PRODUCTION LOG: Research into the genre; horror and thriller

9/10/14 |  RESEARCH | GENRE; Thriller

Our group have decided to go with a horror or thriller film. Therefore I shall research both of these two genres.

Firstly I have decided to research the thriller genre. A thriller film is known to promote intense excitement, suspense and a high level of anticipation. The target audience of a thriller film is a person who enjoys a lot of mystery and thinking, the person watching would be one to like to work things out for themselves. They would also love surprises and red herrings in a film. Thrillers are mainly popular to those who are under the age of around 25, but there are also people who enjoy watching thrillers who are above that age. It is known that thrillers are more popular to women than men.

Thriller films are a difficult genre to pin down as they can cover a wide range of types of films:

• Film noir, psychological
• Detective, gangster
• Horror, sci-fi

The tension of the plot usually arises when the main character(s) is place in a tough situation or an escape or dangerous mission from which it seems impossible. The goal of a thriller film is to keep the audience ‘at the edge of their seats’ as the plot builds up. Thrillers also like to play out our repressed fears.

The characters involved in these films usually come into conflict with each other or with people from the outside. This can include;

• Convicts/ criminals/ prison inmates
• Stalkers, assassins, terrorists
• Down-on-their-luck losers
• Innocent victims
• Characters with dark pasts
• Etc.

The main themes often included in thrillers are terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic troubles often leading to a murder.

The master of the thriller genre is Alfred Hitchcock, with films like:

• Psycho
• Rear Window
• Vertigo

9/10/14 |  RESEARCH | GENRE; Horror

A horror film is a film that depicts the views emotions, worst fears, terror of the unknown, disgust and nightmares. This genre is a genre that often features scenes throughout the films that scares the viewer with the use of death and also supernatural forces. This genre overlaps quite often with the thriller genre.

Most plots in a horror film involve evil forces, events or supernatural personage. Elements that often feature in horror films are;

• Torture
• Gore
• Ghosts
• Demonic forces
• Supernatural forces/organisms
• Serial killers
• Etc.

Horror sub genres:

• Gothic
•  Psychological
• Supernatural
• Suspense
• Thriller
• Teen terror
• Satanic
• Demonic

Horrors target audience often seems to be teenagers and people in their twenties, but some critics are against teenagers watching horror movies as they think that teenagers are “unaware of the far superior films that are being regurgitated”. However, some horror movies do target the unknowing teenage audience. Again, women seem to be devoted fans of the horror genre, possible because of the many heroines but also because horror movies cross gender boundaries as they deal with the primal emotion- fear. Horror films tap into locked fears, ideas and imagery that most humans tend to want to avoid.

Sequels and re-makes have given the horror genre a bad name but even some of these are well made films. There are many good horror films being made each year. These well-made films explore the nature of relationships, whether the relationships are between humans or between the natural and the supernatural.

Codes and conventions of a horror film:

·         Blood

·         DeathKilling

·         Villains

·         Victims

·         Haunted houses and isolated settings

·         Monsters

·         Supernatural