Unit 10 a
- 1. The first genre I choose to compare was horror. I am looking at two classic horror movies, john carpenter’s 1978 Halloween and Wes craven’s seminal horror filmscream (1996). Horror has a style unlike any other genre that makes the audiences recognize what is going to happen before it does through uses of tropes. Theorist Steve Neale suggests that most movies are made up of repetition with slight differences in each movie, the audiences become familiar with certain horror movie tropes which are expected by audiences. Audience feel comfort with the repetition because it is reassurance. Horror Movie 1- Halloween 1978 The start of the film Halloween presents many typical conventions of the of the horror genre that the audience would expect to see and are now stereotypical. In the first sequence of the film the soundtrack shows typical conventions of the horror genre as it gives extra suspense to the scene and is a signifier that something bad is about to happen. The start of the film is set at night, so therefore the lighting is dull and dark creating extra dear for the audience and moreover fitting in with the horror genre. The opening sequence also has many clever camera techniques there are many close up, for example when Michael takes the knife out of the draw and when he is stabbing his sister. This puts the audience in the killer’s shoes and they see what he sees. These scenes in particular are effective because it gives the audience a better view of wats going on the close up in the knife as its bee taken out of the draw creates suspense and makes the audience fear as it foreshadows something bad is about to happen. The close up also allows the audience to see how sharp the knife is adding to the brutality of the kill. The ending of the scene shocks audience because we find out that the killer at the start is a child (see ref 1). The image shows him as a child holding the knife with no expression on his face, this scene has low key lighting with the light in the background to show off Michael in the clown costume. Ref.1 The setting of the film is mainly based in the quiet town of Haddonfield (see ref. 2) which people would expect to be safe. The murders in the filmtake place in a normal town, in the character’s own homes. This adds to the fear for the audience as it gives the film a sense of
- 2. realism. The Myers house fits in with the horror genre when doctor Lummis goes inside to look around, the windows are boarded up and the paint is peeling off the wall. Making the house seem creepy and evoking the creepy haunted house trope commonly used in horror movies. The fact the film is set on Halloween automatically establishes the theme of horror. The simple props used in the setting such as pumpkins and the Halloween decorations adds to the realismof the film. Although most of the scenes take part in the town of Haddonfield, one scene takes place in a psychiatrist hospital. Mental hospitals are looked upon as scary because they are often isolated and away from towns and cities. Ref. 2 The movies ending does not follow the typical conventions of horror movies. By the end of the movie you expect the final girl to defeat the killer and peace is restored but the movie makes it seem like Laurie Strode is safe because Loomis shot Michael and he fell from a second story balcony (see ref.3), but the body of the killer disappears and leaves the audience wondering where he is and makes them wonder if Laurie will be safe. Ref.3 Propp thinks there a number of elements then can be reused in different ways to make up a story. Halloween uses some of these story plot points. The antagonist harms Laurie Strode
- 3. when her and Michael are fighting because Michael persuade her after killing all of her friends. the protagonist is finally rescued by doctor Loomis but there is an open ending because the killer is still at large because his body has disappeared. Movie 2- scream 1996 In 1996 Wes craven made a horror filmunlike any other. The characters in scream became self-aware and knew the so called rules of the horror genre. A classic horror trope is evoked at the start of the movie when we are introduced to Casey Becker. The trope used is a girl in the middle of nowhere home alone at night. the iconic opening scene provides excellent example of lighting, in the house there is only natural lighting with light coming from lamps which create pockets of lights and shadows. The darkened spaces are frightening for both Casey and the viewer because they provide places for the killer to hide. The ending of the opening scene of scream does not follow the conventional conventions because they kill off the biggest name in the filmand the character that was on every poster this shocked audiences and this scene became iconic and known through the horror genre. The camera movement in this scene follows her around as she walks through her house locking the doors, while she is walking around the only sounds that are used are diegetic sounds with an eerie tone starting to build up to her attack. The non-diegetic sounds grow loader when we see ghostface attack Casey and when she realizes she’s in danger (see ref.4) (Ref.4) Again the horror movie is set in a small town the same as Halloween to give the audience a sense of realism and the sense of fear because the killer is an ordinary person in a mask so everyone is a suspect and the mystery of who dun it is commonly used in slasher films. The location of the house that ha a party going on shows that attacks can happen anywhere even if your surrounded by people all it takes is one second alone to be attacked. The end of the movie displays both typical and non-typical horror conventions. The non- typical convention was the fake out with Billy’s death to reveal two killers which defies the rules of horror because usually there is only one murderer. The typical convention in scream is the final girl killers the murderers and the peace is resorted see (ref.5)
- 4. (Ref.5) Propp thinks there a number of elements then can be reused in different ways to make up a story. screamuses quiet a lot of these story plot points. the antagonist Sidney seeks information on who the killer is. ghostface the antagonist attempts to trick his victims then gets into a fight with the protagonist and the antagonist is defeated by Sidney because she ends up killing them after being persuade for half the film by the killer. The film is resolved and the killer is given the ultimate punishment in the form of death. Both Halloween and scream use certain tropes that are common in the horror genre, such as the final girl who has the final fight against the killers and survive while a lot of their friends have died. Teen comedy There are many trope audiences come to expect from teen comedy movies and a lot of the tropes can be seen throughout the two movie I have chosen. Mean girls (2004) and The duff (2015) Movie 1- mean girl One of the most common tropes in teen comedy movies is the use of cliques. Cliques easily establish who the audience are supposed to route for and who’s side they are meant to be on. After the main character Cady gets given a map of the different. The camera moves from a shot to Cady to the sheet of the tables with all the cliques on (see ref.6) then zooms in to the cliques then fades to the actual tables to show the different people that fit in with the cliques, then rapid cuts to the stereotypical cliques including the unpopular people then straight to the popular people in this case they are called the plastics. There is a upbeat non diegetic soundtrack while Janise Ian is narrating the different types of cliques which is a diegetic sound because she is reading them to Cady while we see the different types. (Ref.6) another cliché in teen movies is the love interest that the main character wants but can’t have for one reason or another whether that be because he is taken or does not find the main character interesting. This give the audience something to route for in the film and
- 5. hope they end up together by the end of the film. The picture of the love interest Aaron Samuels (see ref.7) is only focused on him as the background is blurred out we have a point of view of Cady when she first sees himand she is only focused on him and nothing else. When he first turns around we have a point of view shot so we see what Cady sees and romantic music starts to play that signifies to the audience this is going to be the main love interest for this film. (Ref.7) another cliché in teen movies is the downfall of the main character who suddenly redeems herself with one act of kindness. This is seen when Cady accepts the crown for prom queen. (See ref.8) The camera from Cady to the people she has hurt and that the people that don’t like her. She gives an empowering speech about how everyone is equal as she gives her speech there is no diegetic sounds in this scene other than her talking and there is a quiet non diegetic sound over the top but people are not distracted by the music because it is quiet. As the scene comes to an end the music starts to get louder and the start of the song that was played at the start of the movie is played again which shows the characters have come full circle and peace has been restored. The image shows a spot light been shone on Cady with little fairy lights in the background we focus on Cady because she is in the center while she snaps the crown to show how special everyone is. (Ref.8)
- 6. Propp thinks there a number of elements then can be reused in different ways to make up a story. Mean Girls uses a lot of the story plot points. The protagonist Cady seeks information on the high school and what it's like to be in one and receives information about the antagonist. the antagonist Regina George attempts to trick Cady into thinking she has a chance with the love interest. in order to do this the protagonist is given a new appearance in the form of a makeover. the protagonist is then branded as a plastic. Cady and Regina fight and then Cady is recognized for something she didn't do. and at the end everything is resolved and goes back to the way it was. movie 2 – The Duff The duff is also has some classic examples of common teen movie tropes and clichés. Just like Mean Girl, The Duff relies on classic stereotypes of character such as the unpopular character verses the most popular character. people expect to see this in teen movies because it what they are use to and they know who they have to route for. when we first see the villain for this movie played by Bella Thorne we can tell she is popular and powerful because her scene starts with her walking down a well lit hallway in slow motion to show she is not like anyone else at the school and gives the audience an idea of who she is before she is introduced as the mean girl of the film. (see ref.9). The background and the movies extras a blurred so we focus on Bella Thorne walking down the hallway and not what is going on behind her. The lighting looks like it is coming from the lighting from the roof of the school from the hallway lights. (ref.9) Again the love interest is used to give the main character something to strive for in the film. another common teen movie clique is used with this as in he is the box next door ( ref.10). when we first meet Wesley Rush (the love interest) it's in a similar manor to Bella Thrones character Madison he is walking down the hallway is slow motion towards the main character Bianca. again similarly to when we first meet Madison, the characters and everything in the hallway behind Wesley is blurred out so you focus on the character not what's happening behind him while an upbeat song plays in the background as the non dietetic sound in this scene. audiences can tell what will happen between these two characters by the end of the movie because of the tropes used and to add to it he is already taken by the popular girl so that will cause some kind of conflict. the lighting on Robbie
- 7. Amells face in this scene is over exposed on one side while the other side of him is quiet dark to show he has two sides of him he can be evil but there is some good in him. (Ref.10) Propp thinks there a number of elements then can be reused in different ways to make up a story. The Duff uses some of these story plot points. The antagonist Bianca gets branded as The duff of the group and that's what she is recognized for at the start. Then she seeks information about what it means. the protagonist then gets a new appearance in the form of a makeover. the protagonist and antagonist then fight and then there arre conflicts that are resolved by the end of the film.