Horror, Micro Elements/ Technical Codes and Conventions.
Introduction In this booklet, I will be explaining each of the micro elements/ technical codes and conventions and how they are used in the genre, horror. I will try and use examples from films to explain how they are used. On each of the pages there will be,
. Editing . Diegetic and non diegetic sound . Mise en scene . Camera work
Editing Here are the different types of editing techniques in a horror. Fast paced editing creates suspense and excitement as its lots of quick shots and normally packed with action, its hard to tell what's going to happen after the action so it also creates fear. This is used in ‘28 Days Later’ near the beginning when the monkeys escape from the cage. Jump cuts, are a sequence of shots which have been cut on purpose. This makes us feel uneasy as they don’t flow like normal, it also makes us feel like something is wrong or like something going to make us jump.
- Montage editing, this is a creative way of putting lots of shots together which can create many different effects for example in ‘Saw 1’ it is used near the end of the film when the man has a realisation of what has happened the montage starts off slow and begins to get faster and faster this creates tension as It feels like the viewers can feel how fast his mind is working. - Minimal editing, this mimics reality creating fear as it looks realistic. For example in The decent, there is barely no editing which makes us feel like it could happen to us and makes us want to join in and help giving us that sense of fear.
Diegetic and Non diegetic sound Diegetic sounds- are sounds which you would hear if you was actually there for example gun shots or a car engine this makes it more realistic for the viewers. Non diegetic sounds- These are sounds which you wouldn’t necessary hear if you are there for example, the background music over the top of a scene, which can create adrenaline for us when its fast music on a chase scene. A loud shocking noise normally happens when antagonists pop out. This technique is used in all sub-genres of horror, to make more scary by making the viewers jump in shock.
In some cases the film can go completely silent in order to build suspense as it normally means something is probably going to jump out and make the viewers jump. Or this can make a non diegetic sound like a can opening or a phone ringing more shocking. The sound of a phone ringing and having a creepy mysterious voice on the other end who we cannot see or the tone of the phone going dead with the no signal sound is all quite common in the horror genre.
Mise en scene Mise en scene is everything that appears on framing like, props, lighting, actors, dĂŠcor and costumes. The director of the film is in charge of what goes where. Lighting- The lighting is usually dim which creates fear of the unknown and sometimes it will go really dark which suggests something is probably going to jump out on the protagonist. Also there may be strobe lighting in horror films making it hard to tell what's happening or going to happen. Near the end of the film it may get brighter as it could be indicating that the quest is almost over. Props- The props we usually see in a horror are weapons like Guns, knifes and chainsaws, china dolls as these are designed for children however the doll is made to look scary, hand made contraptions e.g. in all the ‘Saws’ through out the film there are many contraptions designed to kill people, Hospital equipment, cages which creates fear of claustrophobia. However the main prop varies in different horror films for example in The Ring the main props are the tape and TVs.
Actors- In a horror film there is always a protagonist and an antagonist. The antagonist is the bad person trying to kill people and the protagonist is the good one trying to ‘save the day’ by stopping the antagonist from killing people. Costumes- A white shirt is usually worn by the protagonist which emphasises blood and dirt. Masks are usually worn by a antagonist or sometimes the protagonist to hide identity. costumes reflect the representation of a character for example minimal clothing on woman which suggests they are vulnerable and are victims.
Camera work
Close ups – can show emotion and reaction in the characters face’s a lot better than long shots as it will zoom to the face when a character is shocked or frightened. Also close ups and other close distance shots like mid shots can reflect confinement and claustphobia as it makes the room feel small suggesting there is no room for long shots, where as long shots, slow pans reflect isolation and abandonment and makes the shot feel like there is a lot more space, creating an empty feel, for example in 28 days later when he wakes up in hospital and walks out into the city and no one is around. Dutch angles- angles shows disorientation and chaos. Showing the viewers that the character is in distress. For example in 28 Days Later when he wakes up in the hospital bed and starts to walk around, confused of why there is no one around.
Whip pans- can mimic fast actions. Creating adrenaline and suspense to build up as you don’t know what’s going to be shown next Focus pulls- used to draw your attention to the thing which is in focus. For example if there was a man holding a knife and the man was in focus and he was about to use the knife, the knife would come into focus too. Birds eye view/high angle, makes the figure or object which is being looked down on completely powerless and vulnerable, making the viewers on edge as they want the ‘goodie' to come out alive.
Low angles- can be used to emphasize how scary and intimidating the villain actually is because it makes them look a lot bigger and over powering, making the audience and the actors/actress in the film feel small and weak. Extreme long shots- can be used to establish the scene. This shot can put it perspective how deserted the town actually is. For example in 28 Days Later they use lots of extreme long shots, showing how deserted the city is. Hand held shots- These are used in horror films to add the sense of reality, making the audience feel involved making it seem intense as it feels as if your there.
Point of view- This shot is taken from the point of view of the character. This allows the audience to be able to see the film through one of the characters eyes. Zoom- This adds a dramatic effect to what is going to be shown on the screen. Also creating suspense and fear as you do not know what is going to be shown next as it could be something gory. Over the shoulder shot, is a good way to build tension for the audience. Can be used in mirrors and reflections so the audience can see what's happening as soon as the character does.