Horror films and emotional response

Aim: to make links between horror film techniques and audience

response.

Starter

• Do Now: watch this clip from ‘Singin in the Rain’ How does it make you feel? Explain.

• Recap:• The question for this topic will be asking

you to examine the micro and/or macro aspects of the film.What does that mean?

• What were some of the emotional responses we have to film?

My film scares….

• Think: what is the scariest film you have ever seen and explain why?

• Have a look at this website list of the scariest films of all time. How many have you seen?

• http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20310838_20303609,00.html

• Task: Do you like the horror genre? • Explain why in a paragraph of writing using

examples of films that you have seen.

What kind of scares?

• This crosses over into the idea of Freudian Psychoanalysis and why we are scared when we watch horror movies.

• What types of fear to horror movies convey?

• Fear of the dark• Fear of the extraordinary• Fear of strange sounds• Fear of God• Fear of man• Fear of the mind!

Horror techniques

* The emotional intention of horror films is simple, to scare!

• How do they do it? What technical aspects do they use?

• Lighting – how?• Cinematography- what types of shot, angle etc?• Editing - which techniques?• Sound- very important?

Horror and technique- examples

• Watch clips from these two horror movies and make notes on the following technical areas and how they create a sense of fear:

• ‘28 Days Later’ –Danny Boyle (2003)• ‘Halloween’- John Carpenter (1978)

• Cinematography• Editing • Mise-en-scene( including lighting)• Sound

Writing task

• Write a couple of paragraphs comparing and contrasting how both horror films use filmmaking techniques to create emotional responses.