Nightmare On Elmstreet

Nightmare On Elmstreet was directed by Wes Craven in 1984. It won two awards and 3 nominations. The plot revolves around several teenagers being terrorized in their nightmares by the ghost of a serial child murderer named Fred Kruger. The film's premise is the question of where the line between dreams and reality lies.

The trailer itself involved the teenagers on the phone, with an objective camera looking in. The themes involve the target audience, teenagers, and sleep/night time. It is set in bedrooms, white middle class houses, and everyday places, which makes it more scary for the audience.

The Shining

The Shining was produced in 1980 by Stanley Kubricks. An intense, epic, gothic horror film and haunted house master piece. It won one award, and was nominated for a following 5. Kubrick moved from the conventions of traditional horror film thrillers, displacing them with his own, much more subtle, rich, symbolic motifs. The empty corridor includes a gothic chandelaer, and leaking blood. This is repeated in the overall setting of an isolated hotel in the countryside. The whole setting really builds the pace. It is speaking in third person, which makes it more personal, and makes the audience really relate to what they're watching. The equilibrium narrative is of a family on holdiay, an everyday family whcih makes it seem more scary. It highlights themes of isolation, lonliness and stress. The target audience is teenagers, young people up tot he age of 25, and those excited by thriller as we get to watch the killer be killed, revenge.

Introduction And Key Points Of The Horror Genre

For our A2 course we have been asked to design and make a film trailer for any type of film we wish. Here, on this blog, I will keep a record of my mind process and any ideas me and my group have towards my final piece. I think it is important to do mind maps/mood boards and drafts so we get the best result possible. I will explore the convention of my film genre and take notes using this. Blogger.com will carry all my thought processes and ideas.

Getting started in my research:

Films are given a shared identity through their shared conventions

• Conventional conventions
• Tematic and iconographic conventions
• Film techniques

Why can films cohere to or reject conventions? Because it adds a new appeal and therefore attracting a new audience.

Genre is linked to its socio-cultural context. Films can reaffirm or challenge exisiting ideolgies and views.

My group and I have decided to produce a trailer based in the horror genre.

Purpose and intention of horror:

• To shock
• To scare
• Make people squirm
• Keep people engaged
• Build adrenaline
• Build suspense

Paul Boss states that horror should not be condemned as excessive and unnecsessary violence, but understand it in its context. By this he means that horror reflects post modern issues about self and subjectively as fragmented, threatened, out of control and under attack from within.

Horror films tend to have :-

• Heart beat music, to build pace and keep the music engaged, and eager to watch.
• Low key lighting to keep the mood dark.