Choosing my format
Prezi
+ Entertaining and visually appealing to watch. + Unique way of presenting information. - Difficult to use and edit. - Lesser known. |
YouTube
+ Widely known. + Easily shared. + Easily accessible by a range of audiences. |
I have chosen to use Google Docs as my format because I have pre-existing experience using it. In addition to this the clear and simple layout with ensure the presentation is easy to read and follow.
My chosen Genre
After having to decide between the genres of Horror, Fantasy and Sci-Fi I have come to the decision of using Horror as my chosen genre. This is because I feel like I know more about the genre and I have seen far more Horror films than Sci-Fi for example.
According to Wikipedia "Horror films often aim to evoke viewers' nightmares, fears, revulsions and terror of the unknown. Plots within the horror genre often involve the intrusion of an evil force, event, or personage into the everyday world."
Horror films often include a supernatural event or being which means to cause harm whether it physical or psychological.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horror_film
Horror films often include a supernatural event or being which means to cause harm whether it physical or psychological.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horror_film
history of horror films
1890's
Georges Méliès was the first film-maker to depict horror within his films. Throughout the late 1890's he produced several short, silent films; in regards to horror the best known one is: Le Manoir du Diable or The House of the Devil. The film features a devil which appears inside the castle and harasses the visitors.
"In 1898 a Japanese film company called Konishi Honten released two horror films written by Ejiro Hatta."
Georges Méliès was the first film-maker to depict horror within his films. Throughout the late 1890's he produced several short, silent films; in regards to horror the best known one is: Le Manoir du Diable or The House of the Devil. The film features a devil which appears inside the castle and harasses the visitors.
"In 1898 a Japanese film company called Konishi Honten released two horror films written by Ejiro Hatta."
1910's
The first production of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein was made by Edison Studios. The film features a grotesque monster who is brought to life by a scientist.
1920's
Robert Wiene produced the film Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari or The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. "Critic Roger Ebert called it arguably "the first true horror film", and film reviewer Danny Peary called it cinema's first cult film and a precursor to arthouse films. Considered a classic, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari helped draw worldwide attention to the artistic merit of German cinema and had a major influence on American films, particularly in the genres of horror and film noir, introducing techniques such as the twist ending and the unreliable narrator to the language of narrative film."
1930's
In 1931 two major horror films were made: Tod Browning's: Dracula and James Whale's: Frankenstein. In addition to this "Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer created the horror fantasy film Vampyr (1932) based on elements from J. Sheridan Le Fanu's collection of supernatural stories In a Glass Darkly. The German-produced sound film tells the story of Allan Gray, a student of the occult who enters a village under the curse of a vampire."
The first production of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein was made by Edison Studios. The film features a grotesque monster who is brought to life by a scientist.
1920's
Robert Wiene produced the film Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari or The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. "Critic Roger Ebert called it arguably "the first true horror film", and film reviewer Danny Peary called it cinema's first cult film and a precursor to arthouse films. Considered a classic, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari helped draw worldwide attention to the artistic merit of German cinema and had a major influence on American films, particularly in the genres of horror and film noir, introducing techniques such as the twist ending and the unreliable narrator to the language of narrative film."
1930's
In 1931 two major horror films were made: Tod Browning's: Dracula and James Whale's: Frankenstein. In addition to this "Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer created the horror fantasy film Vampyr (1932) based on elements from J. Sheridan Le Fanu's collection of supernatural stories In a Glass Darkly. The German-produced sound film tells the story of Allan Gray, a student of the occult who enters a village under the curse of a vampire."
1940's
"The popularity of movie genres of the 1940's were mostly film noir, melodrama and mystery."
"Val Lewton became a well known figure in early B-horror cinema for making low-budget movies for RKO Pictures, including I Walked with a Zombie (1943), The Body Snatcher (1945), and Cat People (1942), a film deemed by the United States' National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant"."
1950's
"With advances in technology, the tone of horror films shifted from the Gothic towards contemporary concerns."
"1956's science fiction/horror film Invasion of the Body Snatchers concerns an extraterrestrial invasion where aliens are capable of reproducing a duplicate replacement copy of each human. It is considered to be the most popular and most paranoid films from the golden age of American sci-fi cinema. Japan's experience with Hiroshima and Nagasaki bore the well-known Godzilla (1954) and its many sequels, featuring mutation from the effects of nuclear radiation. This kickstarted the tokusatsu trend known as Kaiju films, a Japanese film genre that features giant monsters, usually attacking major cities and engaging the military and other monsters in battle."
"The United Kingdom began to emerge as a major producer of horror films around this time. The Hammer company focused on the genre for the first time, enjoying huge international success from films involving classic horror characters which were shown in colour for the first time."
"The popularity of movie genres of the 1940's were mostly film noir, melodrama and mystery."
"Val Lewton became a well known figure in early B-horror cinema for making low-budget movies for RKO Pictures, including I Walked with a Zombie (1943), The Body Snatcher (1945), and Cat People (1942), a film deemed by the United States' National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant"."
1950's
"With advances in technology, the tone of horror films shifted from the Gothic towards contemporary concerns."
"1956's science fiction/horror film Invasion of the Body Snatchers concerns an extraterrestrial invasion where aliens are capable of reproducing a duplicate replacement copy of each human. It is considered to be the most popular and most paranoid films from the golden age of American sci-fi cinema. Japan's experience with Hiroshima and Nagasaki bore the well-known Godzilla (1954) and its many sequels, featuring mutation from the effects of nuclear radiation. This kickstarted the tokusatsu trend known as Kaiju films, a Japanese film genre that features giant monsters, usually attacking major cities and engaging the military and other monsters in battle."
"The United Kingdom began to emerge as a major producer of horror films around this time. The Hammer company focused on the genre for the first time, enjoying huge international success from films involving classic horror characters which were shown in colour for the first time."
1960's
"Alfred Hitchcock, considered to be the "Master of Suspense" didn't set out to frighten fans the way many other traditional horror filmmakers do. Instead, he helped pioneer the art of psychological suspense. As a result, he managed to frighten his viewers by getting to the root of their deepest fears. One of his most frightening films besides Psycho is The Birds (1963), where a seemingly idyllic town is overrun by violent birds."
"Roman Polanski made his first film in English with Repulsion (1965), which is considered to be his scariest and most disturbing work. Polanski's "evocations of sexual panic and masterful use of sound puts the audiences' imagination to work in numerous ways". This psychological horror film tells the story of a young withdrawn woman who finds sexual advances repulsive and who, after she is left alone, becomes even more isolated and detached from reality."
"In television, the animated mystery Hanna-Barbera series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! was broadcast from 1969 to 1970. The series centers on a group of teenagers and their dog who go to abandoned places to solve mysteries involving supposedly supernatural creatures through a series of antics and missteps. The animated series' simple formula had a major impact on future slasher films especially of its portrayal of villains in masks."
"Alfred Hitchcock, considered to be the "Master of Suspense" didn't set out to frighten fans the way many other traditional horror filmmakers do. Instead, he helped pioneer the art of psychological suspense. As a result, he managed to frighten his viewers by getting to the root of their deepest fears. One of his most frightening films besides Psycho is The Birds (1963), where a seemingly idyllic town is overrun by violent birds."
"Roman Polanski made his first film in English with Repulsion (1965), which is considered to be his scariest and most disturbing work. Polanski's "evocations of sexual panic and masterful use of sound puts the audiences' imagination to work in numerous ways". This psychological horror film tells the story of a young withdrawn woman who finds sexual advances repulsive and who, after she is left alone, becomes even more isolated and detached from reality."
"In television, the animated mystery Hanna-Barbera series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! was broadcast from 1969 to 1970. The series centers on a group of teenagers and their dog who go to abandoned places to solve mysteries involving supposedly supernatural creatures through a series of antics and missteps. The animated series' simple formula had a major impact on future slasher films especially of its portrayal of villains in masks."
1970's
"The 1970's began a new age for horror films with the transition from "classic" to modern horror. Horror films started to focus more on aggressiveness and ruthlessness while also focusing more on artistic qualities and societal themes. This era of horror films has been regarded as a "golden age" that transformed the genre by having it "grow up" while showing that horror can be artistic. The 1970's was an era dominated by American horror films. Unlike the past, which was influenced heavily by European film-makers, Americans breathed a new life into the genre. Modern horror films took the expected roles of characters in the films and changed them. This era changed the usual setting for horror films, using every-day settings. Along with this came a change from focusing on defeating evil every time to having some instances where good fails before succeeding. The critical and popular success of Rosemary's Baby, led to the release of more films with occult themes in the 1970's."
1980's
"A cycle of slasher films began in the 1970's and 1980's with the creation of Halloween by John Carpenter. Halloween was a significant influence on the horror industry and has become one of the quintessential forerunners of commercial horror films, grossing $70,000,000 on a shoestring budget of $300,000-325,000. Its influence and inspiration can still be seen in films today."
"Alien (1979), a British-American science-fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott was very successful, receiving both critical acclaim and being a box office success. John Carpenter's movie The Thing (1982) was also a mix of horror and sci-fi, but it was neither a box-office nor critical hit, but soon became a cult classic. However, nearly 20 years after its release, it was praised for using ahead-of-its-time special effects and paranoia."
"Several science fiction action horror movies were released in the 1980's, notably Aliens (1986) and Predator (1987). Notable comedy horror films of the 1980's include Re-Animator (1985), and Night of the Creeps (1986)."
"The 1970's began a new age for horror films with the transition from "classic" to modern horror. Horror films started to focus more on aggressiveness and ruthlessness while also focusing more on artistic qualities and societal themes. This era of horror films has been regarded as a "golden age" that transformed the genre by having it "grow up" while showing that horror can be artistic. The 1970's was an era dominated by American horror films. Unlike the past, which was influenced heavily by European film-makers, Americans breathed a new life into the genre. Modern horror films took the expected roles of characters in the films and changed them. This era changed the usual setting for horror films, using every-day settings. Along with this came a change from focusing on defeating evil every time to having some instances where good fails before succeeding. The critical and popular success of Rosemary's Baby, led to the release of more films with occult themes in the 1970's."
1980's
"A cycle of slasher films began in the 1970's and 1980's with the creation of Halloween by John Carpenter. Halloween was a significant influence on the horror industry and has become one of the quintessential forerunners of commercial horror films, grossing $70,000,000 on a shoestring budget of $300,000-325,000. Its influence and inspiration can still be seen in films today."
"Alien (1979), a British-American science-fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott was very successful, receiving both critical acclaim and being a box office success. John Carpenter's movie The Thing (1982) was also a mix of horror and sci-fi, but it was neither a box-office nor critical hit, but soon became a cult classic. However, nearly 20 years after its release, it was praised for using ahead-of-its-time special effects and paranoia."
"Several science fiction action horror movies were released in the 1980's, notably Aliens (1986) and Predator (1987). Notable comedy horror films of the 1980's include Re-Animator (1985), and Night of the Creeps (1986)."
1990's
"In the first half of the 1990's, the genre still contained many of the themes from the 1980's. The slasher films, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Halloween, and Child's Play, all saw sequels in the 1990's, most of which met with varied amounts of success at the box office but all were panned by critics."
"Two main problems pushed horror backward during this period: firstly, the horror genre wore itself out with the proliferation of nonstop slasher and gore films in the eighties. Secondly, the adolescent audience which feasted on the blood and morbidity of the previous decade grew up, and the replacement audience for films of an imaginative nature were being captured instead by the explosion of science-fiction and fantasy films, courtesy of the special effects possibilities with advances made in computer-generated imagery. Examples of these CGI include movies like Species (1995), Anaconda (1997), Mimic (1997), Blade (1998), Deep Rising (1998), House on Haunted Hill (1999), Sleepy Hollow (1999), and The Haunting (1999)."
"To re-connect with its audience, horror became more self-mockingly ironic and outright parodic, especially in the latter half of the 1990's."
2000's
"The decade started with American Psycho (2000) directed by Mary Harron starring Christian Bale as a charismatic serial killer and Manhattan business mogul. The movie was highly controversial when released and remains a cult classic today."
"Remakes of earlier horror movies became routine in the 2000's. In addition to the remake of Dawn of the Dead (2004), as well as the remake of both Herschell Gordon Lewis' cult classic, 2001 Maniacs (2003), and the remake of Tobe Hooper's classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), there was also the 2007 Rob Zombie written and directed remake of John Carpenter's Halloween. The film focused more on Michael's backstory than the original did, devoting the first half of the film to Michael's childhood. It was critically panned by most, but was a success in its theatrical run, spurring its own sequel. This film helped to start a "reimagining" riot in horror filmmakers."
2010's
"Serialized, found footage style web videos featuring Slender Man became popular on YouTube in the beginning of the decade. Such series included TribeTwelve, EverymanHybrid, and Marble Hornets, the latter of which has been adapted into a feature film. Slender Man (2018) is supernatural horror film, based on the character of the same name. The character as well as the multiple series is credited with reinvigorating interest in found footage as well as urban folklore. Horror has become prominent on television with The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, and The Strain, and on online streaming services like Netflix's Stranger Things and Haunting of Hill House. Also, many popular horror films have had successful television series made: Psycho spawned Bates Motel, The Silence of the Lambs spawned Hannibal, and both Scream and Friday the 13th had TV series in development."
"2018 and 2019 saw the rise of Jordan Peele as a director of allegorical horror-thriller films. Get Out addresses modern racism and the concept of slavery by following an African-American man as he makes a chilling discovery regarding his white girlfriend's upper-class family. Get Out received four Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay) at the 90th Academy Awards, of which Peele won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Peele's sophomore film, Us, addresses social class and privilege as it follows a family terrorized by their murderous dopplegangers."
"The 2017 slasher film, Happy Death Day follows a college student who is murdered on her birthday and begins reliving the day repeatedly, at which point she sets out to find the killer and stop her death. It grossed $125 million worldwide on a $4.8 million budget and received generally positive reviews, with critics deeming the film entertaining while acknowledging the familiar premise, and describing it as "Groundhog Day meets Scream". A sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, was released in February 2019."
"In late 2018, Netflix premiered the post-apocalyptic thriller film Bird Box which became an internet sensation even well into January 2019. The film follows a woman, played by Sandra Bullock, who, along with a pair of children, must make it through a forest and river. They must do so blindfolded, to avoid supernatural entities that seemingly cause people who look at them to die by suicide. The hashtag #BirdBox trended for weeks. People shared memes in regards to the movie, even inspiring the "Bird Box blindfold challenge" in which participants wear blindfolds while trying to do day-to-day activities."
"In the first half of the 1990's, the genre still contained many of the themes from the 1980's. The slasher films, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Halloween, and Child's Play, all saw sequels in the 1990's, most of which met with varied amounts of success at the box office but all were panned by critics."
"Two main problems pushed horror backward during this period: firstly, the horror genre wore itself out with the proliferation of nonstop slasher and gore films in the eighties. Secondly, the adolescent audience which feasted on the blood and morbidity of the previous decade grew up, and the replacement audience for films of an imaginative nature were being captured instead by the explosion of science-fiction and fantasy films, courtesy of the special effects possibilities with advances made in computer-generated imagery. Examples of these CGI include movies like Species (1995), Anaconda (1997), Mimic (1997), Blade (1998), Deep Rising (1998), House on Haunted Hill (1999), Sleepy Hollow (1999), and The Haunting (1999)."
"To re-connect with its audience, horror became more self-mockingly ironic and outright parodic, especially in the latter half of the 1990's."
2000's
"The decade started with American Psycho (2000) directed by Mary Harron starring Christian Bale as a charismatic serial killer and Manhattan business mogul. The movie was highly controversial when released and remains a cult classic today."
"Remakes of earlier horror movies became routine in the 2000's. In addition to the remake of Dawn of the Dead (2004), as well as the remake of both Herschell Gordon Lewis' cult classic, 2001 Maniacs (2003), and the remake of Tobe Hooper's classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), there was also the 2007 Rob Zombie written and directed remake of John Carpenter's Halloween. The film focused more on Michael's backstory than the original did, devoting the first half of the film to Michael's childhood. It was critically panned by most, but was a success in its theatrical run, spurring its own sequel. This film helped to start a "reimagining" riot in horror filmmakers."
2010's
"Serialized, found footage style web videos featuring Slender Man became popular on YouTube in the beginning of the decade. Such series included TribeTwelve, EverymanHybrid, and Marble Hornets, the latter of which has been adapted into a feature film. Slender Man (2018) is supernatural horror film, based on the character of the same name. The character as well as the multiple series is credited with reinvigorating interest in found footage as well as urban folklore. Horror has become prominent on television with The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, and The Strain, and on online streaming services like Netflix's Stranger Things and Haunting of Hill House. Also, many popular horror films have had successful television series made: Psycho spawned Bates Motel, The Silence of the Lambs spawned Hannibal, and both Scream and Friday the 13th had TV series in development."
"2018 and 2019 saw the rise of Jordan Peele as a director of allegorical horror-thriller films. Get Out addresses modern racism and the concept of slavery by following an African-American man as he makes a chilling discovery regarding his white girlfriend's upper-class family. Get Out received four Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay) at the 90th Academy Awards, of which Peele won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Peele's sophomore film, Us, addresses social class and privilege as it follows a family terrorized by their murderous dopplegangers."
"The 2017 slasher film, Happy Death Day follows a college student who is murdered on her birthday and begins reliving the day repeatedly, at which point she sets out to find the killer and stop her death. It grossed $125 million worldwide on a $4.8 million budget and received generally positive reviews, with critics deeming the film entertaining while acknowledging the familiar premise, and describing it as "Groundhog Day meets Scream". A sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, was released in February 2019."
"In late 2018, Netflix premiered the post-apocalyptic thriller film Bird Box which became an internet sensation even well into January 2019. The film follows a woman, played by Sandra Bullock, who, along with a pair of children, must make it through a forest and river. They must do so blindfolded, to avoid supernatural entities that seemingly cause people who look at them to die by suicide. The hashtag #BirdBox trended for weeks. People shared memes in regards to the movie, even inspiring the "Bird Box blindfold challenge" in which participants wear blindfolds while trying to do day-to-day activities."
Whats the appeal?
Personally I believe the appeal of horror movies is similar to the appeal of going on a roller coaster. There is the initial fear which fills you with adrenaline and a sense of anticipation, however the peak of this acquired thrill is once the fear has passed, the adrenaline subsides and you're left with nothing but relief and hysteria. According to Glen Sparks, a professor and associate head of the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University, "one reason for the appeal is how you feel after the movie. This is called the excitation transfer process. Sparks’s research found that when people watch frightening films, their heart rate, blood pressure and respiration increases. After the film is over, this physiological arousal lingers, we're just not aware of it."
Horror Movie subgenres
Slasher
In regards to horror movies, the term 'slasher' is used to describe a film which includes murder caused by a psychopath which hunts a group of people. Examples include but are not limited to: A Nightmare On Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday The 13th.
Psychological
Psychological horror films typically aim to mess with your head and has limited jump-scares. Examples include but are not limited to: The Shining, Psycho, Us and It Follows.
Supernatural
Supernatural horror films typically include ghosts, demons, spirits, etc. They are similar to 'slashers' and posses a large number of jump-scares. Examples include but are not limited to: Paranormal Activity, It, Insidious, The Witch and The Rite.
Zombie
Zombie horror films obviously include zombies. The world is typically apocalyptic and occasionally based in a dystopian world. Over time the genre has become a massive part of pop-culture. Examples include but are not limited to: World War Z, Zombieland, Dead Snow, Shaun of the Dead and Resident Evil.
Splatter
Splatter horror films typically includes blood, gore and grotesque disfigurement. Examples include but are not limited to: The Human Centipede, Evil Dead, Dead Alive, The Green Inferno and Tokyo Gore Police.
Torture
Torture horror films obviously include torture; they either have a well-structured plot or are simply gruesome for the sake of it. Examples include but are not limited to: The Saw Series, Martyrs, Hostel, I Spit on Your Grave and The Tortured.
Found-Footage
Found-Footage horror films typically includes the actors holding the camera, similar to a documentary. Examples include but are not limited to: The Blair Witch Project, The Visit, Paranormal Activity, The Gallows and Creep.
Action-Horror
As the sub-genre's title suggests, Action-Horror films are a mixture between Actions and Horror. They contain limited jump-scares and tend to include an excess amount of blood and gore. Examples include but are not limited to: The Meg, Overlord, The Predator, World War Z and Aliens.
In regards to horror movies, the term 'slasher' is used to describe a film which includes murder caused by a psychopath which hunts a group of people. Examples include but are not limited to: A Nightmare On Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday The 13th.
Psychological
Psychological horror films typically aim to mess with your head and has limited jump-scares. Examples include but are not limited to: The Shining, Psycho, Us and It Follows.
Supernatural
Supernatural horror films typically include ghosts, demons, spirits, etc. They are similar to 'slashers' and posses a large number of jump-scares. Examples include but are not limited to: Paranormal Activity, It, Insidious, The Witch and The Rite.
Zombie
Zombie horror films obviously include zombies. The world is typically apocalyptic and occasionally based in a dystopian world. Over time the genre has become a massive part of pop-culture. Examples include but are not limited to: World War Z, Zombieland, Dead Snow, Shaun of the Dead and Resident Evil.
Splatter
Splatter horror films typically includes blood, gore and grotesque disfigurement. Examples include but are not limited to: The Human Centipede, Evil Dead, Dead Alive, The Green Inferno and Tokyo Gore Police.
Torture
Torture horror films obviously include torture; they either have a well-structured plot or are simply gruesome for the sake of it. Examples include but are not limited to: The Saw Series, Martyrs, Hostel, I Spit on Your Grave and The Tortured.
Found-Footage
Found-Footage horror films typically includes the actors holding the camera, similar to a documentary. Examples include but are not limited to: The Blair Witch Project, The Visit, Paranormal Activity, The Gallows and Creep.
Action-Horror
As the sub-genre's title suggests, Action-Horror films are a mixture between Actions and Horror. They contain limited jump-scares and tend to include an excess amount of blood and gore. Examples include but are not limited to: The Meg, Overlord, The Predator, World War Z and Aliens.
Demographic
Movio, a provider of movie-marketingsoftware, discovered horror film's demographic is typically split into two groups, paranormal and sci-fi (for example: Annihilation, Predator and A Quiet Place.)
Source: https://variety.com/2018/film/box-office/horror-movies-study-1202994407/ |
Todorov's narrative theory
Todorov's narrative theory states there are typically 5 steps within a pattern that plots or narratives follow. These five steps include:
Source: https://www.slideshare.net/Katrinabrookes/todorovs-narrative-theory-24244633
- Equilibrium - The first part of the story will feature a happy start, where the majority of the characters are content and everything is as it should be.
- A Disruption - The second part of the story will feature a problem or something will disrupt the happiness which the first part has portrayed.
- Realisation - "The third part of the story is where the problem becomes clear to the main characters."
- Restored Order - "The fourth part of the story is where an attempt is made by the main characters is restore the peace and tranquility portrayed in the first part of the story.
- Equlibrium Again - "The fifth and final part of the story is where the problem is resolved and the peace is restored.
Source: https://www.slideshare.net/Katrinabrookes/todorovs-narrative-theory-24244633