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Storyline and Characters - Horror film storylines are very basic, but the elements and editing techniques that are used lead the viewer to think more about what is really happening. The story line of a horror is meant to be unsettling they are designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our worst fears, often in a terrifying and shocking way which captivates attention and entertains . The story line of a horror film focuses on the dark side of life, the forbidden, and strange and alarming events. The story lines makes the audience deal with our nightmares, our vulnerability, our alienation, our terror of the unknown, our fear of death, loss of identity, the fear of sexuality through primeval nature and its fears. Storylines evolve around the process of discovery either the discovery of death or the discovery of a monster. A horror film tends to always have both a antagonist and a protagonist. The antagonist is always the killer or the evil person and the protagonist tends to be the main character which the action and event is based around. These are both the main characters in the film. These characters are used the most in the film, the audience may not ever know what they look like, but they have a clear idea about their role within the story. In some Horrors there is a Monster or a creature these characters induce fear in the viewer and add emotion and provoke the audiences thoughts and feelings.

Setting- The landscape or the environment can suggest the type of story that will be presented. Interior shots allow for different meanings opposed to exterior shots. The settings of a horror are varied depending on the character and the script of the media. A chosen setting is used for the sake of the plot. These settings can develop through out the film, revealing more about the plot or a discovery. The settings within a Horror film can be very important, they create certain moods and lead the audience to think and feel in a certain way. Horror films tend to be set in very dark, wet, damp places where things are able to jump out and add atmosphere to the film. Certain light is used to also create a certain atmosphere, the filming of the film tends to take place when the light is brightest- either at dusk or dawn. Darkness can be used to connote the unknown, making the audience feel fear. Red or orange light connotes death, pain or danger to the audience as redness denotes blood.

Structure- The narrative structure within a horror tends to stay the same. There is always a setup, confrontation and a resolution. This is a conventional structure of a horror film, this impacts the audience as they are able to tell what is going to happen without knowing the details and the storyline. This structure can be changed but then this changes the audiences expectations. In psychological horrors the structure may be changed, this may be used to surprise the audience and change the fear they feel as they are unaware of what might happen meaning that thoughts within the film are more important than the characters actions.

Events and Actions- In a horror there are always events and actions. An action is when a character does something to themselves and an event is something which happens to the character. In a psychological horror there are more events than actions. Although the event is mental not psychical it is something that happens to them to make them think and feel in a certain way. This makes the audience react making them feel scared and frightened.

Lauren Tolliday

Technical Codes Camera Angles- Camera Angles can be used to express a point of view or the relationships between people and their environment within a scene. Camera angles can also be used to create an emotional meaning between the character and the audience. For example, a high angle long shot focused on a single person can suggest the person’s insignificance and weakness as they are presented as being small. A low angle shot can suggest that the person is important and powerful as the camera is looking up to them. The frequency and number of cuts can create atmosphere. A small number of cuts in a long piece of film could create the feeling of tranquillity, stability, or calm. On the other hand, the same technique could suggest the monotony of the main character action. Quick, frequent cuts might indicate urgency, excitement, or chaos. Lighting- Lighting can be very important in a film, brightness, dim light, or shadow can affect our response to characters. We are more likely to fear a character who is always seen in the shadows as the audience is unable to see their facial and body expression and what they look like this adds tension to the scene. Altering the colour or quality of the picture can also add atmosphere. A red filter could be very effective to emphasize a scene of danger and pain as this denote blood. Soft filters can be used to create white and pale colours create atmosphere as these denote innocence. Sound- In physiological horrors both diegetic and extra diegetic sound is used. Diegetic sound is used within the scene, this could be a conversation between the two characters or music that is within the scene or sounds made by objects in the scene. Sound effects are also used with a film to add extra meaning, sound Lauren technician’s and editing techniques allow the audience their attention on key Tolliday

Symbolic codes Language- Dialect, choice of words, and slang can all indicate the character’s background, social class, or education. The symbolic meaning in this case is in the form of the words rather than in the content. These are very important as the audience may interpret the character very differently after hearing them speak apposed to just looking at them. The language used explains a lot about a person, the audience is then able to build up an opinion on the character. Costume- The style of dress can indicate historical date or the type of character. A lot of information can be distinguished from a characters costume, it can indicate what the person has been doing and where. Costume can signal a characters personality and plot situations or as metaphors to reinforce the action.

Lauren Tolliday

Camera Angles and shots Horror focuses on two main characters the antagonists and the protagonist. Close ups, extreme close ups and mid range shots are used to make the audience focus on these characters. This enables the audience to follow their movements and become familiar with the characters personality, thoughts, feelings and attitudes and meaning that the audience know their role within the film making the audience feel comfortable. As well as the antagonist and protagonist in a horror there is always a monster or a creature created by accident, these may never been seen by the audience. Camera angles and shots may be used to connote its is presents within the film. Shadows can be used to show that it is these but not to show it identity. This puts the audience on edge as they aren't aware of what it looks like but they are aware of its purpose in the film, this creates fear. In a horror film the use or close up shots and mid shots are used to stop the audience from seeing the surroundings, events or people that would reveal the plot ending or give away information that would make it easy to figure out the mystery to early. Close up shots can create suspense because you can never see everything around the characters so the audience becomes anxious and frightened. Tracking and panning is used a lot with horror films. Characters are tracked or the camera pans around the scene to show their movement, instead of cutting between shots to show what they are doing. Panning and tracking shots are used to make the audience think and feel what the character is in the film. Long or mid-range shots are used for these sequences as they set the scene and show the audience where they are. Wide shots from a further distance are usually for setting the scene also Conversations between two characters are filmed using shot reverse shots and an eye line match. Both these shots are used to show who is talking in the scene allowing the audience to focus on the character speaking. When these shots are used an extreme close, a close up or a mid shot is used to show the character. An extreme close up or a close up shot is used to show the importance of the conversation and the expression on the characters face. A mid shot is used also to show the characters body movements and body expressions, this may be important to the audience as it shows how they feel and think about something. When showing two characters talking, the 180 degree rule is always used. This shot is used in the same scene showing the same left/right relationship to each other, this is to used to show the two characters in the scene. If the camera passes over the imaginary line connecting the two subject this may confuse the audience as is may confused them to where the characters are positioned within the room.

Lauren Tolliday

The Blair Witch Project Three film students travel to Maryland to make a student film about a local urban legend, The Blair Witch. The three went into the forests on a two day hike to find the Blair Witch, the party sets out to look for facts that prove the legend, equipped only with two cameras and a little hiking gear. They have to admit to be lost in the woods. Eerie sounds at night and piles of stones in places where they have not been before cause the already desperate group to panic and never came back. One year later, the students film and video was found in the woods. The footage was compiled and made into a movie. The Blair Witch Project. The Blair Witch Project follows the traditional conventions of horror as it makes the audience feel a sense of powerlessness due to the hopelessness of the unknown and the fear of being haunted. Dutch angle shots and close ups allow the audience think and feel what the characters are, this makes the audiences sense of fear even realer. The dark lighting used and the eerie settings connote the sense of the unknown putting the viewer on edge as they don't know what is The Blair Witch Project going to happen next. is similar to most other psychological horrors, the film follows other common elements including its story line. It frightens, panics and invokes our worst fears.

Both diegetic and extra diegetic sound is used throughout the film, the sound used impacts the viewer adding atmosphere and tension.

Directed by: Daniel Myrick Eduardo Sánchez Date of release: October 27, 1999 Certificate: 15 Lauren Country: USA Tolliday