Horror Deconstruction

 

Characters

Characters normally include a killer who has had a traumatic past and is out for revenge and the victim who is often female and linked with the killers past. The two to three characters at the beginning of the film are often the main characters throughout.

Props

Many horror films involve the use of weapons such as axes, knives or chainsaws to symbolise death and violence. The use of weapons also evokes sympathy from the audience as they become worried for the lives of the victims. Masks may be used to create enigmas as the audience are unable to identify who is responsible for the events taking place therefore has them predicting the outcome. Props that are religious symbols such as the crucifix may be used to show Good Vs. Evil. Other props may  everyday items such as chairs, tables, beds, coffins or dolls.

Location

Horror films are normally set in places that have a hidden past of signify isolation where there is nowhere for the victim to run or find help. Common locations for horror films include:

• Woods
• Abandoned house
•     Hospital
•     Asylum
•     Grave yard

Camera shots and Editing

Extreme close ups and close ups are used to show the audience facial expression of the characters allowing the audience to determine whether they are the victim or the killer. They may also be used to show gore to shock the audience. Tracking shots can build up the suspense further as they allow the pace of the film to quicken to show that something bad is about to happen. Another common feature in horror films are flashbacks often showing how the killer has got into such a state and how the victim is linked to the killers past. Common colours used are reds and blacks to suggest danger and death. The main action in the movie is normally accompanied by stormy weather showing pathetic fallacy.

Lighting

Dark lighting or bright but sharp lighting is used throughout horror films. Many people have a fear of the dark as it has connotations of danger and evil therefore many horror movies are normally set at night. Bright and sharp lighting is often used quickly to show sudden danger.

Insidious poster

• From the makers of Paranormal Activity and Saw’- using this at the top of the poster attracts people who have already seen these two films and shows the audience that it will be a good film as it has been made by the same producers who created two popular selling films.
• This poster conforms to the conventions of horror movies being set in houses, as shown behind the boy. The dark clouds above the house and boy suggest that something sinister is bearing over them both. Also giving connotations  of  darkness and evil.
• The boy is positioned in the centre of the frame, showing that he is a victim, with his eyes directly looking towards the viewer and his colour drained. This suggests that the boy has been possessed by dark forces showing Levi- Strauss’s theory of binary opposites, child vs. evil. The use of a child being possessed by evil also evokes sympathy from the audience as children often are associated innocence and vulnerability.
• The boy’s pyjamas symbolise childhood but are mainly red which is a common colour used in horror movies to show danger and blood. The use of the low lighting and clouds suggests the loss of innocence and heightens the sense of fear in the audience who foreshadow that the innocent boy gets turned into the opposite.
• The title Insidious is mainly in white which has connotations of purity however two letters are in red connoting danger and evil suggesting that dark forces are coming to take over.