Horror Genre

Horror Demographic and Common Certificates

The typical demographic for the Horror genre is likely to be 15-25 year old as they are more likely to watch the film for a thrill or with friends. This is because a large majority of horror films at this present day have a certificate rating of PG12 or 12A and above. Anyone under the age is very unlikely to watch this genre as it is actually a law that anyone below the age limit cannot view. This immediately means we are looking to make a film opening for a [probable] late teenage years range and above.

Below; several common certificate ratings for horror films.

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/  14/10/15

Genre conventions

Setting:

• Small communities or isolated places. Urban environments - dark streets and/or narrow alleyways. Large cities or run down ghost towns. Loose frame forest or open wooded area. Anything that connotes isolation or being alone.
• Often places with a 'dark' or 'twisted' history, like a hospital, graveyard, abandoned houses/hotels or mental asylum. 
• Good locations could be: Open wooed area, forest, country lanes, barns, dark roads with coverage, deep water, abandoned cars or carparks, run down bus or school, factories, attics basements, garages, machinery rooms, cabins, woodlands, open fields, underground railways etc...

Desolate town

Abandoned warehouse/asylum/hospital

Run down theme park

Wooded area

Camera shots:

• High and low angles shots can connote fear and hierarchy/ power over another.
• POV shots can be very effective and important in portraying the fear from the on screen characters mindset, giving the audience the same feelings.
• Hand held shots make it difficult sometimes for the audience to see clearly what is going on.A good example of this shot type would be in the film 'Cloverfield' - since the entire film is shot by a hand held camera, to promote the feeling or terror and the unknown.

Lighting:

• Visually, often dark colours (Red, Black etc..) to link to blood, darkness, fear, loneliness.
• Low key lighting can help create shadows and other non-naturalistic lighting effects.
• Specific lighting techniques can also be used specifically in the genre of the film, for example a lit torch, bonfire or fireplace etc...

Costume and Makeup:

• The horror genre can be more exaggerated than most other genres of film. For example villains or predators may have ripped clothes/ blood smeared or makeup effects like scars, gashes or cuts and bruises.
• Villains and predators may also be a specific theme, such as wearing the mask of a pig or having a specific face paint design. A key example of this would be Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th, whereby the serial killer wears an infamous hockey mask.

Below; examples of costume and special effects makeup  that could possibly be use/is commonly used in horror movies.