Horror Movie

Unfriended

 Unfriended is an example of the new age of horror films. Using media and the latest technology, the film was a perfect concept for the contemporary horror viewers. The target audience for this film would be teenagers of both gender with an interest in the modern society and ‘Popular culture’.  Social Networking sites are used by 99% of teenagers in today’s society. This will therefore form a connection with the film as they will know the circumstance of the site and the danger it can cause.

The story line follows a group of friends who had a friend-Laura-died a year before the day of the Skype call. All seems normal until the friends notice an extra person joining the group chat. Someone appeared on Laura's account and questioned the friends who uploaded the video of her death on to Facebook. Paranormal scary things start happening for example all of the teenagers lights turned off in their rooms.

 Then one by one they start being murdered on the Skype call in different harrowing ways. This story line is extremely gripping and exiting because the audience want to know who the final person was on the group chat.

The film is all set on the format of a Skype call which zooms in to each of the webcam photos. The film looks relevant because the camera quality isn't very good to show that it is off a webcam. This gives a very realistic feel as the audience can believe the story and circumstance. The film stays consistent as it’s always on the Skype format which is very interesting and new. There are a few scenes which shock the audience for example when a man gets possessed and forced to put his hand into a blender. This, for many viewers, makes the film more exiting and interesting as violence and horror such as s this gives the audience a thrill.

The Trailer is fairly fast past as it progresses that creates a thrilling vibe and also creates the audiences heart rate to increase. During one scene there is a shot that contrasts the rest. It is in the prospective of an observers eyes walking towards one of the people of Skype camera changes to a ghost like effect which uses different colours and lighting to previous shots. It gives a very spooky effect as there is someone in his room walking towards him about to kill him. The effect for someone creeping up behind the character that is focused on Skype has an even more exiting effect as they are unaware of the next move. This is called Dramatic Irony- the audience know more than the characters.

The use of the realistic story of a girl committing suicide then coming back to haunt the guilty is terrifyingly daunting and therefore causes a thrill and excitement. There is a shot of Laura shot by a camera phone type format as she holds a gun up to her head and shoots herself. There a screams and frantic movement from the crowds. This is staged to be extremely realistic and surreal as there wouldn’t be a set up camera with excellent quality. The use of the diegetic sound of screams and cries, also sends a ‘chill down the spine’ moment for the audience as the noise is piercing as haunting. 

Horror Movie

Saw 1

The Audience for this film is young adults as they would receive adrenaline rush from the trial of the film however, the elderly audience would not enjoy the film due to the gore and murders. The main location for most of the scenes seems to be in a boiler room or a ware house, this vast amount of space gives the audience a lot to look at however the location isn't that clear because the film makes are intending to show how the victims are helpless.

All of the locations however seem to be run down giving the impression that they have been abandoned. Through the use of props of a saw the audience are able to witness first-hand how the film is full of gore. It foreshadows how 'Saw' can control many victims. You could argue that having the object of a saw in the first movie trailer is used to reflect how the actual person 'saw' is a tool and all of his victims are a purpose.

The film trailer starts the dark with a character saying 'Is someone there'. The audience is kept in suspense, not knowing who is there and what’s happening. This is an effective way and conforms to the genre of a horror because the audience’s attention is grasped. As the scene continues the guy who is speaking is taking pictures that are flashing, giving the audience snippets of the scene but almost making them feel like they are trapped and in the same position as the victim. By using such dark lighting the audience are kept guessing therefore giving the trailer control.

 There is a close up of women in a metal mask with her narrating over saying ‘All I can taste is blood [pause] and metal’. This shot establishes to the viewer that the horror film will be gory. The director is able to create a sense of shock and urgency immediately. Not only this but the lighting of the shot is dark and gloomy, reflecting the atmosphere and reinforcing the danger. There is a shot of two of the current victims and a victim who has survived and all have facial expressions of fear. In all three shows the camera angle is straight on showing how they all may be equal but they have been picked for a reason.

The sound in the trailer at the beginning is quite with only the diegetic sound like the footsteps and the camera flash being used. The silence of this creates suspense but also allows the audience to gain a sense of reality. Soon after there is the laugh of what sounds like a little kid, this sends chills down the viewer’s spines. As this laugh becomes louder an unknown figure comes out shown in the print screen below that makes the audience jump, a the non-diegetic sound is used at this point as the music crescendo’s dramatizing the scene.

Horror Codes and Conventions