Horror-Genre Research

Horror

Horror is a genre in film that is often used to induce feelings of fear, shock, and terror. Some sub-genres that stem from horror include psychological horror, supernatural, thriller, etc. Viewers between the ages of 15-25, which are more prominently male, are the most common enjoyers of horror. Horror is able to attract its audience by creating suspense and mystery, and its viewers generally tend to be those who seek out extreme experiences. This trait is known as thrill-seeking.

Conventions

Conventions are described as elements that are commonly seen through many productions in one genre. Typically in horror films, aspects such as conflict and common fears(such as the fear of death-known as thanatophobia) can be seen in a story. In the production of these films, conventions such as suspenseful music and jumpscares are often seen in this genre. For instance, suspenseful music can be used by having an instrumental slowly build up the volume of this music while a shocking turn of events is going to occur. This will create anticipation from the viewer and attract their attention.

Marketing 

As previously mentioned, the target audience of the horror genre is typically males from the ages 15-25, often possessing the personality trait known as thrill-seeking. To attract audiences to watch horror films, advertisements generally focus on emphasizing the presence of the film's antagonist. This can be done in many ways, such as in trailers, posters, or social media advertisements. Additionally, horror films will build curiosity in the audience by advertising a mystery, enticing a viewer to want to find out more about the film. Horror films often bring a large amount of revenue for the producers, as the budget required to produce the film is low, and they often do good in the box office.

Film Samples

Jennifer's Body (2009) stars actors Megan Fox as Jennifer Check and Amanda Seyfried as Anita "Needy" Lesnicki. Needy is the protagonist, fighting against Jennifer as the antagonist, after she was sacrificed in a ritual and then turned into a demon when the sacrifice was unsuccessful. Jennifer begins to eat the boys in her surrounding town of Devil's Kettle, Minnesota. This film is an accurate embodiment of horror as it uses aspects such as gore, suspense, and jumpscares. As Jennifer often is shown eating the boys around her, special effects are often used to create a realistic visualization of this. This film also jumpscares to create feelings of tension and fear in its viewers. Jumpscares are defined as a way to scare the audience by creating an abrupt change in the picture. This is often paired with an unexpected sound.

Terrifier (2016) stars David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown, the antagonist in the Terrifier films. This film shows the story of two young girls on Halloween night, with the killer Art the Clown on the loose. He terrorizes the characters, as well as others introduced in the span of the film. Terrifier notoriously uses practical effects such as blood and gore to create a violent atmosphere. This film shows many killings and creates suspense by using numerous jump scares to frighten the audience. Terrifier was successful in making a profit, requiring a budget of $250,000 to be produced but gaining a profit of over $15,000,000. Terrifier has a sequel, Terrifier 2(2022), and a third movie is predicted to come out in late 2024.

Other Horror Films Include:

Black Phone(2021)

The Excorcist(1973)

The Nun(2018)

Smile(2022)

X (2022)

Scream VI(2023)