Macro and micro elements

Macro and Micro Elements in the Horror genre All films contain different Codes and Conventions such as how the location is used, the characters are created or the editing is made. In every genre are different codes and conventions significant and more essential than in others. So in the horror genre, where for example the sound and the plots are two of the most important codes and conventions in order to create tension and frighten the audience. In this document I am going to introduce to you all codes and conventions and stereotypes used in the horror genre to you in order to give you a clue about what I am writing about in my Textual Analysis.

Macro Elements Character Codes In the horror genre are often used stereotypes of specific characters to develop the story and build a exiting storyline in order to give the audience the feeling of watching a horror film.

Stereotypical character codes are for example the use of: • The Final girl • Paranormal children • The unlikely hero • The Sex Appeal • Stupid, immoral teenagers These stereotypes of characters are often used to give the film a right order and the audience an idea about who is going to die and what is going to happen in a not too detailed way.

Narrative Codes In every horror film are some of these narrative devices used to make a good storyline and plot possible: • The Hero/Protagonist - e.g. Kylie from “Housebound” • The Villain

- e.g. The killer

• The Helper

- e.g. Amos, the salaried security man

• The Victim

- e.g Kylie or the whole family of Kylie

• The Doner

- The man hiding in the wall (helps her killing the killer in the end Types of Horror

• Slasher

– e.g. “Scream”, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, “Cabin in the woods”

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Gothic

– e.g. “Dracula” or “The cabinet of Dr.Caligari”

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Psychological – e.g. “The Grudge”, “Cat People”, “The Ring”

Location Codes To create and develop the scary atmosphere of a horror film are often used similar locations as not every location can frighten the audience as good as others.

Good examples for scary or weird locations are: •

Haunted House

All these locations are more or

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Cabin in the woods

less located in sinister places

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Asylums

in order to create this requested

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Deserted Cities

scary and frightening atmosphere

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Underground Tunnels

to develop and strengthen the

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Secret paths

storyline and idea of horror.

•

Forests

Props and Signifiers Many items used in horror films may create a special atmosphere to the audience such as symbolising danger (e.g. Knife). Depending on the situation and framing of these instruments is the symbolism more or less impacting the audience.

There are different types of things which can effect this to the viewer: •

Weapons

such as knifes, hands or teeth. •

Missing character

being kidnapped or killed. •

Dolls/Children

are presented with a strange and creepy behaviour to create a weird story and impact on the psyche of the audience.

Micro Elements Sound

Sound is one of the most important codes in the horror genre as it can effect to the audience that they are frightened by using of loud sudden bangs or build tension to them by raising the music volume and frequence.

There are two different types of Sound: Diegetic Sound

Non-Diegetic Sound

Diegetic sounds are sounds the audience and the character shown in the scene can hear. These sounds clarify why the protagonist is frightened and can frighten the audience as well.

Non-Diegetic Sound is the music and other noises added to the film in order to create a bigger impact on the audience to frighten them. Nondiegetic sounds can not be heared by the protagonists in the film and are just use to support scary moments as for example someone suddenly appearing in the room next to the character.

Camerawork To show and clarify different relations between characters or a character and a location is camerawork used to show the hierarchy and dominant part in this relation.

Bird's eye view/High shot

- Insidious

This shot type is used to clarify the relation between the woman and the house or what she thinks is following her.

Extreme Close-Up

-Blairwitch Project

This shot type is used to focus on a specific area in the face of the filmed character in order to express their feelings in this situation in a more detailed way.

Camerawork Close-Up

This shot type is used to show the expressions of a character in a proper way in order to “inform� the audience about the happening in this situation. The viewer is supposed to focus on the action or dialogue going on in the scene rather than looking at specific expressions.

Mid-Shot

-Scream

This shot type may be used to add a action made of the character filmed. The viewer looks at the expressions of the character as well as at the action in order to understand these expressions which are sometimes connected with dialogues.

Camerawork

Low-Shot

-Batman The Dark Knight Rises

This shot type is often used to point the dominant part in the scene as it seems that the character has more power as he looks down at something and seems to be taller and stronger, strengthened by the big city background in this example.

Long Shot

-The last exorcist

The long shot is used to show more of a character or room in order to give the audience more knowledge about the situation and location. Also does this shot type give the audience the feeling of control over the situation as they see much of the room and they do not expect frightening bang in the next seconds. This effect on the audience can be used by doing exactly this and adding a sudden bang combined with something appearing in the room or happening to the filmed person.

Camerawork

Extreme Long Shot The extreme long shot to show the audience a location and a person far away.

This shot does not have to give information about the person in the shot. This may be used to create kind of mysterious scene and lets the audience ask about this person.

Point of view Point of view adds a sense of reality to the audience and lets her think to be in the position of the protagonist what lets the audience also feel like the protagonist about the things they see and expect.

Editing

The editing in a horror film has a big impact on its tension. Cutting the scenes in a high frequence makes the scene very hectical and can cause a very exiting scene to the audience. Long cuts may create kind of calm scene which can be used to prepare for a very frightening scene combined with loud bangs in the non-diegetic sound. The filter added to the film can also effect a more sinister or realistic atmosphere.

Mise-en-scène The Mise-en-scène is nearly everything what the audience can see on the screen. It is about the lighting which can cause shadows creating a scary environment as well as it is about the location used and combined with the rest of what the audience can see.

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Location

*see Macro Elements

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Lighting

the deliberated use of light in horror movies can change the

atmosphere of a film in its whole detail by creating shadows or bright areas on the screen •

Make-up

can make for example Zombies much more realistic

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Framing

*see Camerawork

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Casting

a good casting is important in order to let the audience

believe the expressions of the characters building also fear to the audience.

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Props

*see Macro Elements

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Costume

*see make-up