The genre of my film is horror; more specifically psychological horror. I have chosen this because I have had a lot of ideas towards this genre that I think I could get a lot out of.
Looking at http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_Codes_and_conventions_of_the_horror_genre, I saw that general horror films seem to share the same narrative non linear structure as well as the same ideas to promote the genre in a way making it apparent to the viewers; these kinds of ideas include things like; "Dark/shadowy lighting", I will definitely try and create the sinister atmosphere by using dark lighting techniques in the shots. This is followed by the idea of "Isolated locations" as to create the tension/ atmosphere of loneliness and vulnerability against the main character involved in the situation.
However, I plan on making the main character a male as a twist and by making him seem scared and vulnerable, I will make the viewer’s feel like the situation for the full grown murderer is a lot worse and terrifying. Therefore the usual sympathising for the women as they are thought of as being weaker and more defenceless will be transferred onto the man.
I want also to create a "Disruption of normality" (when the girl he kills comes back to haunt him) in the narrative; as this is the theme of the general narrative structure of horrors; this idea will help me decide on what to base my film on and in creating the synopsis. Looking at psychological horror films; the film is created to manipulate the audience’s sense of safety and understanding as psychological films tend to have twists in them or put in a strange order to confuse the audiences as to keep tension and maintain their interest and concentration. The main thing in psychological films that make them of this genre is the stylistics used like the characters guilt, fears, and beliefs that often are increased because of a certain turning point in the film; this is used to manipulate the audience to relate to the protagonist therefore creating a more realistic reaction from those watching the film. A good example of this technique is in the film “The Others” (2001), where the audience is led to believe what Grace (Main character, mum) also believes, yet throughout the film different clues are suggested to the audience as a way to make them see that all isn’t what it seems; this leads to the end of the film where we find out that her family have actually been dead throughout the whole film. This film also follows the main aspects of psychological horrors as they live in an “isolated location” both where the family is living, and Grace herself; the whole film is shot in “Dark lighting” as this is the main aspect of the film due to the children’s illnesses. And the “disruption of normality” occurs when the nannies come to help the very catholic mother (follows her beliefs strongly).
Another film that incorporates the aspects of a psychological horror is ”The Orphan”; throughout the film after they have brought Ester back to the home there is a strong use of dark lighting and also the aspect of the weather changes as well, when Ester arrives, the weather changes to snow and this is to represent the cold, dark atmosphere she has brought in to the family. The twist at the end of the film is a stereotypical ending to a psychological horror, Ester is not what the audience expects she is seen to be a little girl however in reality we find out that she is actually a 33 year old woman who is actually called Leena Klammer.
Compared to the traditional horror film, psychological horrors tend to have an art of subtly to them. The main aspect of the psychological horror is to tap into the mentality of the audience instead of a regular horror where violence is the main feature. Good examples of the original horror films include: “A Nightmare on Elms Street” (1984), “Friday the 13th” (1980) and “Scream” (1996). These films are seen as ‘Slasher horrors’, where graphic violence is again the main feature, and this is what is used to scare the audience. However in comparison to psychological horrors, the means of scaring the audience is more a mental fear rather than visual shock, this is a way of creating discomfort in the viewers of the film by uncovering a fear that is now common with the entire audience.
The threat that is presented in the psychological horror genre is that the fear comes from within the main protagonist which in turn is conveyed to the audience. The aspect of the psychological horror is to reveal the evil that lies behind the normality of the world the film is set in. Psychological horrors often crossover with the psychological thriller, both genres can use each other’s conventions but the ending of the film is what differs the two genres because the psychological thriller will try and leave a different impact on the audience than that of a psychological horror.
