Friday 9 October 2015

Critical investigation proposal

Working title:


Why do audience continue watching horror movies such as insidious and paranormal activity, and what are the specific audience pleasures of horror movies?

What are the audience pleasures of horror movies in movies such as insidious and paranormal activity?




To what extent do audiences pleasure from horror movies such as insidious and paranormal activity?



Angle


What positive impact are horror movies having on audiences?
- fun
-enjoyable 
-exciting
-pleasurable 

What negative impacts are horror movies having on audiences?
-violence 
-crime
-psychological effects 
Why is it a popular genre to the younger generation?
- teenagers 
-young adults 
-couples


Hypothesis:


Horror movies seem to be a popular genre due to the pleasures audience gain from it, such as visceral pleasures, Intellectual Puzzles, Emotional Pleasures - Creates Anxiety, 



Linked production piece:


Paranormal activity

Insidious

MIGRAIN


CHAPTER ONE: A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.

Lighting - filler lighting+ back lighting to soften any shadows, as well as making the character look dark and the house stand out which shows the main subject 'haunted house' - silhouette - low key lighting.

Camera Framing - close up of the child to show the significance of the character; the eyes are spooky highlighting that its a horror movie.

Review from IMDB: ''The film Insidious has done something many horror movies have failed to do recently, and that is to be scary''

CHAPTER TWO: The haunted Lambert family seeks to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world.

Lighting - key light on the characters faces and filler lighting to soften shadows - under lighting+ low key lighting.

Camera Framing- long, close up shows that the film consists of a family; able to see the facial expressions of the mother who is scared and is protecting her child. 

Stereotype of women - loving protecting feminine side.

Review: The movie picks up right where the first left off, and really gives you the back story of the family and why they are going through everything they are going through.

Overall rating: 6.6

SHEP

Social - 
A number of psychosocial models, most with roots in the psychological subfields of personality and social psychology, have been tendered in an effort to explain the enigmatic hold horror pictures seem to have on an audience.  Eight of these theories are briefly described in this section.

Historical - 

Economic -  During times of economic deprivation, as between 1931-1933, horror films like Dracula, King Kong, and The Mummy were highly popular; ditto for the late 1960s to the 1980s, the era of Halloween, Night of the Living Dead, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Political A lot of horror film directors (and writers) are very political. Directors such as John Carpenter, George Romero, Wes Craven (to name a few) are in fact very political individuals. Stephen King, the great horror novelist, is also well known to infuse political issues into his stories. For these men, scary stories and horror are analogies to the things that mankind fears.


Issues/Debates

Representation of and stereotyping



  • Stereotype of women - loving protecting feminine side – hugging her children. However she is holding weapon makes her look powerful and masculine
  • The trailer gives a representation of darkness with the dark colours on the poster, and the strange and evil events that happen in the trailer. Giving a representation of good vs. evil which is shown in the trailer
Reality TV


  • Scream Queens (TV Series 2008– ) - IMDb
  • Fear (TV Series 2000–2002) - IMD

Moral Panics


panics on audiences after horror movies

affects after watching horror movies - PANICS.

Media technology and the digital revolution – changing technologies in the 21st century


changes in the way horror is presented; more advanced now. The use of cinematography; equipment, technology.


self cam movies such as paranormal activity. 

Theories

Gender and ethnicity

The connection between WOMEN and HORROR.

  • comfort? 
  • pleasures?
  • excitement? 
  • fear?


The connection between MEN and HORROR.

  • violence
  • weapons


Audience theories

uses of gratification:


  • Diversion - escape from everyday problems and routine.

  • Personal Relationships - using the media for emotional and other interaction, eg) substituting soap operas for family life

  • Personal Identity - finding yourself reflected in texts, learning behaviour and values from texts

The Hypodermic Needle Model

Genre theories


HORROR 


  • starts of with a disequilibrium
  • sometimes ends with a disequilibrium
  • always a villain and a hero 

 





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