Objective: To create a portfolio of conventional camera shots appropriate to a Horror film trailer, and analyse meaning and effect
Task 1: Basic Cinematography - film, upload to Youtube and use 'annotations' to analyse purpose and meaning.
Task 2: Horror Cinematography portfolio
10 most eerily disturbing shots and cinematography techniques to include in your horror
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| Using reflections and graphic matches |
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| Jump Scares from behind the characters |
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| Superimposing horror images over faces |
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| Crawling towards the audience |
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| Subliminal flashes between shots of the monster - did you just see that? Behind opaque glass Tracking down corridor Jump cuts towards camera ECU iris close Slow-mo blood droplets Full moon behind clouds Zombie track away What the hell was that - corridor POV track and shadow Low angle Weapon dragging towards out of shot Blood wipe window jump scare CU resting before jump scare Shadow of knife Low angle canted on haunted house |
Atmosphere
A good horror film is not a steady stream of jump scares (more on those in a moment). A good horror film has an underlying atmosphere, a moody visual undertone that creates a sense of dread, wonder and mystique and leaves us with snapshots of unforgettable imagery. This is well exemplified by foreign-language films like The Devil’s Backbone, The Orphanage, andTale of Two Sisters (the original Korean version). These films rely more on isolation — both literally (through creative use of location) and figuratively (in the mind of the characters) — coupled with evocative cinematography and production design. They create an ominous, brooding tone without being overt in their use of horror. You get the idea, atmosphere, it’s more about haunting foreplay than bang, bang, and you’re dead.
Suspense
While atmosphere is tonal and visual, suspense is the unnerving feeling that something bad is going to happen. It should be a natural byproduct of your narrative (the tense situation at hand) but there’s a few classic ways to amp it up.
Darkness and dramatic shadow are often used to elicit suspense, like when we hear something and can’t see what it is, or catch a glimpse of something moving in the background but can’t quite make it out. The sense of blindness increases tension. It’s creepy to hear something and not know where it’s coming from.
Other techniques that keep the suspense level up: The Dark Voyeur perspective is a framing device used to imply a character is being watched (or hunted) by a malevolent other. This includes shooting through branches, window curtains, or from within a darkened closet.
Seeing someone (or something!) behind the protagonist, in the same shot, without our hero knowing he’s in danger. This doesn’t have to be executed as a jump scare; it can be a subtle reveal, a slow dolly move, just enough to raise the hair on the back of your neck.
How about having someone trespass the boogeyman’s realm, being somewhere they shouldn’t, with the possibility of being found? That always works. It’s like playing a game of hide and seek with your own worst enemy. Tag and you’re dead.
Jump Scares. There are different types of jump scares, and you’ve probably seen them all. They can either add to the thrill ride or just come across as a series of annoying bangs. Some may think they’re cheats but when done right, they’re a vital part of horror filmmaking.
First there’s the basic Jump Scare, when we suddenly see something creepy and punctuate it with sound design (an orchestral swell or a percussive hit). These moments work best when preceded by a steady stream of suspense or the extreme opposite, a passage of mundane activity. It’s important that the frightening imagery be out of place, something odd or monstrous. J-Horror films make great use of jump scares, often inverting an eye, mouth, or appendage or using backwards choreography which is later reversed in post (think the way Samara crawls inThe Ring). It’s subliminal but it sure looks weird, if even for a second, and that’s key. You can argue that these have been overused, but there’s always a way to put a new spin on something good.?? One of my favorite jump scares is from The Exorcist III, the “Nurse Station Scene.”
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