Tuesday, 22 February 2011

Research Into the Horror Genre & My Chosen Subgenre by Olaide Sadiq

Research into the Horror Genre
To assist us in our development of a horror teaser trailer, extensive research into the horror genre should be carried out so our end products closely match the criteria of the genre. In addition to Editing, my role within ShockMedia! also consists of assisting my other team members, this will include conducting individual research when necessary. To gain a better understanding of the Horror genre, each member of ShockMedia! will produce individual research on the sub-genres of Horror.

Horror films are movies that strive to arouse the emotions of fear, horror and terror from viewers. The key feature within horror is that the audience can relate to it and that there's always a feeling of suspense. The whole horror genre is based on people's fear of the unknown and their anxieties. Horror film plots frequently involve themes of death, the supernatural or mental illness. Many horror movies also include a central villain who carries out a series of killings in that particular film.

The horror genre is an incredibly popular film genre, and over the years it has ventured in the form of a variety of sub-genres including:

- Comedic horror















- Psychological horror















- Supernatural horror















- Slasher/Gore















- Zombie















- Sci-fi















Classic horror films have either been based on supernatural activity, psychological manipulation or extreme gore. These used to be the traditional base for horrors and these were very effective. In modern times, horrors have now expanded into the different sub-genres and many horror films now can be categorised into more than one sub-genre.
The introduction of new and better technology has also enhanced the quality of horror films. Various computer generated effects, sound effects,high quality make-up and special effects can now make horror films seem more realistic, therefore making them seem scarier to to the audience. 

Evidently, these will enhance the quality and effectiveness of a horror film.
Baring all of this in mind, ShockMedia! will aim to make good use of this research and incorporate as much use as possible of special effects make-up and high quality editing into our teaser trailer.


Horror Genre research : Splatter / Gore



A splatter/gore is a horror sub-genre of horror film that intentionally portrays graphic gore and violence. Using special effects and a great deal of blood and guts, splatter/gore films tend to display the vulnerability of the human body commonly depict its mutilation.

The term splatter originated from legendary horror film director George A. Romero. Gore and splatter films can also often combine with comedy to create a comedic horror film e.g. Shaun of the Dead.

Typical horror films deal with Gothic conventions such as the fear of the unknown, the supernatural, the dark etc. The fear aspect in gore/splatter film derives from physical destruction and mutilation of the body.
Splatter/Gore films often lack a real plot, but usually consist of a gripping use of visual and sound effects. Spatter/Gore films are heavily dependent on graphic and bloody violence in order for audiences to grasp the essence of the sub-genre.
This sub-genre is one of the most popular sub-genres in the horror genre. It is very appealing to a variety of audiences and often do quite well commercially.

Examples of successfully films featuring splatter/gore are:


SAW 4 (and others from the Saw series)


Friday The 13th


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