The reasons for why I conducted thorough research about the history of horror films, is so I could gain a greater understanding of the creative processes that are typically seen in many horror films today and how they have changed dramatically over the years in order to adapt and satisfy each new generation. I acknowledged how Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, became such an influential horror film for numerous directors as Hitchcock himself had pioneered many techniques within the thriller genre and had therefore opened up a whole new genre for other directors to experiment with. I recognised and discussed the different themes that have been introduced over the years to the horror industry and learned how the themes have gradually evolved from supernatural monsters to devil possession to alien invasions to psychopathic killers etc.
From producing a case study of two popular slasher films, Halloween (1978) and Saw (2004), I was able to analyze and compare the opening scenes of both films in terms of mise-en-scene, camera shots, themes, sound and representation. I was then able to discuss the similarities and differences of both films and comment on how the techniques have changed and evolved over the years.
Due to the classification of my film being suitable for viewers who are aged eighteen and above, I distributed my questionnaire to other members of my year as they fall into this age group. This allowed me to get the best response to each given question and will ultimately help me to produce an effective trailer. This is why creating a questionnaire was essential.
My textual analysis of the opening sequence to Scream and of The Shining, both assisted me in acknowledging the conventions that are typically associated with the horror genre and what practical techniques were put in place by each director to make the narrative more exciting and heart-pumping for the audience. In terms of mise-en-scene, camera angles, sound and editing, I was able to note and recognise what typical elements are used within the horror genre to produce a more apprehensive story line and therefore result in the audience feeling tense and uneasy.
Overall my pre-production altogether has helped me gain a better perspective as to what the film industry itself does in order to produce a successful horror film and what conventions and techniques are typically seen within the narrative and how they have developed over time in order to satisfy each new generation. Each step of my pre-production has enabled me to produce a successful idea for my teaser trailer and what typical conventions should be made apparent within the narrative.
Following the course of my pre-production, I watched the opening sequence to Scream, the 1996 slasher film. I watched the opening four times. With every screening I viewed, I made several notes on the following sections:
Horror films are designed to entice and frighten the audience. In order for this to work successfully, directors have to carefully analyze all the typical elements that are frequently used within a horror film to strike out the emotion of fear and terror from the viewers. Horror films consist of many conventions. The following are listed below.
The horror genre includes many subdivisions (or sub-genres) such as slasher films, psychological horror and gothic horror. Each subdivision take conventions and find ways of amending them and making them more thrilling and exciting for the audience. Wes Craven's Scream provides an example of the slasher format, but also offers commentary on the construction and consumption of the horror film.
Scream is a 1996 slasher film directed by Wes Craven from a screenplay by Kevin Williamson, and is the first of the Scream series. The film tells a story of a fictional town Woodsboro being terrorized by a masked killer who enjoys tormenting his victims with phone calls and movie references. The film takes on a 'who done it' mystery, as many townspeople are fellow targets and suspects. Scream revitalized the slasher film genre in the mid-1990s, similar to the impact Halloween had on the late 1970s.
Scream opens with a twelve minute prologue that introduces Casey, played by Drew Barrymore, an all American girl who is popping popcorn in preparation for watching a video.
From the very beginning of the film, sound is present. Sound is used to entice and frighten the audience. As the film begins eerie music is in the background as Dimension Films slowly appears from the darkness. This is then followed by a loud rumble, almost as if several doors are being shut all at once. While the eerie music continues, the title of the film appears and is stretched out and comes back together with a loud crash. This is followed by a phone ringing, a rapid heart beat, a terrifying scream, a knife slicing into something, and finally more screams. The ringing phone relates to the first scene of Scream, and as the caller picks up, the phone and the music, the beating heart, and the screams all vanish. Another example of sound being used is when, Casey, the victim in the first scene, picks up the phone and talks to a mysterious caller. The caller has already threatened that he will kill her if she hangs up the phone again in which she replies that her boyfriend is coming over and will protect her. The caller responds with, "His name wouldn't be Steve, would it?" Casey stands stunned as a loud boom follows. It emphasizes the last comment even more. The viewer realizes that this is not a silly prank call anymore. As she panics, the music gets louder building up tension as the story unfolds. The director, Wes Craven, is adding layers by adding more tension with each passing moment within the film. In the final shot of the first scene Casey is being chased by the killer who is her mysterious caller. As she runs outside all the viewer can hear is her breathing. Her breathing is rapid, full of gasps and sobs. This again creates more tension.
The opening scene is set at night in what appears to be a country house. This acts as an indication that the place is isolated which adds tension and indicates that something bad is going to happen. Due to the fact that it is set at night, the audience will be expecting a lot of darkness which again indicates that something terrible is going to take place. The house is painted white which symbolizes innocence and purity and Casey is also seen in white throughout the first scene which again shows that she is the innocent victim. The mysterious killer is dressed in all black, almost like the grim reaper. The color black indicates that the killer is evil and wicked. He is also seen wearing a white mask and is referred to as 'ghost face' as his identity is always hidden from his chosen victims and from the viewers. This entices the audience as a hidden identity gives the killer a high psychotic status. The mise-en-scene within the opening scene shows a typical horror element, while Casey is on the phone talking to the mysterious caller, she plays with a knife and also mentions the film Halloween, where the killer uses a kitchen knife as a murder weapon. This shows the viewer dramatic irony.
Props used within the opening scene include knives, popcorn, phone and blood, which again are all typical conventions found within a horror film. The knife shows the audience that is it going to be a slasher film which means that gore and blood will be shown frequently throughout the film as the story continues. The lighting within the chosen place of setting changes as the killer threatens Casey. She often moves around the house lit by lamps which provide pockets of light and shadow. The use of dim lighting and shadows makes the scene even more unnerving and frightening for the viewers as they are expecting something or someone to appear from a dark corner, as the darkened spaces provide places for the killer to hide. From the beginning the house is brightly lit but slowly changes to a dimly lit atmosphere as the mood of the victim changes. Scream includes many typical icons of horror. Knives and a mask are used throughout the first scene to signify that this is a killer. Knives have been known to be an intimate violent weapon, which not only heightens the fear of the chosen victim, but also the viewers, thus frightening and enticing the audience further more.
There are a variety of camera angles and shots throughout the first scene. Firstly, there is a mid-shot of Casey answering the phone. The camera then follows her around as she walks, which gives the impression that somebody is following her from behind and is watching her every move. The camera also pans around the room which shows that she is alone and is vulnerable to danger. The director also uses an establishing shot; this sets the scene and shows the audience where the character is. This shot is used when the audience is shown the garden and then Casey's house. This indicates that the house is miles away from town and is in an isolated area and therefore so is Casey. A long shot view of the house from the outside is given which also shows that Casey is within an isolated area. There are several instances of Point of View shots, for example, when Casey is peering out of her window looking at her boyfriend. This makes the viewer feel as if they are the victim and are apart of the story. As she answers the questions the camera moves closer giving the audience a close up shot of the victim. The camera also slowly moves forward as she moves back. This again shows that somebody is watching her and following her ever move. During the climax of this scene where she is being chased by the killer, the camera follows her from behind and shows that she is bare foot which shows her vulnerability. Finally when ghost face is about to strike his victim, a high angle shot is given as he brutally attacks Casey. This presents his dominance over her and again shows her vulnerability as she is left helpless. Wes Craven has also used an effective technique within the first scene, as he uses a Dutch tilt camera angle. A Dutch tilt is the term used for a cinematic tactic which is used to portray the psychological uneasiness or tension in the subject being filmed. This type of camera shot is achieved by tilting the camera off to the side so that the shot is composed with the horizon at an angle to the bottom of the frame. This makes the subject tilted and disorientated towards the viewer and makes them feel uneasy and tense, thus creating the feeling of terror and fear.
Editing is made apparent within the opening scene. As the victim is running away from the killer, it is presented in slow motion as he is just about to brutally kill her. As she hides from the killer, a direct long shot view of her parent’s car comes into view and then cuts back to her. This indicates that she has a way of escaping from being brutally murdered. While her parents are searching around the house for clues as to what has happened to their daughter, a three minute shot of the killer about to strike her with the knife comes back to the screen and then cuts back to the parents. Finally in this scene, a long shot view of her body hanging from a tree outside is given. The camera speeds up as it zooms in on her body and then jumps into the next scene.
Casey could be viewed as a typical representation of a victim within the horror genre. The victim is usually depicted as a young, vulnerable female who is prone to danger and is helpless against the killer.
Casey is a young high school teen who is home alone and lives in an isolated area. Due to the fact that she is home alone, she is vulnerable to danger, making her the perfect victim for the killer to attack. Within the first few minutes of the opening scene, the audience sees that she is making popcorn in preparation for watching a movie to enjoy the rest of her evening. This indicates that the director, Wes Craven, has portrayed her as a typical female teenager. Overall, Scream is aimed at teenagers who enjoy all the gore and blood of a slasher film. Due to the victim being a young teenager this could possibly evoke the audience's inner worst fear and shows how vulnerable they can be to danger.
The killer, 'Ghost-face', is seen as the dominant character within the film. The denotation of this character is that he is wearing a black cloak and a white mask to hide his identity. The connotation of this is that it symbolizes him to look more frightening to his victims and makes him feel superior towards others.
Special effects that are used within the opening scene is blood. This is a typical convention that is used within every horror film and also indicates that Scream is a typical slasher. The denotation of blood is that the color is red and the connotation shows that it symbolizes death and sacrifice of a vulnerable victim.
In conclusion the opening sequence of Scream embodies much of the horror genre as the director, Wes Craven, revitalized the horror genre in the nineties by analyzing the conventions that are used within horror films and evolved each element to adapt to the new generation and preyed on their fears. He has introduced a new villain to the horror genre as the plot of the film involves a psychopathic serial killer, who taunts and threatens his victims before stabbing and killing them. Layers of sound used within the opening scene are effective, as the music gets louder with each passing moment, which builds up tension and entices the audience. Blood and gore is made apparent within the opening scene which already indicates that Scream is going to be a slasher film. Scream revitalized the slasher genre by evolving each element and producing a more terrifying and bloody film which will appeal to the audience and strike fear into their hearts.
The Shining was brought to screen in 1980 by the mastermind of Stanley Kubrick and is an adaptation of the Stephen King novel by the same name. The film has been called the most suspenseful of all time and one of the most carefully thought out movie ever. There is something special about this movie, something about the way it manages to enact an emotional response from the viewer. Kudbrick uses many devices in the creation of these emotional responses. In this essay I will examine and analyze the movie’s plot and explain how it contributes to the creation of suspense in The Shining.
The plot outline of the film is about a family heading to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, where his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future. The movie itself digs deep into the human psyche and strong family values. Kudbrick shows how frail and precious the mind can be at times, but also how violent an individual can be, even towards their loved ones.
The opening scene shows an overview of Colorado indicating the location of the movie. The camera slowly zooms in towards the ocean, showing the scenic view of the mountains and of the water. Kudbrick had made clever use of camera angles within this first opening shot as he has titled the camera almost giving the audience a sense of feeling that they are flying over the area and also uses high angle shots. The next thing you see are some of the credits of the movie as the camera continues to show the scenic views. The director of the The Shining appears first, the two actors who are playing the main characters and finally the name of the movie. A high angle camera shot then zooms in on the hotel which is the main setting.
Jack Torrance, the main character of the movie, is given the job, while back at home his son, Danny, has a premonition. He asks Tony, “the little boy who lives in his mouth” what’s wrong with the hotel and then sees torrents of blood gushing out of a set of elevators, in a strikingly vivid, colourful shot, followed by a shot of the ghosts of two young girls who were possibly murdered within the hotel years earlier. Kudbrick adds a serious element of danger and serves as the turning point/climax of act one. This leaves the audience feeling weary.
In the next scene the audience see the family on the road to the hotel. The conversation turns into a story of some pioneers who, trapped in some mountain range, resort to cannibalism to survive. This topic of inhumanity on humans acts as a hint to the upcoming danger and violence that will appear later on in the movie.
At the Overlook Hotel, the family is shown around the mansion. Wendy, Jack's wife and their son meet with the head chef, Mr. Halloran. The audience learn that he and Danny both share the gift of sight - 'the shining.' We also learn that the hotel is potentially dangerous especially the sinister room 237, and that Danny should at all costs stay away from it and not enter. We are then fast forwarded one month later. The scene opens with a steadicam shot of Danny riding on his tricycle around the hotel. Kudbrik creates a very spooky feel, firstly by showing only the back of the boy, in a view that is unnatural to the eye and secondly by the sound by the sound the tricycle makes as it goes quietly over the soft carpet, then suddenly, loudly over the hard floor. The slow, long smooth steady cam shot, combined with the irregular loud/soft audio and the frantic movements of the boy, come together to create a very absurd audio and visual which indicates a sense that all is not well.
During this scene, Kudbrick’s editing heightens suspense, creates dramatic tension and suggests Danny’s psychological state.
The scene opens with an extreme long shot tracking Danny as he rides his tricycle away from the camera, down a hallway in the Overlook. Danny goes through a doorway in the distance and turns, riding out of sight. Kubrick holds this shot for another few seconds, suggesting that Danny has just entered a dangerous place to where the camera is afraid to follow.
Danny turns the corner and comes to an abrupt halt when he sees the two girls from his earlier vision standing at the end of the hallway. This allows the viewer to absorb the shock as Kudbrick maintains the shot slightly beyond the peak of ‘content curve.’ This creates a sense of time being extended, as if you are in a dream, or like Danny, a vision.
Following the logic of editing, Kudbrick cuts to a reverse angle shot of Danny’s reaction focusing on the attention of his wide eyes. Danny has seen the girls and has become terrified.
Kudbrick then startles the viewer as the slow rhythm editing is broken by the jump cutting to a closer shot down the hallway, where the audience sees a disturbing image of the girls massacred on the floor, with blood splattered across the walls and an axe in the middle of the floor.
This shot is cut extremely short not allowing the viewer to take in the alarming sight. This indicates the way in which the horrific images are flashing through Danny’s mind. The rhythm of editing picks up speed. Kudbrick quickly cuts back to the girls standing at the end of the hallway, however the camera has now moved closer to them.
Another jump cut to the murder scene is instantly followed by a medium shot of the girls that, nearer to the viewer than ever, stirs intense emotions of fear and a feeling of approaching trouble. The fast edits create a sense of speed, perhaps mirroring Danny’s quickening heart rate as he grows more and more distressed. Kudbrick cuts back one last time to the bloody shot of the girls on the floor before returning to the reverse angle close up of Danny, who throws his hands over his eyes. The camera stays with Danny as he cautiously lowers one of his hands to see if the girls are still there. This evokes an unbearable feeling of suspense because like Danny, the viewer is uncertain if the frightening event is over.
Kudbrick then gives another reverse angle shot answering the viewers question by showing a long and empty hallway. By pulling back the camera and returning to a slower editing pace, Kudbrick informs the audience that Danny’s vision is indeed over and that everything is back to normal.
The first half of act two shows the audience Jacks progressive deterioration into madness and illusion, his son's fixed suspicions about the hotel and Wendy's confusion about it all. Jack experiences writers block and as a result lashes out at Wendy's attempt to help him. On another one of his bike rides around the hotel, Danny comes across the forbidden room 237 and becomes drawn to it and turns the locked doorknob with curiosity. Again he sees the gushing torrents of bright red blood implying danger and death, and again sees the two girls.
In conclusion, Kubrick’s clever use of the isolated setting of the movie along with the menacing villain of the narrative has proven The Shining to be a successful and chilling movie. Kubrick was an American director, writer, producer and photographer of films which is possibly why he uses effective picturesque shots within the movie. Notably, this shows the stark contrast between nature’s beauty and the horrific turn of events that take place around it. The effective use of the various camera angles and the editing of scenes altogether make the audience feel on edge and alarmed, as the camera angles distinctively portray each of the characters distress and fear. Kubrick had made an extensive use of the steadicam when filming. A steadicam is a weight-balanced camera support, which allows smooth camera movement in enclosed spaces. This helped to convey the claustrophobic oppression in the hotel and would have aided in making the audience feel the claustrophobia as well as the characters. 'Room 237' is very symbolic for the killing and chaos that took place within that room, as well as the gushing blood and the ghosts of the dead twins. Collectively, this adds more suspense and anticipation within the viewer when watching the film.
The Shining has received excellent reviews from the majority of the general public, with such things as, "One of the late 20th century's finest tales of the supernatural and a justly famous classic." The film has embedded itself in popular culture and is one of the most petrifying and sinister films ever to be made. The Shining set high standards in the 1980's and will continue to inspire other movie directors to attempt to produce horror films with the same level of success and to strike fear into the viewers hearts.
