Romen AICE Media Studies Final Project

Genre conventions are essentially the "building blocks" needed to create a movie in a specific genre. Horror has many typical conventions, that you will be able to find in almost every movie in the genre. These conventions consist of Monsters/a malicious force or person: these are often psychopathic entities who enjoy murder - Monsters are also a manifestation of the protagonist's greatest fears. Isolated spaces are also a very common convention across the genre; adding even more horror to the film, putting the protagonist in harms way with no one around to help, and no where to run, only the scare amount of supplies available in the setting. Horror films also use low-key lighting, peculiar or strange camera angles and tend to be set at night; these technical elements add to the atmosphere of the film, making every moment tense and frightening.  This shot from "The Exorcist" (1973) is an excellent use of these conventions. The scene uses the night setting, open ...

Common character types in horror films are: Monsters: Supernatural creatures that drive the conflict, heroes: heroic character who tries to stop the villain/ monster, ordinary people: people who face terrifying situations. Some famous Monsters are: Jaws, The Thing, Yautja(Predator), Xenomorphs(Alien), Werewolves, Freddy Kruger, Victor Crowley, and so on. Some famous Heroes are: Ash Williams, Ellen Ripley, Laurie Strode, Nancy Thompson, and so on.  The Purpose of Monsters in horror films is to: create fear, represent some of the film's larger themes, and some times encouraging social change. The purpose of Heroes in horror films is to: fight against evil, and  showcase social change and some of the film's themes - combatting some views the monster/ villain represents.  Knowing what these characters are and what purpose they serve, is vital to the planning of my opening scene, so that I can set up the characters strongly. 

 The horror genre has ancient roots, coming from folklore and religious traditions. These were a way of reinforcing rules or norms through fear by the depiction of a spirit or entity, and to explain the unknown aspects of death and the afterlife. Horror was first popularized by 18th and 19th century gothic literature such as that of: Mary Shelley - Frankenstein, Edgar Alan Poe - The Raven, and Horace Walpole - The Castle of Otranto. All of these stories continue to influence the horror genre to this day.  In the film industry horror genre was popularized mainly by the film 'Dracula' (1931), however, some influential works before this were: "Le Manoir du Diable" (1896) (translated to "The Haunted Castle" or "The House of The Devil", and "Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror" (1922). The purpose of the genre is the scare, shock, or disturb the audience. It is a way to explore and confront our deepest fears, which is how horror created many sub-g...

 I have chosen to do a case study for the film: "Evil Dead 2" directed by Sam Raimi. I have chosen this film because it achieved a similar tone to the tone I am aiming for in my final project, the film is scary, eery, campy, and funny - contrasting to the original film, but at the same time a very fitting sequel.  I will be analyzing the  "Give me back my hand scene"  Specifically I will be analyzing the sound design. The sound design in this clip is done excellently, as it is throughout the film, and the series. Diegetic sounds of the wind moving eerily through the woods is used to put the viewer in an uneasy feeling, wondering wether there are any evil entities outside; immersing the audience into the isolation that Ash is suffering in the cabin. Dissonance is also utilized, using a combination of uneasy and harsh musical elements such as; piano notes, squeaking, and bass - even further adding to the suspenseful tone of the scene, using Dissonance and Diegetic sou...

 My Final Project idea is to have an possession "gripper" opening scene, similar to that of which from an Evil Dead film. The opening scene will take place in my patio, with a group of friends having a party, when the host's dogs run out chasing some kind of animal they see/hear/or smell. The host will chase after his dogs, and the scene will cut back to the party, where the guests hear strange noises, and begin to worry for the host and his dogs. The scene will cut back to the host getting possessed by an evil entity, and will end with the host coming back to the party, and beginning to pick off the guests. My inspirations for this film opening scene are films like the Evil Dead film series, Hereditary, The Witch, and Return of the Living Dead. These films have inspired me to create a horror film, with some camp and humor involving possession and the rising of the dead. I will film a majority of this opening scene in my patio with some friends, and I will film scenes wit...