Matias the Maker: Genre Research

The Horror Genre

Who is the horror genre for?

Horror has a wide variety of amazing movies just by story alone but what makes horror pop are the scares and the blood. Due to the heavy gore and sexual themes, most horror movies tend to be rated R and are mostly targeted towards older teens and young adults. It would although be a crazy thing to say if horror could only be seen by an older audience since there is much more to it than scares and blood. A great example being the psychological horror movie the Shining known for its low deaths but stunning story.

What is horror's genre convention?

Within horror conventions include common themes, character tropes, and plot structures, such as the "final girl" trope in horror. With production techniques, they show stylistic choices like lighting, sound design, and pacing that give off specific emotional responses. Most commonly dark lighting and settings such as a haunted house or graveyard with rather quiet sound design focusing on subtle or abrupt noises. Even things like color typically are on the darker end.

What is horror's institutional convention?

These would refer to conventions such as story structure, promotional tool trailers or posters, or the way in which studios distribute. For example, some imagery, or even the use of cliffhangers or teaser campaigns, could build anticipation in viewership. It is basically important to build excitement from these promotions, for they condition the audience and determine the success that will come. Examples would be like Chucky killing off the Toy Story cast to promote the new Childs Play.

Samples

The Exorcist (1973) follows the story of Regan, a young girl who becomes possessed by an evil spirit. As she becomes increasingly violent her mother Chris, seeks help from medical professionals, but their efforts fall short. Desperate, she turns to Father Karras, a priest struggling with his faith, who recommends the help of the seasoned exorcist, Father Merrin. Together, they fight the ghosts threatening Regan’s soul. The poster shows it through the dark and sinister color palette and man giving off an eerie vibe.

The Babadook (2014) tells the story of Amelia, a single mother dealing with her husband's death and the challenges of raising her son named Samuel. When Samuel discovers a mysterious book titled Mister Babadook he becomes obsessed with it. As the presence of the Babadook begins to come in their home, Amelia's quickly panics, blurring the lines between reality and hallucination.