Task 4

Task 4
The essence of horror has been around since stories began. The genre is also one that has
been in play since the establishment of films. The use of horror and fear is to enable the
storyteller (or director) to control their audiences. Ever since the first films were produced
horror has been present - yet over time, they have evolved.
In the 1920s and 30s, black and white films were prominent. Not only were
they colourless, they had no sound to accompany the visuals, and so they
were known as silent horrors. However they did have musical scores playing
at the theatre whilst the movie was on as visual and audio recording had not
been invented to work in sync yet. The film ‘Nosferatu’ (1922) is an
adaptation from the book ‘Dracula’ (1897) which was a short horror film that
only lasted 94 minutes. The film could not be called ‘Dracula’ due to
copyright issues. Between the 1940s and the 60s, horror at the time was
seen to be commendable, yet looking back, reviews have criticised horror
films for being too farcical. Films produced in this time were seen to be more
sci-fi based, rather than horror based and the incorporation of creature
features, caused the labelling of horror to be called the “Dark Days of Horror”.
The 1970s took a new and improved approach to horror, introducing slashers.
Still used today, slashers are human characters who are portrayed as the
antagonist, rather than a creature. The horror films produced in the 1980s
combined the idea of slashers, with supernatural elements and created the
concepts that we know today as the poltergeist - as well as others. Every
couple of years, new ideas would be introduced into the horror industry, and
the 90s brought us teenage protagonists. These horrors produced movies that consisted of
teenage protagonists in order to expand and reach out to wider audiences.
As the 2000s came along, horror again took a turn. Supernatural elements were used to
create a storyline for a production, yet in a different way from that of the 1980s. The
supernatural elements would be darker, with emphasis on vengeful spirits. Angry spirits were
given a back story as to why they were the way they were and why they were focusing
themselves of a specific group of people or place. There was also the introduction of
zombies and zombie-based movies, whilst continuing the idea of if not teenager, young adult
protagonists.
The 2010s have changed within its years. It has, does and will bring the remakings of old
films and the revisiting of historic stories. It has also focused on independent horror - new up
and coming producers who are making their own material and getting big breaks. We are
also receiving back stories as to why events are occurring and in turn, storylines have
increased depth. The use of special effects has risen dramatically, which has meant that
there is a significant amount of verisimilitude - this would lead the audience to believe that
such entities could exist, as they seem more realistic than the creatures or spirits from those
of horror films of 40 years ago. This sense of realism has also been caused by the inclusion
of blood, guts and gore. In previous years, the public simply would not have accepted this,
but recently we have almost become desensitised to it, enabling audiences to embrace it.

Finally, 2010 to present films have kept the use of people based narratives and so their is
little to no inclusion of monsters or any type of creature feature. Instead, protagonists are, if
not human, humanoid form.
Active Spectatorship:
Horror films have been seen to cover a range of a media aspects including its spectatorship,
audience reception, and intertextuality. There are two forms of spectatorship. Passive, which
is where audiences simply watch a production and are not impacted by or react to it - they
watch the film without thinking or challenging.
In contrast, an active audience is one where spectators are emotionally
affected by and connected to the production. I believe that it is safe to say
that the majority of horror films create active spectatorship. When audiences
watch horror productions, be they historic or modern, audiences tend to go
through either a dramatic or series of emotions. These include, screaming
out of fear, crying, or even laughing. The horror genre intends to play mind
games on its viewers by intending to make the events that occur seem real.
For example, in ‘Paranormal Activity' (2007) when we see the two characters
sleeping at night, waiting for the abnormal activities to occur, the audience
are fear-ridden and expected to know what events will happen.
It is clear that the horror genre is one that can split audiences equally. That is, that they
either love it or hate it - there is very rarely a middle ground with audiences. As Cherry
(1999) stated, “audiences show either a strong liking to the genre, or a complete dislike.”
This echoes Wood’s (1986) view that “[Horror] has an audience that is restricted to fans who
wholly embrace the genre, whilst amongst the rest of the population there is total rejection;
people either love or hate the genre.”
This could possibly be linked to how the genre makes the audience feel at the time of
consumption. Some enjoy the thrill of being scared, whereas others are exceptionally
uncomfortable with this emotion or the sensations involved.
The film ‘Poltergeist’ (1982) was one of the first to use and, therefore,
popularise the use of electronic equipment as part of their investigation into
‘Carol Anne’s’ whereabouts. Since the release of the film, audience
members have bought such equipment to conduct their own investigations
for fun. This is also an example of active spectatorship. This lead to future
films featuring the supernatural to incorporate the use of such scientific
equipment into their storylines.
Horror films can have two types of impacts on its audiences. These are emotional and / or
psychological. Emotional refers to the short-term emotional effect that leaves audiences
shocked, in tears or cowering beneath their bedsheets during consumption. This could even
include some laughter - nervous or otherwise. The use of emotion in horror films creates a
fight or flight effect on the audience. Will they stay and continue to watch and advocate for
the right people? Or, is the film too horrifying that they cannot bear it any longer and must
switch the screen off? This range of thoughts and emotions are present when viewers watch

such a genre. In contrast, psychological impacts have long term effects
on a viewer. A prime example of a horror film having a long term effect on
a viewer could be the experience of night terrors or dreams. Horror films
become psychologically effective when they play with the audience's
minds, in turn influencing their thoughts (and dreams) for long periods of
time. In some cases, it is possible that these ‘mind games’, due to the
films, haunt some audiences for years or even life, causing them to
change their daily routine, or incorporate new things into it. Examples
include, checking under your bed and / or in wardrobes and in extreme
cases, not wanting to be alone. ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ (1984) had a
huge psychological impact on its audience, causing sleepless nights out
of fear that ‘Freddie Kruger’ would kill them in their dreams. Out of all film and
television-based genres, this is definitely the one that has the largest emotional and
psychological impact on its audience, as only horror can “speak to audiences on an intimate
personal level, addressing their innermost desires and fears [simultaneously]” (Cherry,
2009).
Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications theory (1974) is one that can be
applied to any media production, yet, I believe it is specifically applicable to
the horror genre. This theory suggests that media is used to satisfy the
needs of the audience. According to Blumler and Katz, there are four main
needs to satisfy and each media text could cover at least one. The four
categories are diversion, personal relationships, personal identity and
surveillance. As a whole, horror covers all four aspects of the theory, yet
some films concentrate on some of these aspects more than others. The
first and, arguably, most widely accepted aspect, diversion, means that a
production is a form of entertainment to distract people from the reality of
society - a form of escapism into the surreal, or another world reflecting
one’s own. This is, in my opinion, is the key reason as to why audience
members decide to watch horror. ‘Insidious’ (2010) is an example of a film
that people may watch as a form of distraction.The second aspect horror
covers is the public's need for surveillance. Audiences want to feel safe or
see what not to do to jeopardize their safety. ‘The Purge’ (2013) is a prime
example of a film that promotes the safety aspect of the film as it gives
audiences a look into how others try and ensure personal safety.
Although this film covers the safety aspect of the theory, in my
opinion I don't believe that the reason people watch horror films is
because of surveillance, but, sometimes it does get incorporated.
The third aspect that is almost a theme and portrayed in horror is the
use of personal relationships, and in recent years, it has almost
become a horror rule. Personal relationships are used in the film
‘Cabin in the Woods’ (2011) as we see the use of them both
within characters and the storyline. For example ‘Jules Louden’
(Anna Hutchinson) and Curt Vaughan (Chris Hemsworth) are in a
relationship together. Finally there is ritually the use of personal
identity in horror films. In films such as ‘Halloween’ (1978) or

‘Scream’ (1996) the main characters are young and relatable. For films to be effective in
capturing one’s attention, audiences should be able to identify with the characters and
almost see themselves reflected within one of the on-screen characters. Especially in horror,
if audience members are able to connect with and identify with a / or a few of the characters,
it can enhance the realism of the storyline and make it that much more thrilling and
believable. A common theme in horror is the use of a group of people, be they friends or
family. Each member has a characteristic and personal trait that audiences can relate to. For
example, you always have the characters that are popular, smart, sporty or nerdy. This is
another example of personal identity.
LARPing is another method in which audiences have become active. ‘LARP’
is an abbreviation for ‘Live Action Role Play’ and it is most commonly used in
terms of horror and sci-fi. The horror genre has such a large and
ever-increasing fan base that events are put on to express people’s passion.
Worldwide known events such as ‘Comic Con’ consist of fans and audience
members dressing up like their favourite characters from a production, actors
from productions meeting fans, and trying to being a media text to life. Events
like these are commonly known to be particularly popular in the UK, Japan
and the US. There is a specific horror convention dedicated to fans to
express their inner horror called the “Horror Convention”. The event is
held in Los Angeles and takes bringing horror to life one step further,
by creating the “Zombie Walk”. Fans dress up and ‘act out’ the role of
a zombie on the streets of America, in memory, aid and love for the
film ‘Dawn of the Dead’ (2004) which was about a wife, who’s husband
is attacked by a zombified neighbour. She manages to escape, only to
realize her entire Milwaukee neighbourhood has been overrun by the
walking dead. The horror genre is interactive and allows fans to express their love and
passion for it, unlike any other. This ensures that horror has such large and loyal audiences,
which benefit both the industry, as well as its consumers.
‘Ghost Stories’ is a stage play that is based around the horror genre. It incorporated many
different features to create its horror feel. The live action theatre emphasises the scare factor
of stories because they seem realistic with the help of costume, props and equipment. Due
to its popularity, ‘Ghost Stories’ began touring Europe and later added to its synergised
techniques and has recently started to create a film.
Audience Reception:
Audience reception is all about how audience receive the film. Cherry
(1999) said “Being scared is not an entirely negative experience and
people enjoy the emotional effects of horror...” she continued to say that
“...being scared can in itself be the main pleasure of watching horror
films...”. Review and reception is usually summed up in a critic report,
although one audience members view may slightly or even dramatically
differ to the next. At the start of the horror movement, in the 1920’s
horror was renowned for being fantastic when films like Frankenstein
(1931) and Dracula (1931) were produced, and they took the world by

storm. Since, remakes of these films have been released and still receive a significant
amount of appraisal. The remakes and adaptations of these films include, Bride of
Frankenstein (1935) and The curse of Frankenstein (1957). These films received excellent
reviews and the films were well received by audiences. As we moved into the ‘Dark Days of
Horror’ during the 1940s through to 1960s, at the time, horror was seen as mediocre, yet as
horror continued to grow, expand and evolve, it came to the attention of critics that horror
went through a rough patch at that time and almost died out.
Miraculously horror picked itself back up and from the 1970’s to
modern day, classics have been released, some of which include
‘Psycho’ (1960), ‘Poltergeist’ (1982), ‘Night of the Living Dead’
(1968), ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (1974), ‘Rosemary's
Baby’ (1968) and ‘The Exorcist’ (1973). Since then most critic
reviews have been positive. The 2000s saw a rise in the number
of independent movies made, most of which flopped due to
producers lack of experience and insufficient budgets.
Part of audience reception is dependent not only on the narrative
of a film or how well it is executed but the emotional effect and connection
that the audience has with it. For example, that strange almost chilling effect
that one may get when watching a horror film indicates that it is one that is
good. The films The Conjuring 2 (2016) and The Woman in Black (2012)
were rated the scariest horror films to date. This is simply due to the beings
used. ‘Valak’ who is the nun like demon in ‘The Conjuring 2’ and ‘The Woman
in Black’ were said to leave a lasting impression on their audiences
through the use of special effects and makeup. A common link between
the two antagonists is the incorporation of the fact that neither of the
antagonists move. Both characters fail to speak or play a part in acting,
yet their presence in still pertifying - which is why they left such an
impression on the audiences of the films.
Audience reception does not limit itself to simply cause an emotional
reaction from its viewers. Horror is not only used so scare, shock or intimidate
the audience, but to educate them as well. Although the educational side of
horror is not regarded as one that is important or focused on or possibly
considered necessary by some, it does play a key role in audience reception.
For example, in ‘The Exorcist: The Beginning’ (2004) - the fourth out of the
five films that began to be produced in 1973, opens with a bloodied and
terrified priest slowly making his way across an ancient battlefield full of the
bodies of thousands of dead soldiers. The film then cuts to Cairo, Egypt in
1949. The scenes shot in Cairo are educationally beneficial for the audience
to learn about Egypt during the post war ages.
The use of actors play an important role in how an audience respond to a
film. Although this can be said for all films, I believe that it can specifically
be applied to horror films. It was said by ‘Bela Lugosi’, an actor who
played Count Dracula, in one of the first versions of the film, ‘Dracula’

(1931) that once you are cast for a single horror film, it is hard to leave the genre. Famous
actors such as Lugosi are known for their work in the horror industry as so for them to
transfer to another genre that is anything but that of their homebase, would seem odd to an
audience and may cause them to feel a dislike towards the production. It works both ways,
for example, if Paris Hilton was used in a horror film, it would seem strange to the audience,
whereas if Patrick Wilson was used, due to his historic presence in horror, nothing would see
any different.
The use of imagination is another key part of horror that impacts audience reception.
‘Psycho’ (1960) is famous for using such a feature. The shower scene incorporated in the
film consists of one the the main characters - Marion Crane, to be showering one evening
when a shadow of a woman, who we later come to realise is a man dressed as his mother
murders her in cold blood. The scene finishes with a close up of blooded water running down
the plug of the shower as well as an extreme close the character’s eye, cold and lifeless. At
no point do we see any physical stabbings or the gushing of blood. This is because at the
time of production, audiences would not have accepted it, in
addition to the fact that regulation and broadcasting laws were
stricter at the time and would not have allowed this to be shown
on screen. This left audiences to have to simply imagine the
thought of Marion’s death, which in some respects can be
regarded as being more horrifying than watching her be
murdered. A shower or bathroom is seen to be a place of privacy
and so it is unconventional but a murder will take place there -
which makes the story increasingly interesting.
Audiences’ reactions to the messages of the films can differ in many ways. ‘Cherry’ said that
most horror films are based upon political or social worries in society. Consequently, the
audience can react in a number of ways, depending on the storyline and the its chosen topic
of worry. If the chosen topic is one that an audience member is particularly concerned about
and the portrayal of it in the film constantly portrays it in a fatalistic manor, they make react in
a severely negative way towards both the film and the implications the chosen topic could
have on society. On the contrary, the opposite effect could
occur. If the chosen topic is portrayed in an almost ‘jokey’
fashion, then the audience may feel better about the societal
or political worry - having a ripple effect, meaning that not
only do they enjoy the horror movie, but end it feeling more
confident about that which was holding them back.
‘B’ movies, are also known as independents. Independent
movies are those which are created by a group of individuals
or he/she on their own, without the help of the industry. The
creators of the productions are usually fans who have been
influenced by their favourite films. Independants in recent
years have been on the rise and there is currently a market for new horror producers. As
briefly mentioned, ‘B’ listed movies tend to have low budgets and the possibility of little
experience in the professional film and media industry. The inexperience of some ‘B’ listed

movie producers has meant that most flop, yet the ones that do not are the ones that tend to
do very well and become widely known. Examples include, Halloween (1978) and ‘The
Babadook’ (2014) - which was an Australian produced film. ‘B’ movies had a huge influence
on the expansion of ‘A’ listed films. (‘A’ listed films being those that are produced by a large
and well known production company.) An example of how independants influenced non-
independent horrors is in the film Halloween (1978). ‘Michael Myers’ had escaped a mental
wellbeing institution and was out to kill. To ensure his
unidentification, ‘Myers’ wore a white mask. The use of the mask
created a boom in the rest of the industry and so the era of
unidentifiable antagonist was created. ‘Hammer Film Productions’
was in fact an independent film company until 2009, when it was
bought out. This is the reason why ‘Hammer’ used to have to work
with such little budgets - because they weren’t funded as a large ‘A’
listed production company. In terms of budgets, ‘Paranormal
Activity’ (2007) received a small one for their first production, but as it
became increasingly well known and popular, the budgets for the films
that followed (2, 3, 4, 5 & 6) increased, to ones that were significantly
higher.
Readings:
Stuart Hall's “Encoding and Decoding” (1973) theory can be applied to
horror films. This theory regards embedding a or multiple messages into
a media text. The main message embedded into horror films regards of
the roles and natures of men and women. In most media productions, women are seen to
be the primary carers for the family - the ones who are nurturing and motherly. In horror
films, quite the opposite is portrayed. Women are shown to be manipulative, disingenuous
and hindering. The horror genre is not conventional and so ‘typical’ gender roles are flipped
on their heads. Similarly, men can be portrayed in the same way and are seen it to be
aggressive. Hypermasculinity is enforced in most horror films. This is the term used to
describe a man who is not able to deal with his emotions and so finds other ways to make
himself seem ‘manly’. This could be through a characters physique or the enforcement of his
authority.
There are three ways that audiences can take a message from a media text; these three
types include preferred, negotiated, and oppositional. ‘Preferred’ regards an audience who
not only understand the message embedded into a media production but also firmly agrees
with it. ‘Negotiated’ refers to an audience who are on the fence about a message embedded
into a media text. Finally, ‘oppositional’ audience’s are those who completely disagree with
a message embedded into a text. Each individual can be any of the three types of audience
member. A person's choice of how they choose to receive the message is dependent upon
their culture, class, life experiences, upbringing and many other factors. Before watching
horror films, most audiences refuse to watch them due to fear and predisposed ideas about
what they entail. After watching them, audience members such as myself, may come to
realise that they enjoy them. At the same time, others may be completely ‘opposed’ to them
or simply in the middle of the two possibilities. An example
of a message embedded into a text is ‘The Poltergeist’

(1982). The films message regards the ‘American Dream’, and at the point of the
productions release, these were the current affairs in society. As mentioned in previous
tasks, films are influenced by external events in society. Not only was the ‘American Dream’
embedded into the production, but also the fact that not everything is perfect and things do
go wrong. In addition to this, these impracticalities can happen to anyone. The idea that the
“Freelings” house was built on the graves of Native Americans, is used as a message, that
they should not have been wiped out and removed from their homeland. The destruction of
the house and the disruptive events that occurred almost act as a message of karma.
During the 1980s - when ‘creature features’ were used, little or no messages were
embedded into a text, as the media was simply there as a form of entertainment. The 1990s
saw the introduction of slashers, and similar to the 1980s messages were not incorporated.
In the early 2000s, horror films started to include more back
stories. Details were used help the audience understand why
events were occurring and this is when Stuart Hall's “Encoding
and Decoding Theory” was able to come into play. An example
of this is in ‘Paranormal Activity’ (2007) where the message in
the text is that no one truly knows their family, be that history,
current or partners.
The ‘Male Gaze’ theory was described by Laura Mulvey (1975).
The theory that explains how women are exploited through the use
of their bodies (and other features) for the visual pleasure of men
and this can definitely be applied to the genre of horror. The ‘Male
Gaze’ theory is used to entice the audience and provoke viewers.
Considering the members’ horror consumption tends to be teen to
adult males, the theory is generally applicable. Although the
theory is applied to most horror films, the use of provocative
females is not always for pleasure. Instead, women are used to
show how they can be and are dominated by males as well as
females. For example, this is usually committed by the popular
girls in the group, as shown in ‘Cabin in the Woods’ (2011).
Jules Louden can be seen to pick on and almost bully Dana
Polk. It is shown in the majority of horror films how women are
vulnerable and weak and can be easily manipulated. In
contrast ‘Scream’ (1996) goes against the ‘weak female’ trend
as the film is headed by a strong, female lead - Sidney Prescott. Even though she portrays
these characteristics, she is still marginalised by a few of her peers as she is not seen as
being overly feminine or submissive enough towards her boyfriend. Another example of
when the ‘Male Gaze’ theory is used is ‘I Know What You did Last Summer’ (1997).
The idea and theory of ‘moral panics’ was created by Stanley Cohen in 1972.
The theory stated that a production focused on the negative aspects of a subject
or story and exaggerated upon it to create, what audiences thought felt like a
worldwide issue. Horror has the ability to control the public through fear and
create separations in society. Viewers begin to question both themselves and

their sanity - who can they trust? Can they trust anyone? Will these events happen to me?
The fear audiences feel is created by the verisimilitude in the production. Through the use of
CGI and special effects, fans question if supernatural could be real and after seeing the
horrifying things that creatures and humans too are capable of, this is a pertifying thought. A
personal example of this is Quarantine (2008). The idea and the possible thought that a
humanoid form of rabies was possible and could cause ‘armageddon’ left me and I'm sure
others with sleepless nights.
Intertextuality:
Intertextuality regards the referencing other pieces of media (be
that a text or a production) in another production. Intertextuality
began when there was a significant rise in the production of
non-American horror. For example Japanese and other Oriental
horror, which produced films such as Ring (1998), Eye (2002) and
The Grudge (2002), some of which were so influential, that they
were remade by American production companies. Rec (2007)
was a Spanish film that revolved around a news reporter doing a
report on the local police station. On call, they went to an
apartment building where an old woman had not been seen for
days and neighbours began to worry, so the firefighters were called
to open the door. As the storyline continues, we find that the block
had been planted to be infected with rabies. We watch the events
occur through the raw footage filmed by the cameraman of the
news reporter. This film was so influential, that American producers
created a remake of it and called it ‘Quarantine’ which was
released in 2008.
There are many occasions where films are referenced in others,
and this feature is specifically applicable to horror. During
‘Creepshow’ (1982) a ‘Star Trek’ poster is shown on the wall of
one of the characters, this unspoken acknowledgement of another
film is a form on intertextuality. ‘Scream’ (1996) uses a significant
amount of intertextuality. Not only does it constantly mention and
refer to other horror productions, towards the end of the film, after
Billy’s party has been shut down, him and his friends decide to
watch a horror film and the film chosen is ‘Halloween’ (1978).
‘The Conjuring 2’ (2016) is another example of a production
that uses intertextuality. The film cross references other films
in the franchise, although they are internal references, it is still
considered intertextuality. ‘The Shining’ (1980) is an example
of a horror film that uses intertextuality, yet the reference
comes from outside the horror genre. Jack Torrance (Jack
Nicholson) due to his mental breakdown, is axing down the
door between him and his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall). As he
pokes his head through the gap that he created with the axe, he quotes “Here’s Johnny”.
This is a reference to Johnny Carson's from his ‘Tonight With’ show. Nicholson’s character

quotes this famous line for two reasons. The first being that the game show was a test of
trust and in the films instance, a husband and wife should be able to trust each other and so
morals and conventional aspects of a relationship are turned on their head. The quote is
therefore used as a form on juxtaposition. The second reason that the quote is used is to
enhance the realism of the storyline. Using a line from a current game show, makes the
audience feel as though the storyline is current and modern, which adds to the production
and makes it that little bit more freaky.
Intertextuality on some occasions has changed the meaning of horror
films. Although it doesn't happen often in Frankenstein (1931)
‘Frankenstein’ was in fact the creator of the monster, not the monster
itself. As intertextuality increased and the film was referenced, the
meaning of the film changed and enabled the incorrect enforcement
that ‘Frankenstein’ was the monster, when this was not the case. This
wrong enforcement influenced productions to use intertextuality in
their work and continue this portrayal. Pieces of media that did this
include ‘Scooby Doo’. This lead to ‘Frankenstein’ being the monster’
being ingrained in children from a young age.
The reason that horror is one of the most famous genres for using intertextuality is due to the
fact that its meaning is to pay respect for other films and producers from the same genre.
The horror genre and industry can be likened to a club or a family, one where its members
immortalise each other, where they try to add to the genre and the
current great's, rather than compete against them. They work
together. In the film ‘Carrie’ (2013), the school that ‘Carrie’ goes to
is called ‘Bates High School’ which is a form of intertextuality as
respect for the character ‘Norman Bates’ from the world renowned
horror ‘Psycho’ (1960).
Role of Social Networking:
Like any media productions, social networking can have a significant impact on the audience
that it targets. In terms of horror, social networking can also have an impact on the popularity
and reception of the film. Social networking schemes include trailers, to
generate an audience and fan base, as well as get the audience excited
about the upcoming film. To intrigue an audience into wanting to watch such
a film, it must include a large element of suspicion, no clues or ideas can be
given away and it need to have an emotional effect on the audience - giving
them chills. To entice the audience a trailer needs to be thrilling and exciting
and a recent yet perfect example that comes to mind is ‘Get Out’ (2017).
The trailer has a large sense of mystery incorporated into it, and leaves the
audience feeling as though they must go and see the film. The trailer is the
starting point of any successful production and it can have a huge influences
on the way people feel about a film, the audience reception and how large
their audiences are - the fan base.

As films get closer to their release date, seconds of the film get released as teasers. These
short, yet, important clips are powerful in ensuring that audiences do not forget out the film
and instead feel like they are being kept on their toes and cannot wait or contain their
excitement to see the film. The teasers are another technique used to help promote a
production. People in contemporary society do not necessarily have to search to watch a
trailer. Clever ways to gain trailer or teaser viewings is by sponsoring brands, videos or
people to place an advert before the video, chosen by the viewer. People can gain
knowledge about a film without having to search specifically for it or know anything about it
and this can cause unexpected, yet larger audiences who are interested in the horror film
they have seen advertised.
Active social media accounts are a modern and idealistic way to gain audiences. Social
media accounts tend to release special edition posters, information and details relating to the
film that cannot be found anywhere else - almost like a secret club. Common social media
accounts include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. The social media accounts
can increase a film’s popularity through the special features they have. A prime example to
increase a target audience’s numbers is through the use of hashtags. Hashtags can trend
and go worldwide to promote anything, especially films. These accounts allow fans to come
together and bond over a common interest, such as horror in general,
which, treats production companies and audiences like one big family.
Social networking is one of the largest techniques which enable audiences
and fans to become interactive. A recent, yet prime example of this is ‘The
Woman in Black’ (2012). The film set its fans as task to submit a ghost
story, for a chance to attend ‘The Woman In Black’ premiere, meet Daniel
Radcliffe and to be featured on the DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download
release of the film. This use of competition created an active audience,
ones that could be involved in the brand and genre.
Pre/ Post Viewing Experiences:
The audience’s opinions on a film before its release can differ to that after its release.
Audiences gather their judgements through trailers, adverts and critic reviews, and their
personal view tends to split between one that is positive or negative.The marketing, trailers
and critic opinions help to form one's ideas about an upcoming film. A film that is considered
good in the eyes of genre, pre viewing, needs to scare the audience and include elements of
mystery. Ones that are considered bad, do the opposite. For example, they give too much
away, do not scare or grip the audience and do not make them feel as though it is a
worthwhile watch.
Post viewing experiences depend on and are influenced by audiences personal thoughts
and feelings about a production. Audiences may have high expectations for a production
after its previewing features yet their post viewing opinion may differ. Trailers include the
most exciting and mysterious parts of a production and condense it into a short video to
convince an audience to watch it. Yet, however incredible a trailer may be, if the production
does not meet standards, has a boring storyline and does not capture the audience, post
viewing opinions will contrast those of pre viewing ones. A personal example of this is ‘Cabin

in the Woods’ (2011). (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Ea86glnRU&safe=active) The
trailer was gripping and exciting, and critic reviews were positive, yet when watching the film
I felt that it lacked the horror essence. It wasn’t ‘scary’ or had me on the edge of my seat -
which is what horror epics should do.
In contrast, this theory can work in the opposite way. My personal opinion on pre viewing the
‘Poltergeist’ (1982) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eZgEKjYJqA&safe=active) was that
it was not gripping or up to standard compared to previous horrors that I had watched, yet
once I had watched the full film, I found it captivating and irresistible, through its
incorporation of (which introduced the horror industry to) new technology. It doesn’t happen
often, but the film started a new brand for horror, the idea of spirits, paranormal powers that
could control yet we could not see. It had a large element of mystery and fascination and I
found the storyline interesting. Why was Carol - Anne the antagonists focus? Where exactly
did she go to when inside the television? The suspicion of who and what these beyond being
were was thrilling and added greater depth to the films horror feel.
In conclusion, this concludes that audiences either love or hate the genre. Those who are
unsure about the style can be easily converted to becoming a horror lover. Horror can have
different effects on different people and these effects can be dependant on ones
expectations. The wordrenowed genre is the largest industry that has the ability to convert
haters to lovers and for that such reason, means that it is one of the best.

Task 4

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Task 4