What makes a horror film?

Camera angles and shot and movement

Props, makeup and costume...

THE COLOURS USED

Birds eye angles or high shots are used to show that the person below is very vulnerable and they are in danger.

Close up shots are used in horror movies to show the significance of an object, or to show the facial expression of someone who is scared, startled, happy and so on.

Horror movies may start off as a bright and happy scene, but it will turn into something eery and dark!

Most horror movies will use low key lighting, which is a dull light. To help with this effect they may shoot the horror movie at night, and the dark skies will help with the eery effect that producers want.

Red is another famous colour that will be used, the colour of red would symbolize blood and the devil. You may get a scene where only a filler light of red has been used.

Tracking and panning are very common in horror movies. For example, in The Conjuring, there is a tracking movement of one of the sisters walking towards the wardrobe that is making a banging sound.

Props, makeup and good costume will make or break a horror movies. If the makeup artist has done a terrible job of trying to make someone look like they are possessed by a spirit, then the whole movie will just turn into a flop. Horror movies also need to have that right costume, not a bedsheet with a few holes as eyes. Props such as crosses, holy water, knives, wind chimes and much more are very good to use in a horror movie.

Shot reverse shots are used in horror films to show the conversation between two people.

Another way that the camera shows objects of significance is by using the camera at a tilt. In the same above scene of The Conjuring, the camera is at a tilt at the bottom of the wardrobe to build up that tense feeling and also to show you that something frightning is going to happen,

All horror movies will use dim and dull lights to build up the eery feeling. If a horror film was to use a bright and happy colour throughout the whole of the film it will not have the same effect as other successful horror movies.

Sounds that will be used in horror movies...

Types of horror movies out there...

Most horror movies will use a creaky door for a sound effect, it has always been a favourite for horror movies. It builds up that intense feeling that you want to get when you're watching a horror movie. You just know that something bad is going to behind that door.

What makes a horror film?

Another sound effect that like to be used is of people or something screaming. It gets the audience jumping out of their skin, the screams always pop up when it is least expected.

Here I have attached a video of sound effects of something or someone screaming.

Its all the jump scares, the faces, the music, the way that editing has been used, the lighting and much much more...

In this presentation I will be researching different ways that horror movie producers use to make their film scary.

Where are they usually set?

Horror movies are usually set in a huge family house that is most likely to be in the middle of the woods.

The house that they family may be living in may have had a very sinister past, therefore the new family that have decided to live in the house have now had to pay the price.

It may be that someone in the house is going to be possessed, someone gets killed or a child has disappeared without any sort of explanation.

The weather in horror films will also play a very big part in a horror movie as if it is a sunny and happy day it will not have that same effect as using rain, thunder, lightning and very strong winds.

Some weathers may change from a sunny day to a extremely stormy day.