Genre research Summary

After reviewing our research we have found that there are many different sub-genres of horror, and each of those are different in many ways.

1. What do the titles tend to look like?

In general titles tend to contrast highly with the background. Colours such as red, white and black are most commonly used. The font in which the titles are written can vary between different styles of horror movie. Movies such as "a nightmare on elm street" uses a normal font, but it is uneven and wonky. Whereas in "Halloween" the titles are written in a font with sharp edges and points, this could relate to the knifes featured in the movie, or the teeth on the jack-o-lantern. 

2. What kind of sounds feature in the opening?

In general, sounds tend to be of heavy breathing/gurgling. The source of the noises is usually not shown so the audience is unsure as to what is making them. Music is usually high pitched and slow paced, this takes the audience out of their comfort zone as the sounds are unfamiliar and strange. The opening to "a nightmare on elm street" is a good example of this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQrZMoWaAZQ. 

3. What types of character do we usually see?

In horror movie openings a character is not usually identified. Sometimes victims and less significant people feature in the beginning, but the killer/villain almost never is. In the opening to "halloween" a murder is witnessed from the point of view of the killer, this adds a sense of enigma as the audience does not know who commited the murder even though they were so close to it. 

4. What kind of mise en scene dominates?

The settings in horror movies can change dramatically depending on the sub genre, but darkness is almost always featured. Large houses, hospitals and woods are used extensively throughout the genre. Although not all openings are intended to scare the audience, some of them put the audience in a sense of security and comfort to make the initial scare more shocking. 

5. What narrative codes are used?

Close ups and cut aways are used to create enigma, tense music and a slow pace of editing can create this, although it can also be done with  fast paced editing. There is usually a large build up to the first killing, this is done using throbbing music and giving the audience a narrow field of vision making them feel claustrophobic. 

6. What types of cinematography and editing styles are used?

Fast and slow editing speeds are both used, to different effects in horror movies. They can create enigma and suspense, or a fast paced exciting opening. The different speeds do not usually change according to the sub-genre.