RESEARCHING GENRE

Cara Pearson

WHICH GENRE HAVE I CHOSEN?

I have chosen to base my opening titles on the genre of horror having been inspired by the titles

to Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd. Now that I know which style I’m going to be working with, I’ll

research the key components often found within this style of movie. Some examples are:

Stock characters

Stock plots

Stock props, signifiers and locations

Music and sounds

representation

And generic conventions

STOCK CHARACTERS

These are the generic people within a movie who are almost always present

within the genre. For instance, within a high school themed horror, you’re likely

to have the typical “Jocks” and their cheerleader girlfriend, the highly intelligent

nerd who’s always the brunt of the jock’s jokes, and the group of friends in the

middle who don’t fit into either category. Due to the fact that people see these

stock characters all the time within movies, they start to develop an

understanding of these people without having a proper introduction. This saves

the director time as he isn’t having to give long and complicated introductions to

minor characters.

SOME EXAMPLES OF STOCK

CHARACTERS

The jock and his girlfriend:These are generally quite shallow, sporty and

dim. The idea of these characters is to grate

on the audience so that a sense of unity

within the viewers is created when they’re

killed off. This is usually fairly close to the end

of the movie.

The clueless nerdsGenerally some of the most likeable

characters, however they’re usually killed

off pretty soon due to the clashing with

“Popular kids”.

SOME EXAMPLES OF STOCK

CHARACTERS

The “Emo” kidGenerally a loner who is underestimated, however

due to their weak nature and once again, the

clashing with the popular kids, they don’t tend to

live through the whole movie.

The troubled protagonistHe or she tends to have a far better grasp

on the situation than anybody else. However

nobody will listen to what they’re saying as

this character is passed off as crazy.

STOCK PLOTS

Within film and media, many storylines follow a basic 4 part rule:

1. The exposition

2. The complications of the original problem

3. The culmination of the previous complications

4. And finally, the resolution

The idea of this (much like stock characters), is to help the audience identify and grasp the

situation without as much explanation from the director. It also creates a sense of unity for the

viewers as they can discus what they think is likely to happen next, thus increasing the enjoyment.

AN EX AM P L E OF A M OVIE WHICH

F OL L OWS A STOCK P L OT

The Haunting In ConnecticutThis follows the classic horror storyline. A teenage boy

sees the spirits which inhabit his house (which was

previously a corrupt funeral parlor). As the haunting

intensifies, his “visions” are put down to a change in his

cancer medication and passed off. However with the help

of a priest, the story comes to a head with the

destruction of the old house, and the teenage boy’s cure.

This is an example of a stock plot as it follows the classic

4 part rule containing stock characters, locations and

props. Without the use of a stock plot, this movie could

easily become ridiculous and too fictitious to be scary.

STOCK P ROP S, S IGNIF IERS AND

L OCATIONS

Much like stock plots and characters, these key elements of creating a good movie all depend on

your choice of genre. Because I have chosen to base my titles on a horror film, the stock props

etc. will be very different to if I’d chosen romance.

Stock props help to set the scene within a movie, for instance, a signifier might be the colour of

paint on a wall, the wind blowing a ripped curtain through a broken window, or the rain pouring

down outside.

Classic examples of stock locations within horror films are abandoned houses, old hospitals or

dark woods.

Often the signifiers are incredibly subtle, such as an old scar or a knife hanging in the kitchen,

however they subconsciously create a link within the viewer’s head and develop a far deeper

understanding of the plot.

SOM E EX AM P L ES OF STOCK

PROPS/SIGNIFIERS

In this scene from Tim Burton’s

Dark Shadows, Depp is sat in one

of his ancestor’s rooms. From the

layout wen tell the tastes that she

has, the rough age of her and see

that she was a rebellious teen from

the certain band’s posters on display.

Click the image to see the full scene.

AN EXAMPLE OF A STOCK

LOCATION

This is a classic American

fantasy/horror image. This scene is

taken from Edward Scissorhands,

and is a classic view of a haunted

castle. Immediately this resonates

with the viewer as a dangerous place

with dark characters residing within

it.

It’s made even more daunting as it’s

shadowing a small, unassuming

suburb.

MUSIC AND SOUNDS

Within media, there are two types of sounds used, these are:

Diegetic

Non-diegetic.

Diegetic sounds are those which the characters within a scene can hear. For

instance, footfalls, a creaking door or talking.

Non-diegetic sounds are those which characters cannot hear. For instance the

soundtrack playing which is there to build tension.

EX AM P L E OF DIEGETIC AND NON -

DIEGETIC SOUND

In this clip (click on the movie poster)

from Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

uses both types of sound effectively.

The non-diegetic music helps to build

a creepy atmosphere and builds

tension, while the sound effects create

a foreboding atmosphere.

REPRESENTATION

Representation within a movie or media product is an extremely effective

and important tool. Often within horror films we have a few categories of

people to be aware of and how they’re represented, in this presentation I’ll

just focus on:

Protagonists

Antagonists

THE PROTAGONISTS

These characters tend to be fairly normal people within a motion

picture. Often slightly mundane until they find their purpose within

the film. The directors often use mise-en-scene and cinematography

to portray a character’s goodness.

Protagonists are usually shot with low angle shot to give them the

impression of importance. High key lighting is generally used as

well as shallow focus to ensure the viewer sees all of their victories

clearly.

As well as this, the sound and music both diegetic and non-diegetic

help to create a sense of goodness. Usually when they’re partaking

in some form of brave act, their theme song could be playing, for

instance, some iconic songs might be James Bond’s, Indiana

Jones, or Captain Jack Sparrow’s. These songs are instantly

recognizable, and build excitement and tension within the crowd.

THE ANTAGONISTS

The mise-en-scene surrounding these

characters then to be dark and foreboding.

They often wear blacks and reds to contrast

with the protagonists’ often bright colours.

The sounds which surround them tends to be

dark and in some cases discordant. This adds

to the menacing, cold nature of the character.

And finally the cinematography, much like the

protagonists, low angle shots portray power,

especially over their victims.