Levi-Strauss' Binary Opposition Theory

Todorov's Basic Narrative Theory

Propp's Narrative Theory

Horror Genre Conventions

Deconstruction of a Horror Trailer

Horror Villains

Would I use a monster in my trailer?
I've realised for me, that having a villain is important for me. I love the idea of there being a source of evil that is trying to be destroyed. What I do love more is having one that seems very much human and as real as possible. Supernatural elements of a monster are scary and creative but aren't as entertaining as a complex, mysterious, humanlike person.  When I think about my ideal villain it would be Ester from 'The Orphan'. She mirrors everything I would like to recreate, a normal human being on the outside, but a monstrous, cunning demon inside. So, yes I would have a monster in my trailer, I don't think it would work as well , for me, without one.

Get Out - Context of a Horror Film

Get Out is a American Horror, written, directed and co-produced by Jordan Peele, following the story of a young interracial couple visiting the home of the woman's parents. Released this year, it highlights how destructive racism is in this world. It scored an A-grade on CinemaScore (which is unheard of within the horror genre), got 99% rating from Rotten Tomato as well as having a box office of $252.5 million despite it being low budgeted. 'Get Out ' uses the horror genre to show how scary it is to be a black man.

The main story unfolds, an aspiring photographer , Chris, who plays the protagonist in the film and his girlfriend of 5 months Kate, as they set of to her parents home for the weekend. By having it from his perspective, it allows to audience to see the world through a black person. After Kate hits a deer, an officer asks for Chris' ID even though he was not the one driving linking back to the issue with racism in America today in terms of how black women and men (in particular) are treated by police.

As they arrive, the parents greet them, appearing as middle-class liberals, open to the concept of their relationship before telling Chris how much they wished they could vote for Barack Obama for a third time. What makes this film so interesting and complex for me is that the villains in the film aren't what is stereotypical considered. They don't appear like "monsters" or express publicly some kind of extreme belief. The aim was to target the underlying bigotry in society today in a way that exposes the really issue.

Peele's film conveys a message mirroring the reality of what black people must do to survive. After Chris realises the situation he has been placed in, his only option is to escape by any means necessary. As it is a horror film, that means with the addition of violence. Mainstream American culture see violence in most circumstances  heroic, a loner standing up for what's right. But when minorities use it as a form of survival, its disapproved of. Chris remains calm for two thirds of the film before choosing to react. Black resistance movements have been scrutinized for even a hint of potential violence, especially with the on going activism of the Black Lives Matters movement sparked in 2014.

Kate on the surface appears warm, kind and loving, appearing like the perfect person to help Chris. What the film expresses her as is the embodiment of "White Feminism", prioritizing the issue of white women and dismissing the issues of others. She is portrayed to be quite dominate, speaking over Chris when he's asked questions by the officer and and for him. Kate consistently dismisses Chris' concerns about his family and seem oblivious by their racial aggression. With white feminist, there has been criticism on the fact that they only support minorities if their interests line up. We can see how Kate had only been superficially in love with Chris for her advantage until the situation escalated and the truth bomb was revealed.

'Get Out's aim wasn't to stop racism. It didn't set out to erase year of history that had lead us to the place we are today or to prevent prejudice. The purpose was to expand on the conversation of the injustice felt by members of our society and do so in a incredibly rare and insightful perspective, in an unapologetic way.

History of Horror

Horror Poster Deconstruction

In this blog post, I have deconstructed three different horror posters from the last two years. As I have to create my own horror poster, I felt it was important to gain an understanding to what was already out there in aim to help me with my own. In doing this I have learnt what makes a good poster as well as how to use elements on it that carry a deeper meaning.

Introduction - Response to Brief

This is an introduction to the horror genre that I will be studying in year 13. Our brief is to create a horror trailer along with a magazine front cover and poster and all feed together. When first hearing about this, I was interested. Horror has very really been a genre of film that I haven't been all that excited by but I believe this opportunity to explore this category might allow me to find a love for it.

The first horror film I  watched as child was 'The orphan'. It followed the story of a couple who adopts a young girl who is not all she seems to be. I remember how frightened I was, double checking no one was under my bed or in the closet.  I don't think I can ever forget the scene were the mum discovers the truth and that her family were in danger. For a ten year old, it was quite a traumatic experience, so much so that I stuck to Disney movies with happier ending.

Since then, I have always loved the concept of horror, despite not watching them often. Even though they are terrifying and disturbing at times, I love a good jump scare and the feeling of now knowing what is going to come next. What I find is that I struggle to find one that I enjoy and am scared by as well. Films that are heavily focused on the supernatural element, I've realized aren't as interesting as a film that seems very realistic to the point where I could actually imaging it happening in real life. I love the psychological aspect of this certain genre as it leave me questioning and confused. The one thing that frightens me is dangerous children that look angelic. One film like this that I remember watching was 'Case 39'. It is similar to the 'Orphan' and has the same mysterious vibe.

What I find that makes me want to watch a horror movie is the advertisement. As the brief we have been set mentions having to create a poster and trailer, I believe that it is useful to look at examples in a way to help fuel some idea of my own.

All these posters have a sinister ambience to them that I am drawn to. My favourite has to be 'The Purge' as I remember when I first saw it, the artificial factor the his face freaked me out but also made me want to see what it was all about. I recently went to go and watch 'IT' as the poster and correlating trailer looked fascinating. Clowns have always spooked me out and the child with the balloon appeared captivating. Having now watched it, I can say it was as good as it was made out to be. Lastly, 'The Possession'. The concept of the hand in the most is probably the most gruesome but I believe that it sums up the film perfectly. The level of detail on the poster is something I aim to achieve in mine too.

My favourite horror trailer is for the film "Don't Breathe". The intro quickly captivated me and I felt like the storyline was explain well, not too vague or too telling it reveals the whole story, something I hope to recreate in my own work. I like the colour of the videography and that it has the black outs as the darkness automatic creates a sense of suspense. It quickly gains pace the further we get into to match the audience level of tension whilst still having slow moments to focus of certain sense, mimicking that feeling of shock. Overall, it came together so well, that I went to go and watch it.

With this project, I am excited to develop on my creativity. I love being able to spend time on make a piece of work and making it the best version that it can possibly be. I think the group work aspect of the project will challenge me as I tend to find comfort in doing things alone and having all my ideas reflect in my work. In a group atmosphere, its all about team work and being open to each others thought, which is what makes it so different AS. Nevertheless, I believe that I will overcome this and do good in this task.