Horror films seek to elicit negative emotional reactions from viewers by playing on primal fears. They often feature startling scenes involving the macabre, supernatural, or unknown to tap into viewers' nightmares and hidden fears. Common horror movie themes include something threatening people in or around an isolated house and a killer pursuing a single victim or group. Successful horror movies employ unsettling lighting, costumes, and props to build atmosphere and fright.

1. GENRE
RESEARCH

2. HORROR
Horror is a film genre seeking to elicit a negative emotional reaction
from viewers by playing on the audience's primal fears. Horror films
often feature 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.
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horror_film
The most well known horror movies lately are:-
 Sinister
 The possession
 Mama
 Evil Dead

3. THE SCARY HOUSE
 These films are all typical horror films where there is something
either in or around the house trying to kill the people visiting there.
 Here you can see all three of the trailers frame the house from a low
angle suggesting the house is in power, also they are filmed very
close to the ground suggesting a underworld. This is typically done to
engage the reader into a sense of fear around the house.
 In each shot you can see there is dead trees and leaves surrounding
the house as well as a unkempt feel, this suggests the house has
been vacant for sometime and suggesting it shouldn't be entered.

4. KILLER ON VICTIM
 Most horror films have a killer on victim theme where there is
a killer or evil spirit seeking to kill a single victim or a group of
people.
 This is seen in the cabin in the woods as the trailer reveals a
group of people going to stay in the woods and a very creepy
man which is a indication of a killer.
 This is also seen in evil dead as one girl is victimised out of
the group and is overcome with the possession from the evil
girl from the woods/house.
 In house at the end of the street a family moves into a new
house which is doomed with a evil spirit and when they have
moved in they begin to experience paranormal activities in the
house this being the killer.
 This narrative is widely used across the horror movie genre
and is one of the most common storylines to base a film on as
it is one of peoples fears to be chased by a killer or something
paranormal the directors play on this and use this to their
advantage.

5. THE TITLES
 In between shots short titles are often used to hint
at what the film is about or to add a element of
suspension by using words like ‘think again’.
 Most movie trailers feature these titles but in horror
genres is it particularly known for them to have a
dark dreary background just like the ones below
with sharp simple text to contrast against the
background.

6. MAIN CHARACTER TYPES
 Typically there is the main protagonist who is the
victim or the hero of the movie. Then there is the
villain, other monster , mutated freak, alien or killer
who will end up killing the group of wreckless
teenagers.
 Also there could be a creepy child, woman or man
who either possesses or tries to kill a family or a
couple in a house.
 There also may be other characters such as the
untrustworthy policeman or neighbour who turns
out to be in with the killer.

7. LIGHTING, COSTUME & PROPS
 Typically dark colours like red and black as well as grey
are used as they link to evil, blood and the dark side.
 The lighting is very low key to make the location to seem
dark and dingy also it helps create dark shadows and
unfamiliar shapes in the darkness.
 Props can help us identify the genre further through the
use of chainsaws, machetes, knives and guns etc. They
also may use masks to hide their identity which is a fear
of some people.
 Typical costumes used will either be hospital gowns to
suggest mentally ill patients and a sense of instability or
dark ripped clothing often dresses on women.

8. THRILLER
Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, and television programming
that uses suspense, tension and excitement as the main
elements. Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewer's moods giving them
a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened
expectation, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and/or terror. Thriller films
tend to be adrenaline-rushing, gritty, rousing and fast-paced.
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_Film
The most well known thriller movies lately are:-
 The Purge
 Erased
 Dark skies
 The host
 The hunger games: catching fire

9. THE MAIN TROUBLEMAKER
 In thriller movies there is normally one main
character who is seen as a troublemaker in the
narrative.
 In the host it is seen to be the girl who rebels
against the takeover.
 In erased it is seen to be the man as the
troublemaker as he is shown in a sequence of fight
scenes in the trailer
 In the hunger games it is also the girl who is the
main troublemaker as she strikes up a rebellion
even at her presence.
 This element in thriller films is essential as this is
where the action and suspense comes from.

10. THE ACTION SCENE
 As thriller films rely on the uncertainty, anxiety and surprise it is key
they have a big action scene in them.
 Below in the host the main action scene from the trailer seems to be
the challenge to capture the girl who is trying to stay human.
 In erased the main action scene seems to take place in the train
station where a man is chasing the victim and a fight breaks out.
 In the hunger games the main action scene seems to be the uprising
of the people during a rebellion against the government.
 All of these action scenes are feature in the trailers to ensure the
audience that there is a element of suspense and action to the film
which reinforces the idea that it is a thriller film.

11. LIGHTING, COSTUME & PROPS
 The lighting in thriller films is similar to those of horror films in the
respect that it is often low key creating a mysterious and edgy feel to
it. However thriller films sometimes contain a element of action so
the lighting can change to accommodate this and become lighter and
create shadows rather than dark grungy lighting which would be
used in horrors.
 Typical costumes in a thriller film vary depending on the sub genres,
for example action thriller movies will feature normal costumes such
as suits which is shown here in the dark knight trailer.
 Props used in the thriller genre vary, as some films offer gore they
will feature knives and chainsaws etc. Where action thrillers will
feature fast cars, guns, gadgets and knives. These differences are
evident throughout the film.

12. THE FAST PACE
 As thriller films rely on the tension and action that is
in them the trailers are often very fast paced in
order to create a sense of thrill.
 Below you can see15 shots packed into a 10
second time frame.