Genre Research Activity

The objective of this activity was to choose and genre and analyze its characteristics and how it engages the target audience.

I have chosen to analyze the horror genre.

    Horror films usually have huge themes based upon fear and survival. Most films use death, supernatural beings, or the unknown to make the audience feel uneasy or disturbed. The antagonist for most horror films is often some type of monster or a psychologically unstable person. The protagonists are usually regular people who find themselves in terrifying situations. To help the audience better relate to the protagonist, they are often portrayed as vulnerable or relatable. The protagonist many times is a girl who is left as the last alive and is usually more resourceful and cautions than all the other characters in the movie. To help the story develop, supporting characters are often added to the film but unfortunately more often then not, die.

    To help develop the tone of the movie, horror films commonly occur in isolated, eerie, or enclosed locations. For example, abandoned houses, remote cabins in the woods, and dark abandoned hospitals is the setting for many horror films. The lighting is usually poor to make the set more dark, enforcing the feeling of unease. The color schemes usually contains dark and muted colors, creating a gloom atmosphere.

    The structure of horror films is a three-act structure. First, the protagonist meets the threat. Then, they try to escape or defeat it. Finally, the protagonist and antagonist have a climatic showdown where the antagonist is usually defeated. Commonly the threat is revealed slowly to build suspense throughout the film. Horror movies also use many plot twists and misdirection so that the audience is kept guessing and the movie doesn't become predictable

    Horror films heavily rely on fear triggers such as survival vs. death, psychologic horror, and jump scares and tension. Survival vs. death refers to when the characters are in a high stakes encounter where their lives are on the line. Psychological horror from the potential for violence instead of physical threats. And lastly, jump scares and tension is caused by sudden, unexpected shocks that keep the audience in a constant state of alert. Some samples of films that fall under the genre of horror are, JAWS, Let the Right One In, and Alien.