Absence of horrors and thrillers on magazine covers

Comparison to mainstream movie magazines

 From doing research into horror movies used for magazine front covers, I have discovered that it is rare for publishers such as Total Film and Empire to go down the horror movie route.This could be due to several factors. Firstly, horror movies may not need the same promotion as other genres such as action as they may either use other methods such as TV advertising or the genre is already very popular so not as much magazine publicity is needed. Secondly, the absence could be due to the fact that horror movies are not taken seriously or are not deemed appropriate for the front cover of a magazine. This is a potential gap in the market that my magazine could fill. I will produce a magazine front cover featuring my horror movie 'Vanish' but rather than following the normal conventions of genre specific magazines such as 'Scream' I will apply the genre to a more mainstream magazine such as 'Total Film'.

  

  In addition to this I have also found that the mainstream movie magazines focus on either recent or upcoming releases as oppose to the genre specific magazine who can sometimes stray to older releases. For example on the cover of the 'Scream' magazine shown above shows the character Freddy Krueger from the film 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' which was originally released in 1984 (30 years ago).

The following Prezi consists of in-depth research, conducted by myself, into the sound used within horror movies. The codes and conventions displayed within this Prezi will later help me with the production of my own horror movie trailer.


 

Camera Techniques

 The following Slideshare presentation is research into various camera shots and angles used in horror movies.

I have decided that if I chose to create a movie trailer for the task rather than a short film then I will produce one for a horror movie. I have made this decision as I feel that this genre best fits me as I enjoy watching horror films and feel that I would be capable of producing a gripping movie trailer. This is why when conducting my research into camera shots and angles used in films I have mainly focused on the horror genre. The evidence that I have found will later help me in producing my own horror movie trailer.

'Why our brains love horror movies'

The following article is research I have obtained as to demonstrate the appeal to audiences of horror movies:

"The fact that some people like to be scared out of their wits never ceases to baffle those of us who would as soon see Freddy Krueger slash his way through A Nightmare on Elm Street as we would have surgery without anesthesia. But to masters of the genre, as well as to experts in media psychology, it makes perfect sense. In Danse Macabre, Stephen King described “terror as the finest emotion, and so I will try to terrorize the reader.” What makes it so fine? “One of the major reasons we go to scary movies is to be scared,” says Fischoff. But the scare we crave—and this applies to haunted houses and spooky corn mazes no less than to horror movies—is a safe one. “We know that, in an hour or two, we’re going to walk out whole,” says Fischoff. “We’re not going to have any holes in our head, and our hearts will still be in our bodies.”

“If we have a relatively calm, uneventful lifestyle, we seek out something that’s going to be exciting for us, because our nervous system requires periodic revving, just like a good muscular engine,” says Fischoff. A 1995 study found that the higher people score on a scale that measures sensation-seeking, the more they like horror films. “There are people who have a tremendous need for stimulation and excitement,” says Fischoff. “Horror movies are one of the better ways to get really excited.”

He suggests that the appeal to teenagers also goes beyond thrill-seeking and catharsis. Horror movies help young people learn to manage terror. “They can either succumb [to frightening images] or learn to manage,” he argues. “By learning to suppress feelings and display mastery or cling to others in a dependent ploy for protection, a person learns to cope with another aspect of his or her environment, a skill that may be useful in dealing with more than just horror pictures.” That may explain another oddity of the genre: horror movies are popular date films. “Teenage boys enjoyed a horror film significantly more when the female companion... expressed fright, whereas teenage girls enjoyed the film more when the male companion... showed a sense of mastery and control,” Walters argued."

Source:Why our brains love horror movies by Sharon Begley

Horror Movie Genre

The below Slideshare presentation is research that I have conducted into the different codes and conventions used in horror movies. All of this research will help me with the construction of a plan to produce a trailer for my own horror movie.

Brief History of Horror

Horror has over the years changed and adapted to suit the audiences change in what is deemed 'scary' or can shock them. With new inventions in cinema such as 3D and digital systems a the found footage sub-genre and references to technology or considered scary to a more modern audience, as they can relate the film to their own personal devices which can cause a sense of fear. The modern horror genre is a blend of sub genres that have changed through the decades, copying previous films and emphasizing the same things. It has altered the stereotypes of women and teenagers with how the directors cast and depict the actors.

 

 

 

For further historical information about the horror genre visit:

 

http://www.horrorfilmhistory.com/

 

 

What is Horror?

Horror is a film genre seeking to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's primal fears. Inspired by literature from authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, horror films have for more than a century featured scenes that startle the viewer. The macabre and the supernatural are frequent themes. Thus they may overlap with the fantasy, supernatural, and thriller genres.
Horror films often deal with the viewer's nightmares, hidden fears, revulsions and terror of the unknown. Plots within the horror genre often involve the intrusion of an evil force, event, or personage, commonly of supernatural origin, into the everyday world. Prevalent elements include ghosts, aliens, vampires, werewolves, demons, dragons, gore, torture, vicious animals, evil witches, monsters, zombies, cannibals, and serial killers. Conversely, movies about the supernatural are not necessarily always horrific.