Modern vs classic horror script version 3
- 1. s SCRIPT Breakdown Storytelling Characters Dialogue Music Cinematography Modernvs classic horror Version1 (highlightstuffin black and red) list Intro: Hellothisis Mediaenthusiast02andtodaywe will be talkingabout classichorror.Inthiswe will be makingthe comparisons onhowhorror has changed.Forbetteror for worse,itisclearthat the horror genres have changedregularlyoverthe years. Todaywe will be looking athow horrorhas changedthroughthe comparisonswe will be makingof them. We will alsobe lookingatseveral directorsandrating themonhow theirprojectshave come about.Seeingwhywhattheyhave done has beensosuccessful andwhyitispopularin cinemahistory. Storytelling(one-pointtoclassic) The firstsubjectthat we will lookatisstorytelling. Storytellinghas become alotmore advancedover the years,howeverwe findnowadaysthatthere isalotof repetitionandideasare beingreused.I cite for example the comparisonbetweenthe 1973 film“’The Exorcist’ where ayoungwomanhas beenpossessedbyaghostly entity inthisfilm.Thiswasanew concept and a verypopularfilmof the time.however, if youlookatthe film‘The VaticanTapes’,nothingnew isadded.Theyhave literally recycledthe plotwhichmakesitdull andboring. It’sa real shame because youwouldthinkthat modernhorrorhas advancedand developed.Youwouldthinkthatitwasalmostimpossibletosee the recycledideasbutsadlytheyare reuseda lotof the time. Thispointgoestoclassic. Characters (one point to classic) The nextthingI wouldlookatis the characters.Now whilstthe characters make upthe story,it is possible tohave good, complex, andrelatable characters inabad plot,or vice versa. For certainthispointwill be goingtoclassical horror.Justlookat the antagonists forinstance.They are a lotmore 3D and have more characteristics that make themeven relatabletothe fear.Thisis done throughfear;these villainsall have afearfor something.ForFrankenstein itwasthe fearof the unknownandhumans.ForDracula it wasthe fearof sunlight.A lotof the characters weren'tevil, theywere justdifferent. The hammerhouse horrorfranchise whichhasoftenstarred actorssuch as PeterCushingandChristopher Lee isoftennotedforitspopularity andIbelievethisisdowntothe characters inthe films. Dialogue (one pointto modern) Dialogue.A scriptisneededtobe draftedoutfor anythingthatyouare producingthat will be shown to an audience.It’sthroughlearningthe linesand readingthemoutthatyouunderstandthe theme and feelingand become the character. Thispointwill have togomodernhorror. I feel actinghas improvedwhencomparingmoderndayfilmstothe more classical onesandthisispossiblydue to the competitioninthe industryandthe trainingthatisnow affordedtoactors. You wantto act your
- 2. heartout to getthe performance youwant.Awardceremonies suchasthe BAFTAsand Golden Globesare nowrecognisingthe actingskillswithinthe horrorgenre forexample, Natalie Portman’s actingin 2010’s ‘Black Swan’. Itcan also be seenthrough JordanPeele’s “Getout”.Thisshouldbe more directedto storytelling, butthe plotissosuccessful because of whatthe focusesare onthe film. Itskeyfocusisrace. Somethingwhichis sucha delicate topicbutit’sbrave enoughtobe pulled ina modernhorrorfilmbecause these importantissuesdeserve tohave more recognitionwhether it’sinfilmor if it’sreal. Music (one point to modern) Music isone of the keyelementsthatmake upa goodhorror film.Ithelpsbuildupsuspense and adds tothe drama of a scene. Nowthispointwill have togotomodern. Horror filmsthathave good use of foleysound canbe incrediblyeffective. Take thisscene inthe ‘Insidious’ forinstance.Thereis no sound apart fromthe natural noise of the scene.This createsmore tension.There isnodramatic musicbuildupthat distractsyoufrom the scene.Itcan reallytake youout of the scene whenit’sjust messilythrownin. Cinematography(one point to classic) Cinematographyiskeytofilmmakers.If none of the above workswell thenthiscanbe whatisbest to capture the imaginationof the audience.Thispointwill have togoclassical horror.Thisone is difficult.There are goodpointstoaddto modern cinematography;theyhave awhole different range, and theycan evenconnotate tohow the character is feelingintermsof colour. However, throughthis varietysome filmsare tooexperimentalandthat’swhatruinsit. For instance, if you compare the 1978 ‘Halloween’tothe ‘Resurrection’ versionin2002…. itwasn’tthat much of a resurrection!Youcan tell this fromthe shakycameramovementswhenyou compare ittothe original.There’snoneedtoevenhave acomparison.The original waswayaheadof itstime.Now special effectsaddtothe cinematography.Ipersonallydon't have anythingagainstspecial effects.It givesanotherdimensiontoplaywith butsadlyithasalso ledtomany bad filmslike well....whatever thisis. (Birdemic:shockandterror) JamesWan JamesWan is forsure my favourite directorand hisfilmsare a goodprestationonhow modern horror can be.He isan example there have beenotherfilmslike ‘IT’and‘Pet Cemetery’.However, JamesWan has done ita lot more and thiscan be shownthroughhisrange of techniques. These filmsaren’tjustsimilartothe originals.Theyflipthemselvesaround.In‘insidious’itwasa haunted house thatwasn't evenhaunted.This throws inthe stereotypeandthenflips it.Foolingthe audience intothe securityof thinkingtheyknowwhatisgoingtohappennext, andthengettingscaredwhen it’snot whatyou expected. These filmsare alsobasedupontrue storiesandevents.Thismakesthe movie evenmore real andwill increasethe fearfactorinthe audiences’mind. Other directors Nowlet’stake a looka lookat otherdirectorsand see how theygotit right. Rob Zombie isone directorwhoI thinkisworththe mention.His experimentonremakingiconichorrorfilmssuchas ‘Halloween’hasbeenamassive inspirationtofansand young filmmakers.Whilstthisfilmcanoften getbad reviews youhave togive himcreditfortryingto make the originsof such a popular character, evenif tothe critics,it didn’tworkthatwell. Anotherdirectorthathasdone itwell isJohn
- 3. Carpenter.WhilstIthinkwe have beenalittle Halloweenheavyinthisdocumentary.He doesrelya lotmore onthe tensionof the scene asopposedtothe gore that can come outof it. Conclusion So countingupthe pointswe have to give thisone to classical horror. Overall, onasubjective value I have to agree that classical horrorfilmsare betterthanthe modernones. Theyhave a charm to themthat makesthemmemorable greats… ‘Halloween’,‘the exorcist’,“Dracula”,“Frankenstein”. everybodyknowsthese iconicfilmsand the charactersinthem.