Sub-genres of Horror

Gothic

Gothic horror has the style of the classic horror films from the 1920’s. The monsters in gothic films tend to be the more traditional non-human monsters. Things like werewolves, vampires and headless horsemen are common sights in gothic horrors and in the end are traditionally dispatched by the handsome hero. These films are usually set in old mansions and in dark scary forests where the monster resides.

Other conventions of the gothic horror include gothic style clothing, mist or graveyards and castles. The men are usually the heroes and the women are usually portrayed as damsels in distress.

  

Here are some examples of Gothic horror

 

I would not choose to do this sub-genre because I  think it would require too many props to make it feel like gothic horror. Creating the monster would also be challenging and since gothic horrors are usually set in olden times, getting authentic enough looking costumes for the actors would also be a problem.

Psychological

Psychological horror first appeared in the 1960’s with the famous film ‘Psycho’. These kinds of films are said to be for a more intelligent audience and generally have less victims than other genre. The villain is usually a mentally disturbed individual, even though on the outside they appear to be a normal member of society. For these villains, it’s not about killing their victim. They infiltrate their minds and create the fear slowly so the victim is mentally tortured to the point of appearing crazy.

Here are some examples of psychological horror

  

I would not choose this genera because it would require a much more deeper narrative that I might not have the skills to create. The actor playing the villain would have to have very good acting skills to create the image of someone that looks average but is dark and grotesque on the inside. Lastly, I think that out of all of the sub-genera, creating a trailer for a psychological horror would be most difficult. 

Zombie

In zombie horror films, one convention you always see is some kind of experiment going wrong or the spread of a disease. This somehow ends up causing a zombie epidemic and the survivors spend most of the film finding refuge and a way of escaping whilst fighting for their lives. In the end, only a handful of people manage to escape whilst the ones that failed were captured and usually devoured or turned into zombies themselves. These kinds of films can be set in both crowded towns and more remote places like farm villages.

Here are some examples of zombie horror

  

I enjoy zombie films, however I wouldn't choose to do this sub-genre because I don’t think we would be able to find enough actors to play zombies and even if we did, we couldn't acquire enough make up for all of them. Another problem we would face is that in zombie films, there are a lot more locations where the film is set, so finding places to film would also be difficult.

Slasher

Slasher horrors are usually based around the plot of an insane killer hunting down his victims (usually mostly women). It is a convention that the killer in slashers always wears a mask. This makes the killer appear less human and sometimes, only the final victim that survives get’s to find out his identity. Another convention unique to slashers is the final girl. The final girl is the last person to survive and escape from the killer. She looks and acts quite differently from the other girls. Whist the other girls are quite sexually open and scantily dressed, the final girl is usually a virgin and wears more practical clothes and when the other girls get attacked by the killer, they submit almost straight away, whist the final girl will fight back against the killer.

Another common convention of slashers is that the weapon used by the villain is almost always a knife or some sort of blade. This way, the victim can’t die instantly and the killer enjoys their agony. It also makes these films the goriest. Finally, these kinds of films are usually set in more remote locations like farms, campsites or small towns.

Here are some examples of slasher horror

   

I would not choose this sub-genre because I don’t think I would be able to find enough actors. It would also be harder work with more people. Another problem with filming the trailer would be that we would need the set to be big enough for things like chase scenes and places for hiding. It would be hard to find a place like that that would also allow us to film in it. 

Supernatural (my choice)

Supernatural horrors I think are the genre that is most common in cinemas these days. This may be because of the fact that in supernatural horrors, the villain is not always mortal or even visible to the characters. The plots to supernatural films are usually about demons, spirits and curses. Common conventions of supernatural horrors are characters like mediums and priests that are called in to help the main characters find a solution to the problem. Another common convention that is unique to the genre is demonic or possessed children. This fear of children came from the effects of the drug thalidomide that caused horrible birth defects in babies when mothers took it for morning sickness. In these films, things like paranormal occurrences are also common. So things like inanimate objects moving and faces that suddenly appear and disappear are a common sight.

Here are some examples of supernatural horror

  

For this project, I have chosen to do a promotional pack for a supernatural horror. These films don’t really need a lot of actors and since these kinds of films can be set from places like a normal house to abandoned theme parks, finding a filming location will be a lot easier. Most characters will not need a lot of make up and with some imagination, creating paranormal occurrences and moments of tension can also be achieved.