Audience Expectations from genre

To gather information for audience expectations we created a survey and sent it out to years 7-13 in the school. Our aim was to see what people expected from the horror genre, and their likes and dislikes of it.
We chose 10 questions to ask and then put it on Survey Monkey:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MX7F3VC

1. How old are you?

2. Do you like to watch horror films?

3. How often do you watch horror films? 

4. What interests you about the horror genre? 

5. What type of horror film do you like? 

6. What is your favourite horror film? 

7. What do you like about this particular film? 

8. What age rating do you think a typical horror film would be suited to?

9. What do you expect to be featured in a horror film? 

10. What do you dislike about horror films? 

Health and Safety Concerns

- George was the owner of the house at the location we were shooting, so we were granted permission to take photographs and film there

- All of our equipment will be safe as we have all used tripods and cameras before and have practised using them. The equipment we will use is not heavy so will not cause any damage. We also will mainly use natural lighting so there will be little need for electricals, except perhaps a single mains light over the table

- Using a lot of DSE (display screen equipment), we have to be careful not to use them for long periods of time as this can lead to the possibility of wrist and eye strain.

- We also need to be aware of the Lake which we are shooting at, which could be dangerous as we filming in close proximity to it, so will need to be wary of falling in.

- When hanging the noose in the right position we will need to use a platform to reach the height of the branch that we need, so it is important to avoid any back strain, and be aware of our balance. We will have several people surrounding the person who is positioning the noose.

Thinking Maps of Initial Idea

BBFC Film Rating

PG stands for Parental Guidance suggesting the film is appropriate for general viewing but there are moments which are unsuitable for younger viewers. It should not be upsetting or unsettling for a child aged eight or over. Parents need to be able to establish whether it will affect younger children or those children who are more sensitive. 

12A and 12 are films which are generally not suitable for those under 12. A 12A requires an adult to accompany a child who is younger than 12. Cinemas are likely to lose their license if a child under 12 goes to a 12A film unaccompanied. An adult who is considering to take a 12 year old to a 12A needs to decide whether it is suitable and possible should look at the BBFC insight for the film in advance. A 12 film is part of a lot simpler system for retailers and it means they cannot sell it or rent it out to someone unless they are over the age of 12. Our opening is part of a psychological film and the BBFC states “Moderate physical and psychological threat is permitted at 12 or 12A as long as horror sequences are not too frequent or sustained and the overall tone is not disturbing.”

A 15 cannot be watched by anyone under 15 at a cinema or buy/rent a 15. These rated films may include strong violence, frequent strong language, sexual references or maybe drug taking. In a 15 there can be strong threat and horror but there can be no sustained focus on sadistic or sexualised threat.

Why did we choose a certificate rating of 12?

We chose this certificate rating because our film contains only a small amount of horror which is not gruesome nor exposed to the viewer for a long period of time. Also we believe some viewers may find it unsettling as it is a psychological thriller so is potentially more realistic than other genres because it is based on a girl who has schizophrenia, so many members of the audience may be able to relate to it.

Mood Board

For my mood board I took inspiration from a lot of horror films, particularly focusing on features that were easy to recreate for our own opening. I chose a lot of misty lakes, dark colours and isolated houses. 

Iconic Sounds of the Horror Genre

"Always make the audience suffer as much as possible" - Alfred Hitchcock 

Throughout horror films there are common conventions used for the sound, these include:

-Long, suspenseful notes that contrast with short, sharp ones that surprise the audience

-Extreme changes in the pitch of notes

-Squeaking door and floorboards 

-Screaming

-Orchestral music is the most popular sound used in horror films as it has great dynamic range, and can easily be varied in compositions for different films. It has been used since the birth of the genre and is still renowned today. 

-Films such as Psycho include infamous sounds like the violin screech which is automatically associated with stabbing in the shower scene. 

-Other famous music includes the piano notes from The Exorcist and the two low notes from Jaws. 

History of Psychological Thriller Films

A psychological thriller is depicted by the heavy focus on unstable emotions of a character or characters. It generally focuses on a person’s mental state than there physical as psychological is to do with mind and behaviour. In the film it normally involves a character having a battle with their own mind. These types of films involve suspense, tension and excitement in order to keep the viewer’s attention to make them want to watch it through to the end. Psychological films stimulate the audience’s mood from the realism of the film. 

Todorov’s Narrative Theory is present in many psychological movies. 

1. There is an equilibrium

2. This equilibrium is  the disrupted by an event perhaps

3. There is then the recognition of this disruption

4. An attempt is them made to try and repair the damage made from the disruption

5. A return or restoration of a new equilibrium is made

Psychological thrillers follow certain themes that can shape the personality of a character:

• Black comedy

• Identity

• Death

• Mind

• Perception

• Reality

• Existence

Examples of these types of films:

• Black Swan

• Fight Club

• Zodiac

• Psycho

• Inception

• The Sixth Sense

• Secret Window