Friday 23 October 2015
Thursday 22 October 2015
Research: Codes and Conventions of Horror Films
Codes:
A Code in a film is a system of signs that can create different meanings. There are two different categories of codes - technical and symbolic.
A technical codes are basically the equipment which is used to tell the story in a media text, this is like the way the camera is used to work in a film or editing the use of sound.
Symbolic codes are used through things like mise-en-scene. For example a characters feelings can be portrayed through actions. A costume can be decoded to see what type of person they really are. Other props can also suggest other things to the audience.
Some codes fit both like music for example as it is both technical and symbolic.
Conventions:
These are the ways of doing things in order to do something. There are different conventions in any type of medium.
types of conventions in a horror film-
Secluded location
Generally, horror movies enjoy placing their characters in a locale where there's no one around to help them i.e. the woods, a ghost town, a summer camp, a dormitory during off season, anything abandoned or a house in the middle of nowhere, anywhere that only includes the cast and no one else in sight can be used in a horror movie.
Characters Forget About Threat
.Many times there is danger, death, a curse, or worse and people know about it, but they conveniently place it out of their minds.
.It is almost always a negative thing in a movie. 'So, lots of campers have been disembowelled here?' 'Yeah, and they found somebody's head a few days ago and foot tracks leading to the cave nearby.' 'Oh, that's too bad. Who wants to play truth or dare?'
Power Is Cut
At the scariest moment possible, the lights suddenly disappear. An ancient staple, probably leading back to a time before there was electricity.
Note to would-be serial killers: MAKE SURE YOU CUT THE POWER BEFORE YOU BEGAN A MASSICARE, BUT DONT WORRY CHANCES ARE NO ONE WILL THINK ITS OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
Phone Lines Are Out
The killers always take out the phones, even in their own home (Miser-1990) so that no one will attract the attention of any pesky policeman, concerned civic leaders, zombies killers, or vampire hunters. Almost all horror films where a phone can be seen will have the phone lines cut, It seems like a law for horror movies.
In the recent age of cellular phones, things have changed- the mobile phone is damaged, a phones battery has run out, someone goes somewhere where there is no service, or the phone disappears
Someone Investigates A Strange Noise
This is one of the most unbelievable, yet most overused horror movie convention. Still
image that all of your friends have been horrifically murder by a unseen killer. You hear a loud or strange noise coming from a dark room or escaping from the depths of the woods. would you go ALONE,UNARMED AND WEAK to investigate and probably end up with your guts on the end of their knife. No? I wouldn't either but it seems that every horror character does or gets half way, trips up and the murder magical appears and brutally kills them.
Someone Runs Upstairs Instead Of Outside
You will frequently see potential victims running past open doors to the outside world (and safety) in a desperate attempt to get upstairs where they can lock themselves in a 'safe' place where the murder some how breaks in, appears with out breaking in or is all ready in the room even thought they were chasing the victim upstairs.
Victim Cowers In Front Of A Window Or Door
An old , easy scare in 'Slashers' is to have someone hiding from, the killer against a door/wall/window only to have the killers hand break through the hiding spot and grab them.
The victim looks out the window, sees nothing and when they turn away the killer jumps thought or as soon as they look out the window or thought a crack in the door the killer somehow pops up at the exact time. This time of convention can be very effective but usually its not.
Victim Inexplicably Falls Over
Why? Just why. When ever there is a murder chasing them the victim always seems to fall over the smallest object to find them self's crying and abandoned by friends to be greeted by death.
Vehicle Won't Start
This can happen to any vehicle, from snowmobiles to motorcycles to spaceships to the chain falling odd a bicycle. But this seems to only happen when the murder is right behind them but when they enter there location is works perfectly fine with no signs of it breaking down later on. This is a classic scare then normal appears near the end of the film or in the middle, depends on the killers mood.
The Fake Scare
A fake scare is one of the oldest and most over used conventions in horror films. They can take on any shape and size, but in general, any scare in a film that is not connected to the threat ( A friend jumps out, a door slams, someone looks into a mirror, someone new enters the room unnoticed, the phone rings, someone bumps into a department store mannequin, a bell rings, something falls, Someone is tapped on the shoulder or grabbed, a policeman knocks on the car window or door, a balloon pops, a bird files out of the tries or window or closet , something falls out of the closest that made a noise earlier on, a car alarm going off, someone cell phone rings, music turns on, the tv turns off or on, anything turns on or off unexpectedly and so on.) is a fake on. They are easy to do and can be very effective or completely stupid.
Warning Goes Unheeded
It is human nature to go where one is told not to go and do what one is advised against. This can be achieved in many ways: someone has a dream that something nasty will befall all who go on that ski-trip ( yet they go no matter what), there is a rumoured curse regarding a discovered object( and they take it anyway), there is a sign which clearly states not to go in the abandoned house. (but they still go in anyway)...
Someone Is Killed In The First 5 Minutes
This is a handy convention as it helps the audience understand what the story line will be about quicker. This scare is normally in 'Slashers' but can appear in some paranormal films. Jaws, House, Halloween and Scream used this convention very effectively.
X Years Before/Later
This convention either indicates a prologue, setting up the events that happened before out story (such as the first couple minutes of Halloween or The Descent), or a film where we see the latter effects of an incident (Like I Know What You Did Last Summer), or an extensive flashback used to explain things (why the boarding house is haunted, why Jimmy is in the mental institution, why Carrie cant remember her parents, what lurks in the crawlspace under the house etc.,). A lot of 5 years later or 2 weeks will be superimposed on the screen.
The Stormy Night
Since the days of Victorian Horror, and even before, this has been one of the genre's most overused clichés. It may stem from he fact most people have a childhood fear of thunder. or that lighting and rain can create a horrific atmosphere.
The Short Cut
Most horror character take the short cut thinking that it will lead them to a happy, beautiful place but instead it leads them to hell. Normally the killer is waiting at the end of the road but if the killer isn't then the characters most likely get stuck in mud or water , or find a abandoned building to investigate what leads to all the other conventions to occur.
A Code in a film is a system of signs that can create different meanings. There are two different categories of codes - technical and symbolic.
A technical codes are basically the equipment which is used to tell the story in a media text, this is like the way the camera is used to work in a film or editing the use of sound.
Symbolic codes are used through things like mise-en-scene. For example a characters feelings can be portrayed through actions. A costume can be decoded to see what type of person they really are. Other props can also suggest other things to the audience.
Some codes fit both like music for example as it is both technical and symbolic.
Conventions:
These are the ways of doing things in order to do something. There are different conventions in any type of medium.
types of conventions in a horror film-
Secluded location
Generally, horror movies enjoy placing their characters in a locale where there's no one around to help them i.e. the woods, a ghost town, a summer camp, a dormitory during off season, anything abandoned or a house in the middle of nowhere, anywhere that only includes the cast and no one else in sight can be used in a horror movie.
Characters Forget About Threat
.Many times there is danger, death, a curse, or worse and people know about it, but they conveniently place it out of their minds.
.It is almost always a negative thing in a movie. 'So, lots of campers have been disembowelled here?' 'Yeah, and they found somebody's head a few days ago and foot tracks leading to the cave nearby.' 'Oh, that's too bad. Who wants to play truth or dare?'
Power Is Cut
At the scariest moment possible, the lights suddenly disappear. An ancient staple, probably leading back to a time before there was electricity.
Note to would-be serial killers: MAKE SURE YOU CUT THE POWER BEFORE YOU BEGAN A MASSICARE, BUT DONT WORRY CHANCES ARE NO ONE WILL THINK ITS OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
Phone Lines Are Out
The killers always take out the phones, even in their own home (Miser-1990) so that no one will attract the attention of any pesky policeman, concerned civic leaders, zombies killers, or vampire hunters. Almost all horror films where a phone can be seen will have the phone lines cut, It seems like a law for horror movies.
In the recent age of cellular phones, things have changed- the mobile phone is damaged, a phones battery has run out, someone goes somewhere where there is no service, or the phone disappears
Someone Investigates A Strange Noise
This is one of the most unbelievable, yet most overused horror movie convention. Still
image that all of your friends have been horrifically murder by a unseen killer. You hear a loud or strange noise coming from a dark room or escaping from the depths of the woods. would you go ALONE,UNARMED AND WEAK to investigate and probably end up with your guts on the end of their knife. No? I wouldn't either but it seems that every horror character does or gets half way, trips up and the murder magical appears and brutally kills them.
Someone Runs Upstairs Instead Of Outside
You will frequently see potential victims running past open doors to the outside world (and safety) in a desperate attempt to get upstairs where they can lock themselves in a 'safe' place where the murder some how breaks in, appears with out breaking in or is all ready in the room even thought they were chasing the victim upstairs.
Victim Cowers In Front Of A Window Or Door
An old , easy scare in 'Slashers' is to have someone hiding from, the killer against a door/wall/window only to have the killers hand break through the hiding spot and grab them.
The victim looks out the window, sees nothing and when they turn away the killer jumps thought or as soon as they look out the window or thought a crack in the door the killer somehow pops up at the exact time. This time of convention can be very effective but usually its not.
Victim Inexplicably Falls Over
Why? Just why. When ever there is a murder chasing them the victim always seems to fall over the smallest object to find them self's crying and abandoned by friends to be greeted by death.
Vehicle Won't Start
This can happen to any vehicle, from snowmobiles to motorcycles to spaceships to the chain falling odd a bicycle. But this seems to only happen when the murder is right behind them but when they enter there location is works perfectly fine with no signs of it breaking down later on. This is a classic scare then normal appears near the end of the film or in the middle, depends on the killers mood.
The Fake Scare
A fake scare is one of the oldest and most over used conventions in horror films. They can take on any shape and size, but in general, any scare in a film that is not connected to the threat ( A friend jumps out, a door slams, someone looks into a mirror, someone new enters the room unnoticed, the phone rings, someone bumps into a department store mannequin, a bell rings, something falls, Someone is tapped on the shoulder or grabbed, a policeman knocks on the car window or door, a balloon pops, a bird files out of the tries or window or closet , something falls out of the closest that made a noise earlier on, a car alarm going off, someone cell phone rings, music turns on, the tv turns off or on, anything turns on or off unexpectedly and so on.) is a fake on. They are easy to do and can be very effective or completely stupid.
Warning Goes Unheeded
It is human nature to go where one is told not to go and do what one is advised against. This can be achieved in many ways: someone has a dream that something nasty will befall all who go on that ski-trip ( yet they go no matter what), there is a rumoured curse regarding a discovered object( and they take it anyway), there is a sign which clearly states not to go in the abandoned house. (but they still go in anyway)...
Someone Is Killed In The First 5 Minutes
This is a handy convention as it helps the audience understand what the story line will be about quicker. This scare is normally in 'Slashers' but can appear in some paranormal films. Jaws, House, Halloween and Scream used this convention very effectively.
X Years Before/Later
This convention either indicates a prologue, setting up the events that happened before out story (such as the first couple minutes of Halloween or The Descent), or a film where we see the latter effects of an incident (Like I Know What You Did Last Summer), or an extensive flashback used to explain things (why the boarding house is haunted, why Jimmy is in the mental institution, why Carrie cant remember her parents, what lurks in the crawlspace under the house etc.,). A lot of 5 years later or 2 weeks will be superimposed on the screen.
The Stormy Night
Since the days of Victorian Horror, and even before, this has been one of the genre's most overused clichés. It may stem from he fact most people have a childhood fear of thunder. or that lighting and rain can create a horrific atmosphere.
The Short Cut
Most horror character take the short cut thinking that it will lead them to a happy, beautiful place but instead it leads them to hell. Normally the killer is waiting at the end of the road but if the killer isn't then the characters most likely get stuck in mud or water , or find a abandoned building to investigate what leads to all the other conventions to occur.
Friday 16 October 2015
Research: History of Horror Films
1920's-1930's
The first decades that really showed what horror films were intended to do were the 20's and 30's. they really got the scare factor into the audience. these classic years saw the remakes of stories like Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' and other well known films like 'Frankenstein', 'The mummy' and 'Nosferatu'.
1940's
1960's
The 1940's saw horror films take a step backwards due to WWII but it didn't stop the production of some films like 'Wolf Man', 'Cat People', and even sequels to the notorious monsters of Dracula and Frankenstein which led to 'House of Dracula' and 'House of Frankenstein'.
1950's
With the cinema business returning to its former glory like before the war, the 50's brought more and more gross and disgusting horror creatures to life through movies. Films like, 'The Wasp Woman', 'The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms' and 'It Came From Beneath The Sea'.
1960's
The 1960's brought about a new and different aspect of horror films to cinemas. 'Thriller' films we introduced into the world of horror. this was primarily because of Alfred Hitchcock's 'psycho'. Other movies made in the 60's included 'The birds', Carnival of Souls', 'Blood Feast' and 'Night of the living Dead'.
1970's
The 1970's saw a surge in horror movies. Many think that it is because of the movies that reflected the time they were made. The 70's was seen to be quite a depressing time and this could be seen in such films like 'The exorcist', 'Jaws', 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre', 'The Omen' and 'Halloween'.
1980's
This decade of horrors brought more and more scare to it due to the fact that technology had dramatically taken a huge step forward. It allowed better costumes, better graphics and led to the producing of films such as 'Hellraiser', 'Nightmare on elm Street', 'The fly', 'The thing' and 'The Shining'.
1990's
The idea of monsters like vampires and zombies were no longer scary enough for many people when watching a horror. The new thing to get people jumping behind there sofa were things like psychopaths and brutal murders to ordinary people with more and more strange twists happening in the films. This new breed of films included the likes of 'Se7en', 'Silence of the Lambs', 'Misery', 'Candyman' and 'sixth Sense'.
2000's
We have now reached the latest generations of horrors which has been known as 'teen horrors'. This would tend to involve a group of people getting picked of one by one by paranormal happenings, monsters, killers and leading to everyone being killed in the end. Horrors that have been successful in the 00's era have included 'The final destination sage', 'The grudge' Paranormal activity's' and 'The Descent'.
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