By Chris George

History of the Horror Genre

The first horror film was made in 1896, Geroeges Melies a French film maker. It was only 2 minutes long. The name of the film was Le Manior Du Diable which when translated means the Devils castle.

The roots of the horror genre go way back to the late 1700’s and are an extension of a genre of literature known as Gothic horror. It was developed by writers from the united states of America and Britain. “Gothic” refers to made up medieval buildings such as castles where these stories took place.

Types of gothic settings: • Dark forests• Old castles or forts• Dungeons• Secrets passages or rooms

The term horror did not come into use for films until the 1930’s.

Well known Gothic Writers

Most influential horror film directors

When talking about the history of the horror genre it would be ignorant not to mention the influence certain famous directors have had on the genre.Alfred HitchcockMost renowned for the Psycho (1960) shower scene and its use of non-diegetic sound to create suspense and match the feelings of the audience with the violins wailing away just as the audience was about to be. Due to the fact that is was filmed in black and white and any other liquid used to represent blood wasn’t to a good enough quality, they decided to use chocolate milk. He is one of the most well known directors of the 20th century people of all generations know who he is. The fidelity of the music also matched the individual stabbing lunges of the knife. The use of backlighting on the attacker stopping the audience from seeing any key human features makes the character more monster like as there is less of a connection. George Romero Well known for an unexpected film that shocked audiences on October 1st , 1968, Night of the Living Dead was produced on a budget of $114,000 and was so well received it made $12 million domestically and $18 million internationally. The film follows 7 unfortunate individuals trapped in a rural farm house in Pennsylvania, which is attacked by living dead monsters. This is the first appearance that sky rocketed the fame of the zombie in films. Since the release of this film there have been many different zombie films with each director trying to put his own spin on it. The zombie has also broken into other genre such as comedy as seen in “Shaun of the Dead” and been successful at it. It has also entered into other popular forms of media such as a TV series called “The Walking Dead” and games like “Resident Evil”.

Technology and the horror Genre

Many famous films we know and love today were created in the 1900’s . It is a pattern that films are re created as technology advances and time goes on to improve upon what was previously created and remake them for present social economic standards. The films made weren’t just visually black and white, but the ideas behind them were extremely simple e.g. Bats were seen as vampires, walking corpses were just zombies. Time and technology helped writers advance on these pre-existing facts of a horror film. Working corpses weren't just zombies but victims of a disease as seen in World War Z, 28 day later and I am Legend. There is now a huge grey area as to what classifies a vampire and a zombie.

Georges Melies, a magician who turned into a film maker made use of the magician tools of illusion and sleight of hand in order to confuse audiences. Magic tricks can only go so far in films that revolve around the living dead, the cinema audiences needed more and in 1978 the release of “Dawn of the Dead” really upped the game for visual effects. The animatronics used in the film “Alien” was the next big leap for visual effects as it meant that the evil force in a film didn’t have to be played by a human. The demon or giant werewolf could be more realistic in unimaginable size and speed.

Horror Sub-genres Action horror This combines the adrenaline fuelled gunfights and car

chases with the supernatural blood curdling events that happen in the horror genre.

Elements that appear in Action Horror films are: demons; ferocious animals; vampires and the most popular, zombies. E.g. Blade and Dawn of the Dead.

Comedy Horror A combination of horror fiction and comedic reactions.

This sun genre crosses over to black comedy in films such as “Shaun of the Dead” making a frightening turn of events humorous.

“The legend of sleepy hollow” by Washington Irving is seen as the fist Comedy Horror.

Gothic Horror These films may include a romance that unfold as the

film progresses building suspense. Most of the earlier horror films were part of this sub-genre.

An example of this sub-genre is “The Phantom of the Opera”

Natural Horror This sub-genre usually features mutilated beasts and

animals that have transformed into killers without remorse.

It can sometimes overlap with science fiction and action/adventure genres e.g. “Jaws”

Body Horror In these films horror is generated from destruction or disfiguration of the human body.

Unnatural movements and dysfunction created fear. A well known director for this type of horror film is David Cronenberg. An example of this type of film is “Teeth”.

Psychological Horror This genre of horror relies heavily on the belief, guilt, emotional instability, supernatural

and the fears of the character in the film and the audience. The horror is created by the reality of events that occur in the films. An example of this

type of film is “The Shining”.

Science Fiction Horror These films often contain a scientific experiment that went wrong or event the paranormal. An example of a Sci-Fi horror film is “Alien”(1979) With advancement of technology in the real world there are films that use this to their

advantages such as poltergeist (1982) where the child gets taken into the television.

Slasher Horror Slasher films overlap with crimes sometimes because they usually create horror by build

and mystery and suspense. These types of films deal with lots of violence, blood and gore most commonly caused by a

psychotic individual with a signature weapon of choice like an axe or a carving knife. E.g. “Psycho” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”Zombie HorrorThese films contain blood thirsty, hungry for flesh reanimated corpses that prey upon the living.Examples are “Dawn of the Dead” and “I am Legend”

Conventions of the horror genre

ThemesReligion SupernaturalRevenge Failed science experiment SuicideGood and Evil Depression Zombie ApocalypsePsychological distress InsanityNightmaresMadness

Types of Characters present The protagonist, usually playing the hero or victim in the film. The role is often played by a

female and is the most morally standing and intuitive individual in the group. They are almost always the survivor, leaving the film open for a sequel.

Weird/odd children The good or bad cop The arrogant teenager who doesn’t believe in the supernatural antagonist or that the

antagonist is still trying to kill them. The villain. A monster, alien, serial killer, zombies, werewolf and psychopathic individual. It is

not always clear why they are doing what they are, and it is never clear whether or not they are dead at the end of the film.

The sex appeal. The role is often played by a promiscuous, uninhibited woman. Usually the first to die in a shameful way, without dignity.

The token minority in the group who is often portrayed as the bravest and most concerned about the other peoples well-being. He/she is usually the muscle of the group and ends up dying trying to protect other victims.

The unlikely hero. This is most commonly the person who is suspected to be the antagonist due to their mysterious behaviour or the way they dress. They often save the main protagonist.

The infuriating character. The role can be partnered with the sex appeal and is usually with the other person when they die. Due to this characters behaviour it is often a relief for the audience when they die.

The Setting

Isolated areas or in small secretive communities. Urban environments, narrow alleys, dark paths and run down old ghost towns.

The setting is usually any place that connotes isolation or loneliness.

Horror films often take place in buildings or areas with a “dark” history, like an abandoned insane asylum or a house that has fallen into disrepair.

Locations for a good horror film are: Highways, barns, woodlands, cabins, tundra, deep murky waters, blizzards, attics, basements and abandoned factories.

Editing and Camera used in

Horror films

The camera work is very expressive and un natural, the use of high and low angles helps convey fear.

Handheld shots make it extremely hard for the audience to make out what is happening. An example of this is Cloverfield, because the entire film is shot with a hand held camera and creates disorientation and the fear of the unknown.

Disturbing and aerie sounds are important in horror films in order to make the audience feel like they are experiencing what is happening first hand. Diegetic sounds like footsteps and non-diegetic sounds like a heart beat.

POV shots are important because they allow the audience to see the world through the villain or monsters eye.

An extreme close up on a characters face can help display the fear and confusion to the audience. If the audience can’t see what is happening around the character it is more threatening.

Usually in horror films when the editing hasn’t been paced up, then something scary is about to happen like in a really long shot without any cuts and a few different angles of the location.

Narrative structure & Iconography

Iconography Visual Style: Dark colours like red and black (both linking to evil and nothingness)The use of props helps to identify the horror genre. There are certain props that can be identified with specific villains e.g. chainsaw, knife, axe, firearms and costumes e.c.t.The iconography of the monsters helps to connote fear and terror: werewolves, vampires and mummies.Lighting is expressive and artificial causing it to be un-naturalistic and other worldly. The use of low key lighting creates unfamiliar shadowy figures. This can be created by the use of torches ,lanterns and fireplaces then using filters to change how the light looks to the audience. Objects used are masks, religious icons and supernatural icons.

Narrative structure

The first act usually focuses on a main character embarking on a venture to a mysterious and threatening setting.

Arriving at said setting unleashes violence and causes the death of most of the protagonists. Dissention within the group of survivors makes it harder to fight back against the evil force putting them in more danger.

The climax of the film most commonly involves a dramatic showdown between the villain and the protagonists with a range of different outcomes depending on events in the film and events in the rest of the story not shown on film if it has been derived from a book. An original horror film has an open ending leaving it with the possibility of the monster returning and for a sequel.

Audience Profile The average age of the audience for the horror genre is between 15 and

25. Horror films are popular amongst the younger audiences because the like

to seek action and a thrill they cant get anywhere else, so they turn to horror films to satisfy their needs. They are in the early stages of life, still trying to structure their beliefs and want to experience as many things as possible and in this case they want to experiment with their feelings and emotions

Horror films excite the younger audiences easier than the older ones because they are less experienced in life and so get a more natural reaction to certain things, rather than someone that has seen something familiar before.

The younger audience aren’t as susceptible to being put off by the violence and gore present in these types of films because they aren’t taught how to react in the situation presented in the film and are more willing to experience new and different things.

Gender Males are more likely to watch horror film than females, as boys

stereotypically seek more of a thrill than girls due to the increase in production of hormones in the body and the development of the psyche.

Most young males are more tolerable of violence, blood and gore than females, not to say that there isn’t a female audience for theses types of films.

The majority of people that watch horror films are in the middle/working class sector and are of a young age.

The horror genre is by far one of the most popular genres of film since it began to gain popularity amongst the public with “Frankenstein” in 1910. in 2003, 12 of the 100 top grossing films of all time fell into the horror genre(IMDB). What is extraordinary about the horror genre being able to maintain its high level of popularity, is production costs of horror films are often much lower than that of popular films in any other genre.

Theories of why people keep watching horror films

To Freud (1919/1955) horror was a manifestation of the “uncanny,” reoccurring thoughts and feelings that have been repressed by the ego but which seem vaguely familiar to the individual. Jung (1934/1968), on the other hand, argued that horror gained its popularity from the fact that it touched on important archetypes or primordial images that he said resided in the collective unconscious. Even the Greek philosopher Aristotle believed that dramatic portrayals gave the audience an opportunity to purge itself of certain negative emotions, a process he called, catharsis.

Source of theories: http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/sfischo/horrormoviesRev2.htm

Gore watching is characterized by low empathy, high sensation seeking, low fearfulness, and in males, a strong identification with the killer.

Whereas gore watching is driven by an interest in violence, thrill watching is motivated by suspense and is associated with high levels of empathy and sensation seeking.

Independent watching, a third pattern identified by Johnston, evolves from a spirit of mastery and is characterized by strong identification with the victim and high levels of positive affect.

The fourth pattern, problem watching, also entails identification with the victim, but unlike independent watching, the affect is negative and the mood helpless.

As the Johnston study suggests, there is no one reason why people watch horror movies. Instead, there are several different patterns of motivation and not one of the eight traditional theoretical models of horror film appeal reviewed in this paper seems capable of accounting for all of the patterns. From the definition of horror adopted in this paper, the eight traditional models of horror film appeal, and the complex process by which people interpret and relate to works of fiction, it is proposed that the allure of horror cinema is a function of three primary factors: tension, relevance, and unrealism.

Source: http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/sfischo/horrormoviesRev2.htm under descriptive features of horror section.

Different types of watching

3 Title sequence that I find Interesting 1.) Childs Play 3 - This title sequence uses extreme clos ups of body parts of dolls, causing confusion as to which ones belong to the villain since it is a sequel. The predominant colour of the factory is grey, whereas the anti-hero’s mangled corpse stand out with a mixture of red and blue signifying evil and revenge. Visual effects have been added in post for the reanimation of ‘Chucky’ the antagonist with the help of physical elements. 2.) The shining – Immediately, the non-diegetic loud horn type instrument being played gives the perspective that this is an enormous, desolate place, making the sound echo through the mountain ranges and wooded areas. The birds eye view and helicopter shot of the car driving away from the camera creates the feeling that they are driving to their doom. 3.) Shaun of the Dead - I find the title sequence to this film interesting because it is not your conventional horror movie opening. The film fits into the sub-genre of comedy horror. This is instantly noticeable because of the fidelity and non-diegetic sound/ music matching the movements made on screen e.g. the zombie like mob of people walking. Another thing about this title sequence that make it unique in comparison to the other three is the way transitions are made seamless by moving physical objects in front of the lens.

The Omen (1976) analysis of title sequence The Omen was written by David Seltzer and directed by Richard Donner. Many deaths with mysterious circumstances follow American ambassador ‘Robert Thorn’ played by Gregory Peck, all signs point towards his son Damien as being the human incarnation of the anti-Christ.

Immediately the sequence begins with the ominous, non-diegetic sound of high pitched piano notes being played followed by an old fashioned renaissance choir. This instantaneously sets the tone of the film for the audience and since it start so abruptly it shocks the audience and causes them to be curious of what the choir is singing, and because Latin is a dead language the director uses peoples fear of the unknown to his advantages in order to frighten audiences around the world. The mixture of deep and angelic voices in the choir helps the viewer link the film to religion and the fight between good versus evil or heaven versus hell.

Furthermore, a child shaped shadowy figure slowly appears in the top right corner of the shot matching the rise in volume and fidelity of the music with what is happening in the frame. The blood red puddle and the tombstone in the shape of a Catholic cross that slowly appears suggests that over the course of the film events gradually escalate, becoming more horrific and extreme, with a number of mysterious deaths. This makes the audience feel helpless because they can anticipate what is coming but have no idea how, when, where or who and this lead to frustration because they can’t do anything about it and just have to watch the plot unfold to the characters in the film.

Finally, the low key, special effects lighting portrays evils as dominant in the film as blackness consumes most of the shot except for what the viewer can only assume is the antagonist, who is surrounded by dark red with the likeness of blood, suggesting that death surrounds this child like figure. The viewer feels trapped and overwhelmed, like there is no escape from the immoral happenings that are about to take place. There is no bright light at the end of this tunnel.

Popular Horror Film actorsChristopher Lee’s Top 5 horror film roles1. Count Dracula in Dracula2. Joseph in The Body Snatcher3. Ygor in Son of Frankenstein4. "Murder" Legendre in White Zombie5. Dr Vitus Werdegast in The Black Cat

Jaime Lee Curtis’ top 5 horror film roles1.Laurie Strode in Halloween and the sequels2. Elizabeth Solley in The Fog3. Kim Hammond in Prom Night4. Kit in Virus5. Alana Maxwell in Terror Train

Christopher Walken’s top 5 horror film roles1. Gabriel in The Prophecy, The Prophecy II, and The Prophecy 3: The Ascent2. Peina in The Addiction3. Hessian Horseman in Sleepy Hollow4. Johnny Smith in The Dead Zone5. Detective Rizzo in The Sentinel

Sigourney Weaver’s top 5 horror film roles1. Ripley in Alien and the sequels2. The Director in The Cabin in the Woods3. Alice Hunt in The Village4. Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II5. Lady Claudia Hoffman in Snow White: A Tale of Terror [The Grimm Brothers' Snow White]

BBFC Ratings

How the BBFC classifies films The BBFC watches films and videos all the way through then awards an age rating and insight to each one. They then reach an age rating by applying the principles and criteria contained in their Classification Guidelines. Normally, two assessors view a film for theatrical release. In most cases a Senior Assessor will approve the examiners’ recommendation. But if the Examiners are in any doubt or fail to agree, or if important policy issues are involved, the work may be seen by other members of the Board up to, and including, the Director and Presidential team.

A similar process exists for DVDs and Blue-rays though commonly these are seen by one Assessor. On the other hand, ideas from other Examiners is sometimes required for more difficult to judge work.They look at issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, dangerous and easily imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, and violence when making decisions. The theme of the work is also an important consideration. The BBFC considers context, the tone and likely impact of a work on the possible audience.

Source: http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/how-does-classification-work

Furthermore, every 4-5 years, the BBFC carries out a major public consultation exercise to find out what the public thinks about the age rating of films and videos before they are released and whether the BBFC’s classification standards meet public concerns. The BBFC adjusts its standards and criteria in response to any changes in public attitudes.

These standards are laid out in the BBFC’s Classification Guidelines which can be downloaded below. The Guidelines detail what is acceptable at each age category, from U to R18. They also set out the laws and principles which impact on the BBFC’s work.There are two key principles, laid out in the Guidelines, under which we operate: To protect children and vulnerable adults from potentially harmful or otherwise unsuitable

content To empower consumers, particularly parents and those with responsibility for children, to

make informed viewing decisions.

Source: http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/guidelines

Guidelines of the BBFC

Horror films and BBFC

ratingHorror films usually fall into the 15 and 18 ratings, due to the amount of gore, controversial and sexual scenes present in them. However, “The woman in black” which was released in 2012 is an exception to this statement, and was rated a 12a, allowing a wider audience to view it hence why it grossed $128 million dollars world wide. This film is also an example of how ratings are not set in stone and can be changes, because initially the film was given an age 15 rating but then a few scene were cut out and it was altered to be a 12a. Giving a horror film a rating of 15 has advantages and disadvantages. An advantages of rating a horror film as 15 is it will be legally viewed by a wider audience and be a topic of interested for teenagers at school making them more interested in English literature and creative based subjects. However, you could argue that even if a horror film is given an age rating of 18, there are still going to be underage people watching the film. It could also add to the frightening effects of the film and its influence because those watching it who aren't 18 might get more of a thrill since it is perceived as forbidden and unsuitable for young, immature minds.

Desensitisation theory Horror films suffer greatly from this. This is a theory of the media audiences’ reactions becoming weaker and weaker over time due to the volume of exposure to sex, violence and death. It is decline in terror and sensitivity to violent behaviour and socially unacceptable events.

Horror films are a key example of violence in the mass media, because they commonly contain a horrific death scene. Since the beginning of the horror genre, films have become increasingly more violent with more gore on screen due to enhanced visual effects, instead of focusing on other great aspects of a horror film like atmosphere and the build up of suspense. Since horror films are a lot cheaper to produce than films of other genres, more and more have been made by independent film makers allowing audiences to view many different interpretations of a horror film, and because of this we have witnessed so many different acts of violence it no longer surprises or shocks us.Examples of films that help cause desensitisation are: Saw; Friday the 13th; the Texas chainsaw massacre; A nightmare on elm street e.c.t.

People have come to expect this type of violence in horror movies and no longer get the reaction they got when the saw their first few horror films, making them less inclined to watch, or so you would think.An argument against this would be that, though our generation may be desensitised to this level of violence another generation might not be, and be petrified and flabbergasted at what takes place in these types of films. When you see on the news that someone has been murdered it isn’t that shocking because there is a high chance that the persons death won’t effect you personally, however if it was someone you were close with like a good friend or relative you would be stunned and depressed.

The Hypodermic syringe model

The hypodermic syringe model is similar to that of the desensitisation theory. This theory puts forward the idea that when something is announced by the media, it is just accepted by the general public without question. This relates to desensitisation because if the media tells us something is violent & exposes us to it we accept this as fact and as time goes by the majority of people become more and more familiarized with hearing or seeing it, weakening the effect it has on us.

This theory suggests that continuous exposure to available violent content on a consistent basis, can no longer generate a strong emotional and lasting impression on us, the audience, which could cause people to be insensitive or unresponsive to violence in day-to-day life.

A large number of studies have looked to see if there is a link between coverage of violence in the media and violent behaviour. According to the American Academy of Paediatrics over 98% say yes, there is a link. Evidence indicates that media violence can and may contribute to antagonistic behaviour, desensitisation to violence, the fear of being harmed and nightmares.

Vladimir Propp’s character theory The villain – fights the protagonist in some way.

The hero or victim/seeker hero – reacts to the donor and weds the princess or goes after the prize.

The dispatcher – the character who makes the antagonists evil plans/motives known and send the hero off on a quest.

The helper – helps the hero on their quest for the princess or prize. False hero – the character who takes credit for the hero’s feats or actions

and tries to steal the prize. The Donor – gives the hero something to help him on his journey. It

doesn't have to be physical like a weapon it can be a piece of advice. The heroine – commonly a passive, helpless, vulnerable character

threatened by the antagonist and in need of help from the hero.