Horror Film Research

1. Horror Film Research By Mark Chapman

2. Types of Research

3. Primary Research • Questionnaire • Questions asked: • Are you Male or Female? • How old are you? • 12-15 16-18 19-30 Over 30 • Do you like horror films? Yes/No • What type of horror films do you prefer? • MonsterSupernatural Zombie Vampire Sci-fi • Slasher/Murder Apocalypse Psychological Other • Why do you watch this type of horror film? • Do you prefer scares or gore? • Do you prefer attractive lead characters? Yes/No • Do you like major Hollywood actors in horror films? Yes/No • What is your most favourite horror film? • Who do you watch horror films with? • Where do you prefer to watch horror films? • Do you think going to the cinema is too expensive? • What do you think makes a good horror film? • What would you pay for a horror DVD? • Why do you watch horror films?

4. This graph shows that the majority of people that watch horror films are aged between 16 and 30 compared with a minority of people aged between 19 and 30 who also enjoy horror films. The graph also shows that horror films are more favourable to male audiences than female, which could be due to a number of different factors. According to my research nobody aged between12 and 15 or over 30 enjoys watching horror films, however because I carried this research out in college there were no students of those age ranges that I could have asked. Furthermore I also think that most horror films’ age ratings are usually 15 or 18, so below that age group there would be fewer individuals who watch horror films.

5. This bar chart shows that the majority of people prefer scares in a horror film as opposed to gore, which suggests that mindless violence and gore are not necessarily important to horror audiences. Interestingly however, the results also show that of those interviewed more females than males chose the option of both scares and gore.

6. These results show that of the males asked, there was an equal split between favouring attractive model-like lead characters and preferring more believably everyday characters, however there is an uneven split for the females that were asked, the majority favouring attractive leads. This suggests that female audiences may focus moreso on aesthetics than the narrative, although this cannot be discussed in-depth due to restrictive results that do not necessarily cover individuals’ preferences.

7. This graph shows that a higher proportion of males prefer horror films not to star any Major hollywood stars compared to the opposite in the results from female interviewees. This could possibly be due to female audiences preferring a familiar face to counteract the darker elements of the film, which makes it more comfortable to watch, whereas males seem to be of the consensus that this is more of a distraction.

8. This bar chart shows that the majority of people asked prefer to view horror films at Home as opposed to the cinema. This could be due to a number of things including the choice of who is in the room, which cannot be decided at a cinema, as well as when the film is watched and the perceived difference in cost.

9. These results show that most of the people I asked prefer to watch horror films with friends as opposed to alone. Also as this was an open question it is interesting to note that nobody wrote ‘family’ as an answer, showing that people are concerned with who they watch films with in relation to the content.

10. This bar chart shows that the majority of people asked think that going to the cinema is too expensive, which could be a possible indication of why there were more people who said that they preferred to watch horror films at home.

11. This graph shows that the majority of people asked would prefer to pay between £5 and £9 for a horror DVD, with three people choosing £1-£4 and four choosing over £10 . This shows that although most people think it is too expensive to go to the cinema they would be happy to pay for a DVD so that they can still support the film industry in some respect; plus a DVD can watched more than once so people feel that it’s better value for money.

12. This graph shows a large array of horror sub-genres. Psychological horror and supernatural horror appear to be the most predominant sub-genres as chosen by both for male and femalenterviewees . I have also noticed that only males in my questionnaire had chosen monster films, vampire films and ‘other’ (which can incorporate sub-genres such as horror of personality and dark dramas and thrillers that blur the distinctions between genres), but there was also a higher number of female interviewees that chose slasher and apocalypse films. It can be noted that although there are three sub-genres not picked at all by female interviewees, there are representative numbers for males across each category, which suggests that males have a wider range of tastes within the horror genre.

13. Qualitative Data • (In no particular order) The answers given by the interviewees for the question “What is your most favourite horror film?” were as follows; • Saw 1 x2 • Evil dead x3 • Halloween x3 • Paranormal Activity 1 x2 • Amityville Horror x1 • Insidious x1 • Hostel x1 • Spirit Trap x1 • The Grudge x1 • Eden Lane x1 • House at the End of the Street x1 • I am Legend x1 • Funny Games x1 • Martyrs x1 • These findings show that the people I asked have a wide range of horror film taste with an array of fourteen different answers. Furthermore four of my interviewee’s answers were given by more than one person, which puts forward the notion that those four films are popular with most horror film lovers.

14. Why do you watch this type of horror film? The above findings show that the people I asked like various different sub-genres of horror films for numerous different reasons. Aside from the most obvious answers, responses to this question show that audiences are conscious of the elements they appreciate the most when watching a horror film. This highlights the need and importance of market research rather than assuming that a producer can give people what they want without asking them.

15. What Makes a Good Horror Film? • Original narrative • Interesting plot • Plot twists • Gore • Mystery • Things that make you jump • Suspense • Elements that provoke thought. • Good story that doesn’t rely too heavily on ‘jump-scares’ • Good acting • Creativity • Individuality of film • Tense atmosphere • Good locations/sets • Imaginative use of visuals • Good sound design • “Use of the audience’s imagination: it’s not what you see but what you don’t.” • These answers taken from the people I asked shows the elements they appreciate from a horror film. The variety of answers in the list tells me that there are more elements that are important to a horror film than just a scary monster or jump scares. Furthermore the variety of answers puts forward the idea that the audiences of horror films actually want more of a story, something that gets their imagination going as opposed to repetitive scare tactics that a lot of horrors get tarnished with..

16. Why Do you Watch Horror Films in General? • Unpredictable plot twists • “To scare myself” • Adrenaline rush • They are fun to watch • The thrill • “Enjoy them more than other genres” • “I have a morbid interest in dark subjects” • The list above appears small compared to the previous list but this down to the nature of the question. The previous list was larger because it discussed what people wanted from a horror film according to their own personal taste, whereas this list talks about a common consensus to why they watch horror films in the first place. Furthermore that the list is so small shows me that the reasons people watch horror films are similar regardless of individual tastes in sub-genres under the umbrella of horror.

17. Horror Film Review I The Devils Backbone I did like the film although I thought it did not seem to have much of a story as the narrative was lacking of establishing the audience with the time of when the film was set and it lacked of establishing the audience with the main characters. I also thought that the film lacked in the area of bringing its audience suspense within the narrative, it wasn’t very suspenseful because every time the ghost was about to enter the scene the lighting faded to dark with a blue tint, which made the audience know when the ghost was going to appear; this was probably the directors intentions but in my opinion it is not the best effect as the audience basically know what is about to happen therefore it does not horrify them. But I do The zeitgeist of the film is during the Spanish civil war, which puts forward the horror war brings to people and the mindset it puts them in. With the film being set during this time it is where the horror actually lies with the war rather than with the ghost. Likewise with the time the film is set the costumes used match up with it, the costumes used match up with the time because they are styled with plain colours, such as whites and blacks, the clothes worn are also quite scruffy as they are most likely hand me downs due to the economic crisis of war, and also as it is set in an orphanage where there is not much money to start with so the orphans are dressed in ragged clothes; then the owner of the orphanage Dr. Caseras was dressed in newer undamaged clothes and then the antagonist Jacinto who used to be an orphan there but became a helping hand to the orphanage, was dressed in ragged clothes as he used to be an orphan. Each characters clothing represents their backgrounds, which partly establishes the audience with each character however like I stated earlier the narrative lacks the establishment of the characters with the audience, and the only form of character establishment throughout the film in my opinion is of each characters clothing representing their backgrounds. The lighting of the film used dark shadows and little light before the ghost appeared, during this time the lighting used highlighting to draw the audiences’ attention to certain things or objects. In spite of this when the ghost appears the lighting used has an added blue tint to the shadows, with the use of this I felt that this made the film’s suspense to obvious. The film’s title The Devils Backbone is actually a medical condition, which provoked superstitions and fear about the devil but it was not anything to do with that it is and was purely scientific. It is a metaphor for the film’s study of psychology and evil. The actual evil is of Jacinto’s greed for the gold and the horror is from the war that was started because of the dictatorship Spain was under the hold of. This strengthens the film’s concept of fear the living, not the dead. Overall, I thought the film was well made however the lack of narrative made the film’s tension drop in places and put a distance between itself and the audience. I did originally come to the idea that the lack of character and plot development brought the film down, although having considered the film following my initial viewing I am now of the opinion that the lack of narrative was used because the director wanted the audience to use their imaginations and work out the plot themselves.

18. Horror Film Review II The Others The film was fairly good with a clever story and narrative, which keeps you thinking and solving the plot all the way through the film, the plot then twists at the end that I was not expecting because this film was only the second horror film that I have seen so I still do not know what to expect from a horror yet. However I found that the narrative had holes in it as Nicole Kidman’s character Grace during the film tells her servants that when they go in to a room they must lock the door behind them before they open another door but she then contradicts herself by entering a room and leaving the door open, this was the only downside to the film I felt as other than that I really enjoyed it and I got engrossed into the story. The film is in the zeitgeist of 1945 Britain during world war two, so the mise en scene used is off the same era with period clothing, which was plain as it used colours of black, white, brown and green. The setting of the film’s mise en scene is also of the same time. Moreover it was set in a big stately home, this is typical of British culture. Furthermore the props used are of a likewise time, the props used are such as candles and stoves, which is what would have been used during the war because people were advised not to use electricity and electric lighting during the war as planes of the axis power flying over might have been able to spot bits of light out and then bomb it. Throughout the film the lighting used is of a dull and dim nature because the narrative explained to the audience the main character Grace’s children Anne and Nicholas suffered from XerodermaPigmentosa i.e. photosensitivity, therefore their skin could not meet sunlight so they always had all of the curtains closed and they could only use candlelight nothing brighter, all of these scenes were filmed indoors. However the scenes without the children Anne and Nicholas in were bright with the curtains open so they used natural light as opposed to artificial light e.g. candles and electric lights. Furthermore the scenes filmed outdoors had dull lighting down to the foggy and overcast weather, which added an eeriness to the story and narrative, it also added depth and mystery as it already was vague because it wanted the audience to use their imagination to work out the plot. The scene before last where the audience finds out that all the characters previously shown are in fact dead and are ghosts, and the then so called ghosts as named by the characters previously shown are actually the living. The final scene preceding this shows the children enjoying the natural light, which they previously could not do due to their photosensitivity but because they are dead and are ghosts they can meet sunlight, as they were no longer photosensitive. This film used dramatic orchestral music to create tension when the so-called ghost enters the scene; the use of this music is typical for this type of horror film. It also used non-diegetic sound effects to create tension, with sounds such as footsteps and a piano playing to indicate the presence of the ghost. Overall I thought the film was really well made, the narrative was very well thought through, as complex narratives like this can be made badly but this one worked, which is why the film can be considered successful as well as the fact that its box office revenue was $218 million, almost thirteen times over its original budget. The film can be compared to The Devil’s Backbone because they were both made in the same year, they were also made under the same sub genre of a supernatural and psychological horror, as well as both putting as much focus on the humanist drama elements as the horror, that gave them well balanced and emotive narratives.

19. Audience Profile The main gender of people who watch horror films are male because of their bravado between them and their friends, as they will dare each other to watch different horrors, but a lot of females will also watch horror films. The ratio of male and female horror audiences is 1:2, 1 being female and 2 being male. This can however vary due to many factors including sub genres and cast. The majority of people that watch horror films would be in the age range of 16-30 because as people get older they find less time to watch films down to having children or due to having a job, also because of having children they would tend to watch children’s films such as Disney down to horrors not at all being suitable to children below the age of 15. Furthermore people over the age of 30 may not want to watch films which are excessively graphic and gory. Most people who watch horror films down to my past experiences of cinema ticket prices would watch a horror film at home on DVD or through online streaming such as Netflix simply because its cheaper than going to the cinema. People may also download horror films illegally as it is free. Within the horror genre there are many sub genres, such as action horror, slasher horror, splatter horror, comedy horror, zombie horror and psychological horror. Everyone likes different things and with all those sub genres of horror films there is something for everyone, because one person that likes psychological horror films may not necessarily like comedy horror films and vice versa.

20. Horror Film Production List • Research past horror films – what went right and wrong, what horror sub genres are most popular • Decide what type of horror film you are going to make with the use of audience research • Create a script • Research locations for filming, make sure you have permission to film where you’ve chosen to film, also research on locations where the power supply is e.g. Plug sockets, so you can plan where to plug lighting in to • Plan and research equipment you will need to film e.g; • Camera • Sound/recording equipment i.e microphones, booms and digital recorders • Lighting equipment with stands to hold lights up • Props and costumes • SFX for blood and gore • Research set design, so you can design a set for your film • Plan and research what, if any SFX you can use and are going to use because of limited budget • Research casting and then carry out casting for crew members such as cameraman, sound man, SFX man and editor, make-up department too • Research casting and then carry out casting for characters within your film • Hand out release forms to all of the cast and crew to sign • Write up a production schedule to plan when to film, dates and times, when dates and times editing commences • Write up a call sheet so all cast and crew know where they need to be and at what time, include directions to locations • Research health and safety issues for film making, then write a risk assessment for health and safety incase of trailing cables, electrical faults etcetera

21. Pretend Horror Film Production Requirements – “The Stalking” Please find the document on my Wordpress blog http://markchapmanmedia.wordpress.com/unit-3-research-techniques/horror-film-production-list/

22. Research Methods Pros & Cons Please find the document on my Wordpress blog http://markchapmanmedia.wordpress.com/unit-3-research-techniques/research-methods-pros-and-cons/

23. Secondary Research Bibliography Pappas, SP (2010)Bloodlust or Bloodless? Horror Film Love Runs Deep [Online] Available from: ttp://www.livescience.com/8859-bloodlust-bloodless-horror-film-love-runs-deep.html [Accessed: 23rd April 2013] Market Reader Pro (2012) Film and Movie Industry Market Research [Online] Available from: http://www.marketreaderpro.com/Market_Research_Film_and_Movie_Film_Industry_Research.asp [Accessed: 23rd April 2013] The Numbers (2013) Domestic Movie Theatrical Market Summary 1995 to 2013 [Online] Available from: http://www.the-numbers.com/market/ [Accessed: 23rd April 2013] Pearl & Dean (2013) Audience Profile [Online] Available from: http://business.pearlanddean.com/audience_profile [Accessed: 23rd April 2013] Oliver, MBO and Sanders, MS (2004 The Appeal of horror and Suspense [Online] New Brunswick: Rutgers UP. Available from: http://cerisia.cerosia.org/slasher/appeal.pdf [Accessed: 1st May 2013] Standly, LS (2009) Horror film reverses gender roles [Online] Available from: http://sweezyworld.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/horror-film-audience-demographics.html [Accessed: 1st May 2013] Sarantinos, JGS (2010) The Scary State Of The Horror Film Market[Online] Available from: http://gideonsway.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/the-scary-state-of-the-horror-film-market/ [Accessed: 8th May 2013] Fischoff, Antonio and Lewis, SF, JA and DL (1997) Favorite Films and Film Genres As A Function of Race, Age, and Gender [Online] Available from: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sfischo/media3.html [Accessed: 8th May 2013] Access Science. Why do people watch horror films? [Online] Available From: http://www.accessscience.com/studycenter.aspx?main=18&questionID=5338 [Accessed: 8th May 2013]