, supernatural beings (such as vampires, ghouls, etc) are present in gothic films. Dracula is a good example of a gothic film, as it consists of a vampire thriving off his victims in his castle. |
Hybrid-genre films are films that contain two or more genres converged into one piece of film. Hybrid films consist of conventions that may be present in two different genres. Good examples of hybrid-genre films are the following:
Titanic - Tragedy, Romance & Drama
Titanic contains three distinguishable genres within the plot; Tragedy, Romance and Drama. The conventions of a romantic film are present, as the plot consists of the generic love story which include Jack and Rose falling in love during the Titanic's maiden voyage. The tragedy of the plot occurs when the ship is struck by an iceberg, and it begins to sink. Lastly, the dramatic part of the film comes into play throughout the whole plot, most notably seen during Rose's suicide attempt and Jack's death scene after the ship has sunken. Ultimately, Titanic can be regarded as a hybrid genre film, due to the three genres converged within this film. |
The Green Mile - Crime, Drama, Fantasy
The Green Mile contains the three genres listed above. This lengthy film shows traces of Crime, Drama and Fantasy throughout the plot. The plot is set during 1930's in an American prison. One of the inmates, John, reveals to have been wrongly sentenced to the electric chair. Throughout his time on death row, he is shown to have magical healing powers, resurrecting a dead mouse, and healing an officers bladder problem. The dramatic part of the film is famously known to be present in the end of the film, where John the protagonist is ultimately executed. |
Pulp Fiction - Crime, Action and Comedy
Pulp Fiction shows instances of crime, action and comedy concepts throughout the plot. Set in the 90s, Pulp Fiction is famous for its ironic mix of humour and crime. Furthermore, the plot has many action-filled events that essentially defines Pulp fiction as a mixture of crime, action and comedy. |
Conventions
In film, conventions are regarded as a set of rules or ways that something is usually done in. For example, conventions of a romance film would include the generic and typical love story, where the male and female protagonist face obstructions that disallow for them to be together. Below, I have explained and elaborated the possible conventions in several genres:
Conventions of Action
In action films, the plot usually is filled with violence, weapons, futuristic technology and crime. It is very likely for the plot to be based on an on-going feud between the "good" side and "bad" side. Furthermore, the action-movie plot's are usually based in urban settings, such as large cities. In addition, there may be a considerable amount of special effects, such as explosions and mass destruction. |
Conventions of Romance
Romance films are usually based on love and affection between a male and a female protagonist. Most plots of romance films contain events in which obstruct the male and female to be together. As mentioned earlier, a good example of a romance film is "Titanic", as protagonist Jack is unable to be with Rose, as she is engaged to another man. This is considered as a generic obstruction in romance films, as it disallows the male and female protagonist to be together. Other conventions of romance films include "happy" endings, where in the end of the film the male and female have now overcame all obstacles and can be together. Furthermore, scenes which evoke emotion such as happiness, sadness, etc would be very common. |
Conventions of Horror
Horror films are usually filled with scenes that shock, scare and thrill the audience. This is generically includes scenes of murder, violence and paranormal events. Horror films conventionally have a mass/serial killer that goes on a rampage, killing his/her victims. Conventional props include knives, masks, blood, gothic objects, etc. Furthermore, horror films usually conclude on a shocking or frightening finale, which leaves the audience thrilled. Depending on the sub-genre of the horror film, the film will have different conventions. For example, a ghost horror film will be filled with paranormal, unexplainable events, usually caused by ghosts. Slasher horror films will consist of gore and a psychotic killer which murders using weapons. |
Conventions of Comedy
Comedic films usually contain conventions that have positive connotations; humour, ridiculous characters and unusual events may fill the plot of a comedy film. Comedies are usually set in settings that are bright and well-lit. Furthermore, the colour-scheme would usually consist of colors that are associated with happiness: Red, yellow and green. In addition, the characters that are introduced in comedies have the generic traits of being unintelligent, socially awkward or being of unusual nature. A good example of a comedic film would be "Ted", as the plot consists of a plush toy that engages in illegal activities, such as drug abuse and prostitutes. The irony of the film causes it to be humorous, as a plush toy would be associated with children and innocence, yet this plush toy partakes in not so "innocent" activities. Furthermore, the events that occur in comedic films are supposed to evoke humour and joy. |
Stereotypes
Stereotypes are present in almost every film; these stereotypes are commonly accepted by society and defines how an audience views an individual or group of people based on religion, looks, race, sex, etc. Although most stereotypes are misrepresented by the media, most of the audience accepts it as the truth. Examples of stereotyping in film include the following:
Asians
In films produced in the west, Asians are portrayed to be very intelligent, and work in high-status jobs. In addition, Asian students are shown to have exceptionally good academic skills, and be very good at maths. Lastly, Asians living in the West generally have a distinguishable accent, most commonly not pronouncing the letter 'L' in speech. |
Police Officers American police officers are normally portrayed as being overweight, consume large quantities of doughnuts and being corrupt with the law. In addition, they usually posses revolvers, and have a cruiser vehicle and act aggressively and rude to anyone they perceive as below their status. |
Genres & Film Openings
|
Child's Play - Horror/Mystery
The movie begins with a late night shootout scene, where a serial killer is being chased by a detective. The weather is stormy, evoking an uncomfortable and uneasy setting. This takes place in urban New York during the 80s, where the crime rates were excessively high during that period. Urban areas are conventionally associated with horror/action films, therefore this helps the audience to ascertain that the film is a mixture of horror and action. The chase scene evokes mystery and thrill, as the criminal is hiding and not disclosing his location, keeping the audience "on edge". Furthermore, the sinister soundtrack that is found playing along the chase scene adds to the effect of a horror film. In addition, the audience is intrigued |
as there is a sense of paranormal events within the plot. Once the criminal is shot, he transfers his soul to an inanimate doll by using sinister "voodoo" or "black magic" spells and rituals. Furthermore, instances of explosions and special effects are present during the opening scene, indicating that this is an action film. I have previously mentioned special effects (explosions, mass destruction, etc) to be the conventional aspects in action films.
Austin Powers - Comedy/Action
From viewing the film opening of "Austin Powers", the audience can quickly ascertain that the film belongs to the comedy and action genre. The protagonist is dressed in a vividly-colored suit, surrounded by other people with similar style clothing. Furthermore, the colour-scheme is extremely vivid and colourful, suggesting that the atmosphere is relaxed, joyful and happy. In addition, the protagonist appears to be in ecstasy, dancing along the cheerful soundtrack as the credits are being show. The plot is set during the 1960s, London. This is a period where rebellion, experimenting with drugs and disregarding the law was widely popular amongst society. For young viewers, the opening scene is supposed to portray what the 60's must've been like, thus exaggerating the atmosphere with |
|
cheerful music, vivid outfits and choreography. Furthermore, the typography of the credits acts as a good factor depicting the genre of the film; the colourful font and style evokes a playful and informal sense towards the atmosphere of the film. Lastly, the overall mood and emotion shown by all the characters seems to be excitement, joy and euphoria. This further suggests to the audience that the following film is a comedy.
|
Dazed and Confused - Comedy/Drama
The opening scene of "Dazed and Confused" establishes the setting and mood of the plot. The plot is set during the summer, on the last day of school. High School students are in their teen years, and are stereotypically portrayed as rebels and experimenting with drugs. The soundtrack playing along the opening scene is of metallic style, associated with youth, rebellion and chaos. The costumes of each character are of vintage style, suggesting that the plot is set during the late 60s and early 70s. Today, the 60s and 70s are perceived as being the "wild years" by the younger audience, as that is the period when society was widely experimenting with drugs, attending music festivals, and disregarding the norms of the old society. |
In addition, the general mood of the atmosphere is relaxed, excited and joyful; due to the fact that the students are looking forward to finishing school for the summer. The vivid colour-scheme suggests that the film is a comedy, as these bright colours are associated with joy and humour. As previously mentioned, well-lit settings are a common convention for comedy films, as they evoke a sense of comfort. Overall, the audience can clearly ascertain that this is a comedic film, due to the general ecstatic atmosphere, cheerful music, vivid colour-scheme and a hint of drug experimentation.
Trailers & Target Audience
First 50 Dates - Romance Comedy
From the trailer, I can conclude that the film is targeted towards romantics seeking for some humour involved in the generic "boy meets girl" plot. Conventionally, the trailer introduces that the female protagonist has Amnesia, ultimately resulting in her not remembering occurrences of the previous day. This causes obstructions between the male and female protagonist, as it is seen in most romance plots. The humorous instance of the female attacking the male character in the trailer suggests that there is comedy involved throughout the plot. In addition, the dialogue is used to determine the film's comedic nature, as the doctor casually exclaims "Was your head shaped like an egg before?". Overall, it is reasonable to conclude that the trailer is targeting a broad target audience, combining both romance and comedy into one hybrid-genre film. This target audience consists of both male and female, anywhere from 14 to 60+ years of age. |
|
Django Unchained - Western, Comedy, Action
The trailer evokes a dystopian feel, as the audience is promptly exposed to violence, guns and gore. The dark subject of African-American slavery is quickly imposed during the trailer, establishing the location (America) and period (early 18th century). The violent instance of the dentist duelling the two slave traders targets an audience that is intrigued by gore, violence and action. Furthermore, the atmosphere changes, as the cheerful and joyful soundtrack is introduced once the protagonist slave is freed from the slave traders. This implies that the slave is now on its own route to whatever motive of the plot is. The use of this soundtrack foreshadows the upcoming events will be filled with action and comedy. This targets a mature audience, predominantly male. |
|
Wolf of Wallstreet - Biography, Comedy, Action
An audience that is interested in comedy, crime and action is intrigued by the trailer, as instances of action and comedy-filled scenes are shown throughout the trailer. The soundtrack is cheerful and energetic, thus representing the dynamic atmosphere within the film. Drug use is visible in the trailer, suggesting that there are many instances of action and comedy throughout the movie. Furthermore, the narrative voice of the trailer is spoken by the protagonist himself, indicating that the film is a biography, explaining the eventful occurrences of a stock-broker's life. The concept of a biography adds a sense of realism for the trailer, drawing the audience's attention as it makes it seem as if the film is based on non-fictional events. Overall, the film's main target audience would be of mature age, and predominantly male. |
|
Representation
Location
Having watched the two film openings (Colombiana & Sex and the city), I can notice that there a vast differences between how the two places are represented to the audience. Firstly, in Sex and the City, New York is presented as very urban and densely populated. The skyscrapers suggest that the area is prosperous and wealthy. In contrast, in Colombiana, Colombia is represented as poverty-stricken and exposed to a lot of crime. The buildings were damaged and worn, and were similar to the Brazilian Favelas. Furthermore, the vehicles in New York were more modern and sophisticated, whereas the vehicles in Colombia were old, rusty and cheap. The clothes that the people were wearing were contrasting, as the people of New York were shown to be wearing glamorous dresses and designer clothes, whereas the people of Colombia were wearing simple, scruffy-looking attire. |
Gender
In the film opening, the female is attempting an assault course independently. We ascertain that she’s in the FBI, as the male informs her that she is needed in the office. She refers to the male as “Sir”, which depicts that she is lower status than him. Furthermore, as she is running back, she passes a group of people also training. They were distinguishably different, as they were all in black clothing, whereas the female protagonist differed in grey. This shows some sort of independence and self-reliance. Once she enters the building, we can see that she has a clearly smaller physique than the rest of the men. However, she is not phased by the men and feels casual, as the lift scene shows. She is portrayed as very masculine and independent, whilst still maintaining femininity due to her earrings and make-up. |
Casino Royale - Analysis
The use of camera techniques effectively establishes the key characters in the opening scene of Casino Royale. For example, the use of close-up shots of the characters faces determines that they are the focus on the following scene to the audience. When Bond overcomes the fence, the zoom on to his face establishes that he is the protagonist. Likewise, the pursuing man is established as the antagonist, due to the fact that he is running away from Bond, which shows that he is intimidated and in danger.
Furthermore, we are introduced to the setting using the extreme-long shots and high angles over the construction site, when Bond is still chasing the antagonist along the cranes. We can ascertain that the setting is not in the western world, due to the surplus amount of people of the African ethnicity working on the site. We can conclude that the chase is happening somewhere in Africa. Also, further into the opening scene, the two characters end up in the Embassy of Nambutu, which is a fictional country, but has African links. This confirms the audience’s speculations about where the film is set in.
Furthermore, we are introduced to the setting using the extreme-long shots and high angles over the construction site, when Bond is still chasing the antagonist along the cranes. We can ascertain that the setting is not in the western world, due to the surplus amount of people of the African ethnicity working on the site. We can conclude that the chase is happening somewhere in Africa. Also, further into the opening scene, the two characters end up in the Embassy of Nambutu, which is a fictional country, but has African links. This confirms the audience’s speculations about where the film is set in.
Film opening analysis
The Godfather
From the opening scene, we can see that the film is very slowly paced. For the next three minutes of the film there is one shot from the same angle zooming out from a close up of a man’s face to an over the shoulder shot of another man, not yet revealed as the godfather. By this point, we can tell that the movie belongs to the crime/drama genre. The key characters include the Godfather who is already suggested to be an important and powerful figure through this man begging him for help. Furthermore, the Godfather is presented as Italian, which is a stereotype that most mob-members are from Italian descent. The audience is encouraged to feel intrigued and mysterious about the events, due to the lack of sound playing whilst the conversation is on-going. This creates suspense and intrigues the audience. |
|
Back to the Future
From the opening scene, we are ascertain that the movie will be about science-fiction, due to the props such as radioactive materials, plutonium, etc. The lack of soundtrack makes the audience feel intrigued and in suspense. The ticking of the clocks adds to the suspense. Furthermore, the identity of the key character is withheld, leaving us guessing.They are most likely the protagonist of the plot. The audience is encouraged to feel excited and curious in what happens next in the story. |
|
Cinematography - Shots & Angles
Production Companies
I have researched several production companies that are well-known and famous for producing high-budget, quality films. Below, I have stated and elaborated on each production company, and which genre they specialise, produce and create:
Film Opening Project - Research
For our final outcome, we have decided to base our film on the horror, mystery genre. The fact that it has a mysterious aspect to the plot, in addition to horror, the audience evokes a psychological response. Below, I have researched the directors, actors and writers that have been successful in creating films of this genre.
Genre Research
Before completing our survey, we had a basic idea of who our movie opening was aimed at. However, I created a Survey on SurveyMonkey to clarify our audience and who we were specifically aiming at. We wanted to find out who in particular would enjoy the horror genre and what aspect of a movie appeals to them most. The survey I created received 45 responses in total.
Thriller - Thriller Film is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense. The aim for Thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. The protagonist in these films is set against a problem – an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film falls into, it will emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax.
Mystery - The mystery genre is a type of fiction in which a detective, or other professional, solves a crime or series of crimes. It can take the form of a novel or short story. This genre may also be called detective or crime novels. The purpose of a mystery novel is to solve a puzzle and to create a feeling of resolution with the audience.
Our piece of film will revolve around the Mystery Thriller hybrid-genre. We will trying to establish a suspenseful, mysterious atmosphere and setting. Our plot will potentially be based on some sort of puzzling event, that will capture the audiences curiosity.
Thriller - Thriller Film is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense. The aim for Thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. The protagonist in these films is set against a problem – an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film falls into, it will emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax.
Mystery - The mystery genre is a type of fiction in which a detective, or other professional, solves a crime or series of crimes. It can take the form of a novel or short story. This genre may also be called detective or crime novels. The purpose of a mystery novel is to solve a puzzle and to create a feeling of resolution with the audience.
Our piece of film will revolve around the Mystery Thriller hybrid-genre. We will trying to establish a suspenseful, mysterious atmosphere and setting. Our plot will potentially be based on some sort of puzzling event, that will capture the audiences curiosity.
Directors, Genres and Actors
Having researched these directors and their films, I have noticed the similarities that the movies contain. These 3 films all have the same one essential convention for a mystery horror plot: the unexplainable paranormal events. The reason the directors may have used these paranormal concepts in their film, is to provide thrills and keep the audience cliff-hanging at the 'edge of their seats' as the plot builds towards a climax. The tension usually arises when the main character(s) is placed in a menacing situation or mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible.
Furthermore, for the actors, I have ascertained that in most mystery horrors, there are child actors. The reason for this may be to represent childhood as it conveys innocence. And innocence itself is the ultimate distillation of “good”. Perhaps this is why both creators and audiences alike have often had something of a difficult time dealing with it within the horror medium. Because childhood represents the ultimate good, the corruption/destruction of that good is the most extreme form of evil that most of us can imagine. Also, the antagonists of these films are usually abstract beings, such as demons, ghosts and other paranormal entities. This is because these conventions add to the unexplainable phenomena of the mystery thriller.
Lastly, the target audience for a mystery horror film would range from 16 onwards, depending on the content. This type of film can be targeted both towards men and women, but still predominantly for men. Furthermore, this genre would apply to most social varieties, through the use of relatable characters. Thrill-seekers that enjoy "being on edge" and twist plots would be the target audience for this type of genre.
Furthermore, for the actors, I have ascertained that in most mystery horrors, there are child actors. The reason for this may be to represent childhood as it conveys innocence. And innocence itself is the ultimate distillation of “good”. Perhaps this is why both creators and audiences alike have often had something of a difficult time dealing with it within the horror medium. Because childhood represents the ultimate good, the corruption/destruction of that good is the most extreme form of evil that most of us can imagine. Also, the antagonists of these films are usually abstract beings, such as demons, ghosts and other paranormal entities. This is because these conventions add to the unexplainable phenomena of the mystery thriller.
Lastly, the target audience for a mystery horror film would range from 16 onwards, depending on the content. This type of film can be targeted both towards men and women, but still predominantly for men. Furthermore, this genre would apply to most social varieties, through the use of relatable characters. Thrill-seekers that enjoy "being on edge" and twist plots would be the target audience for this type of genre.
Film openings linked to proposed ideas
Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th is a horror movie that can be classified as a slasher type movie, meaning that it is a horror movie that uses a lot of gore which can almost be seen as unnecessary even by horror movie standards. The Friday the 13th series is general is iconic for its use of gore which has turned the series into the cult classic it is today. The movies take an approach to horror movies which can be seen as generic as the plot is basically that there is a killer going around killing all these teenagers who were at a summer camp because they did something in the past which affected the killer in some way. The movie clip here doesn't show a lot about the movie but what we can see from it shows that the movie really tends to be a bit over dramatic showing characters with close ups so the audience will be affected causing them to be scared in some way. This type of horror is more or a straightforward horror meaning that the killer doesn't really hide and instead wants to be found more or less. The characters represented in this movie are all vulnerable in some way, which we can see through the way the killer picks them off one by one. For a horror movie it seems like it is very natural for the victims to be show off as weak characters who are too frightened to do anything against the antagonist. This is depicted well in this movie because all the victims are being shown off as scared all the time, some of them are screaming. People are also being attacked at times people might think the be safest like in the day time or when they are just laying down on their bed. This movie uses a lot of medium shots to not only show off the characters emotions but to also show the environment that the characters are in. As we see in the trailer there are parts of the movie where the environment is needed to be able to truly understand what is going on in the scene such as the part of the scene which had the person staring in the direction of the camera while the shadow in the background slowly hold up a weapon, this is just an example of a way that the director is using his surroundings to explain the story. For a horror movie this seems to be a staple, to really define your setting, because horror movies wouldn't be as scary if we didn't have a feeling of where the scene takes place. |
|
Jaws
The Jaws horror movie takes a different approach to the slasher type Friday the 13th with its plot where there is a shark going around a beach town terrorising all the citizens who go out to sea. Instead of the straightforward approach where the character wants to be found like in Friday the 13th the thing that the people in Jaws are dealing with is a monster of a great white shark with what humans classify as a more impulsive mind rather than thinking rationally. The shark also tries to be stealthy and the build up towards the shark attacks with iconic music to make it even more dramatic so the audience knows when the attack is going to happen. The object of the horror in this movie is not a person, but rather an animal. A great white shark is prowling the coasts of a small beach town terrorizing all the residents. This movie is a good example of horror movies that are located in big open spaces, in this case the ocean, but it also shows another aspect of what makes a horror movie, that being the location of the object of horror for the most of the opening is hidden. In most horror movies this is the case , the antagonist would randomly pop-up out of no-where and would do something like a jump-scare. As this movie has a character who is not human and takes place in the open ocean, the movie has a lot of longshots which just show the sheer size of the shark and the environment where it is in, which is the sea. Although our horror movie will not be using a character who isn't human we will be using establishing shots to get a better sense of where the movie will be taking place. |
|
Paranormal Activity
Like the name suggest Paranormal Activity can be classified as a paranormal type horror movie where there is some sort of supernatural being in a house trying to wreak havoc on the people living there. The thing about this type of horror movie is that we're not supposed to know what the "antagonist" of the movie should look like. It's beyond our understanding so the audience should always be made to feel uneasy and should always be on alert because anything can happen. In the film opening we can see that the antagonist remains a constant mystery and is always invisible even though we can still see signs of it being there. This also ties into our genre of a horror movie because this aspect allows us to create a character that the audience can't see, but they still know that it is still there. This whole movie is taken from the perspective of someone who is using a camera to film, or if the camera had already been mounted on a wall. Although we will not be using this as an idea in our movie it still is an interesting idea because the audience will be viewing the whole movie from more of a first person perspective. Something that this trailer seems to have which other trailers don't is more of a lack of music in the movie. It seems the movie relies solely on background noise rather than a scary soundtrack, this also seems to be very effective at setting a creepy setting as the the only things we can listen to are the ambient sound effects. This idea is also very interesting, but we decided on using music in our movie as we believe it would fit our idea more to have music than to go on without it. |
|
Alien
Alien is a horror movie that, once again like the name implies, is based on an alien. The alien in this movie is terrorizing a crew of people in space picking them off one by one. The thing about the movie is the setting and the antagonist synergize so well together being the fact that the setting takes place in space and the alien is this predatory beast, that is practically indestructible, makes the audience feel this isolation that the crew members of this ship have making you feel like there is no escape and that you are just one of the crew members just waiting to be picked off. This opening is filmed in such a way that whenever you see the alien the screen is usually dark. This is probably to hide the identity of the monster so that the audience can never truly know what they're looking at making the audience build up this feeling of dread as they try to understand what this creature is. This could really help us incorporate the lighting better to make our audience feel like the audience of this movie. This movie uses, like Friday the 13th, a lot of medium shots to show not only the characters expressions but also the surroundings, but unlike Friday the 13th and more like Jaws this movie has a character who is not human. This idea of having a character who wasn't human was an idea that we had come up with in our original idea for our movie but as we began changing it later on we decided that we wouldn't be using a non-human character and instead just stick to human characters as our new ideas strayed farther from our original idea. |
|
Verdict
All of these movies, although different, had certain aspects that you could say related to one another. All the movies had some sort of moment in them where the characters would be in, what was assumed to be a bad situation, and depending on the significance of the character in that story could decide whether or not the character would die or would escape. Horror movies couldn't be see in the term of grey, which can be seen as anything can happen, but rather in terms of black and white. This meaning that almost all horror movies follow a specific pattern. If you are a side character in the show you are seen as 'disposable' and will most likely die. Whereas a main character usually survives, but there are some cases where the main character can still be disposable.
These horror movies seem to all make use of close ups to show off he emotions of the characters that could be threatened, this however doesn't apply to paranormal activity where almost everything is filmed at a longshot mostly. Each one of these movies had its own unique setting and theme for the antagonist, however all of them seem to be inflicting the protagonist with fear in some way or another and intends to kill the protagonist. These clips for the most part are taken with short takes as there is a lot of information being show in the clips and they want to get out as much information before the trailers over.
All of these movies, although different, had certain aspects that you could say related to one another. All the movies had some sort of moment in them where the characters would be in, what was assumed to be a bad situation, and depending on the significance of the character in that story could decide whether or not the character would die or would escape. Horror movies couldn't be see in the term of grey, which can be seen as anything can happen, but rather in terms of black and white. This meaning that almost all horror movies follow a specific pattern. If you are a side character in the show you are seen as 'disposable' and will most likely die. Whereas a main character usually survives, but there are some cases where the main character can still be disposable.
These horror movies seem to all make use of close ups to show off he emotions of the characters that could be threatened, this however doesn't apply to paranormal activity where almost everything is filmed at a longshot mostly. Each one of these movies had its own unique setting and theme for the antagonist, however all of them seem to be inflicting the protagonist with fear in some way or another and intends to kill the protagonist. These clips for the most part are taken with short takes as there is a lot of information being show in the clips and they want to get out as much information before the trailers over.
Audience Research
Before completing our survey, we had a basic idea of who our movie opening was aimed at. However, I created a Survey on SurveyMonkey to clarify our audience and who we were specifically aiming at. We wanted to find out who in particular would enjoy the horror genre and what aspect of a movie appeals to them most. The survey I created received 45 responses in total.
We created this question to find out what age group are answering our questions; therefore which age group is interested in our Horror opening.
We found that the dominant age group was those who are 14-21; this shows that our main audience group are those who are young. Many of the movies we looked at were 12 and 15 ratings, and our audience research has enabled us to achieve a similar style for our horror movies.
We found that the dominant age group was those who are 14-21; this shows that our main audience group are those who are young. Many of the movies we looked at were 12 and 15 ratings, and our audience research has enabled us to achieve a similar style for our horror movies.
We created this question to find out what genre is most popular amongst our audience and how many people like the genre of our movie opening; horror.
We found that the genre which was most popular was the comedy genre which gained 20% of votes, it was closely followed by the thriller genre with 15.5% and then came horror with 11%. We discussed these results as a group, and we acknowledged that the horror genre was the third most popular genre; this was good as it’s the genre our movie opening is based on.
We found that the genre which was most popular was the comedy genre which gained 20% of votes, it was closely followed by the thriller genre with 15.5% and then came horror with 11%. We discussed these results as a group, and we acknowledged that the horror genre was the third most popular genre; this was good as it’s the genre our movie opening is based on.
We created this question to find out which gender would be mainly watching our opening. Out of the 45 responses received, 22 were female and 23 were male, enabling us to get a balanced perspective from both genders. This shows us that our the following results from the survey can allow us to refine our film opening to both genders.
We created this question to see specifically which horror movies were popular in our voters’ opinions and which were not. We received 43 answers, this question in particular was very helpful.
We found that The Conjuring appeared three times and the response was that it was very scary, Annabelle appeared twice and voters said the same about that. Annabelle was produced by James Wan, and directed by John R. Leonetti. The Conjuring was directed by James Wan, and the cinematography was done by John R. Leonetti. This showed us that the work by these two is very popular within horror, we will attempt to use these movies as inspiration when creating our opening.
We found that The Conjuring appeared three times and the response was that it was very scary, Annabelle appeared twice and voters said the same about that. Annabelle was produced by James Wan, and directed by John R. Leonetti. The Conjuring was directed by James Wan, and the cinematography was done by John R. Leonetti. This showed us that the work by these two is very popular within horror, we will attempt to use these movies as inspiration when creating our opening.
We created this question to see what people thought was the most important thing to include in a horror movie. The answer choices were: Good Setting Location, Powerful Characters, Strong Storyline or A Plot Twist.
The most popular response by far was to have a Strong Storyline, this gained 44.44% of the votes. A plot twist was also quite important to our voters. We believe this is because it shocks the audience and grips them further, we have taken all these responses into consideration and are thinking about how we will captivate our audience.
The most popular response by far was to have a Strong Storyline, this gained 44.44% of the votes. A plot twist was also quite important to our voters. We believe this is because it shocks the audience and grips them further, we have taken all these responses into consideration and are thinking about how we will captivate our audience.
We created this question to understand what horror subgenre was most popular amongst our audience.
We found that the Psychological Horror option clearly took the lead with 62.79% of people voting for it, this was followed by 20.93% of people voting for the Slasher/Serial Killer option. We did plan to make our opening a Psychological Horror, and due to the results of the survey, we definitely will as it seems to be extremely popular.
We found that the Psychological Horror option clearly took the lead with 62.79% of people voting for it, this was followed by 20.93% of people voting for the Slasher/Serial Killer option. We did plan to make our opening a Psychological Horror, and due to the results of the survey, we definitely will as it seems to be extremely popular.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the results from our survey show us that our target audience is both genders, and mainly 14-21 year olds, however we do have people up to 53 years old who took part. The survey helped us to understand which type of horror subgenre would appeal the most, this was clearly the psychological horror, and this is what the genre of our opening is going to be so we made a good choice. I found the last question ‘What is your favourite type of horror film?’ very helpful, solely due to the fact that we now have a very clear idea of what our audience want to see. This Questionnaire has been successful as we were able to target our particular audience and know what we should include in our opening.
In conclusion, the results from our survey show us that our target audience is both genders, and mainly 14-21 year olds, however we do have people up to 53 years old who took part. The survey helped us to understand which type of horror subgenre would appeal the most, this was clearly the psychological horror, and this is what the genre of our opening is going to be so we made a good choice. I found the last question ‘What is your favourite type of horror film?’ very helpful, solely due to the fact that we now have a very clear idea of what our audience want to see. This Questionnaire has been successful as we were able to target our particular audience and know what we should include in our opening.