Iconography & conventions

Iconology & Conventions - Killer

by Harry Gunner, Ciaran Ahern, Jack Gathern, Jake Golding

• Name: Paul Gunner (Adult)

• Genre: Killer

• Correct or Incorrect: Correct

• Incorrect why? -

• What else comes to mind when you think of the Killer sub-genre? “Weapons and gore.”

• Name: Karen Gunner (Adult)

• Genre: Horror

• Correct or Incorrect: Incorrect

• Incorrect why? Horror

• What else comes to mind when you think of the Killer sub-genre? “Urm... Jump scares and death.”

• Name: Tom Glasgow

• Genre: Killer

• Correct or Incorrect: Correct

• Incorrect why? -

• What else comes to mind when you think of the Killer sub-genre? “Criminals.” “People wearing masks” “blood”

• Name: Charlie Smith

• Genre: Killer

• Correct or Incorrect: Correct

• Incorrect why? -

• What else comes to mind when you think of the Killer sub-genre? “Knives” “lots of gore”

• Name: Cormac Ahern (Adult)

• Genre: Thriller

• Correct or Incorrect: Incorrect

• Incorrect why? Thriller

• What else comes to mind when you think of the Killer sub-genre? “Torture.”

• Name: Ian Gathern (Adult)

• Genre: Horror

• Correct or Incorrect: Incorrect

• Incorrect why? Horror

• What else comes to mind when you think of the Killer sub-genre? “Gore and torture.”

• Name: Josh Stephenson

• Genre: Killer or slasher

• Correct or Incorrect: Correct

• Incorrect why? -

• What else comes to mind when you think of the Killer sub-genre? “Victim and Hero.” “Weapons, especially knives”

• Name: Henry Fowler

• Genre: Horror

• Correct or Incorrect: Incorrect

• Incorrect why? Horror

• What else comes to mind when you think of the Killer sub-genre? “Weapons and gore.”

What we learnt:-Killer films often have lots of gore

- Use Weapons and torture.

-Knives are the main weapon used as they lead to a slow painful death

-Masks are also used a lot as they can hide the antagonists identity

Subgenres

Final DestinationFriday 13thHalloween

Case 39Deep Red

The Girl who knew too much

Wolf creekHills have eyes

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Shutter Island PsychoMay

The StrangersThe CollectorYou’re Next

Camera- Often uses high and low angles to connote power for the antagonist and inferiority towards the protagonist.

-POV shots are common because they put the audience into the characters situation.

-Handheld shots create a sense of panic as the movement means the audience can’t focus on one aspect of the shot they are constantly trying to watch the whole screen.

-Can use depth of field to hide/blur the antagonist in the background.

-Variety of shots as close up will emphasise the characters feelings or emotions while wide angle shots will show lots of the scene that the audience will have to watch carefully or they may miss something.

-Canted angle as it disorientates the viewer.

Editing-Montage editing as the fast cuts will disorientate the viewer and create a sense of panic.

-Continuity editing during parts of low excitement as the editing is invisible which creates versimility and if the audience thinks its real, they will be more scared than if they didn’t believe the story.

-Breaks 180 degree rule at times of high tension as it will give the audience a sense of disorientation which will create a feeling of panic.

-Uses lots of eyeline matches so we can see what the character is looking at which puts us into the characters situation.

-Editing can be used to make unsettling jumps from different shot sizes to create tension. The pace of the editing can be used to create suspense and sudden increase in pace creates the feeling of jumpiness which makes the audience scared of what is to come.

Sound-Lots of amplified foley sounds (Door slamming, Heartbeat, Birds crow, Wind, Rain).

-Lots of emphasis on diagetic sound to add to the realism as this will make the film scarier.

-Non diegetic sounds are often loud, deep, clashing.

-Use of strings instruments as they are sharp, high pitched.

Setting-Horror films are usually set in places that trigger fear

-A convention to the horror movie genre is that the events happen at night.

-There are many different places a horror movie could be set including isolated places and small communities which would offer more opportunities to create a sense of isolation and it helps the place hold a secret.

-Another conventional setting is abandoned and haunted houses as it is a place to hold secrets and they have a past to inhabit. It also brings the fear of the paranormal

-Other typical setting include tundra's, asylum. Underground, sewers and graveyards.

ThemesThe theme is the main subject or ideas within the film.

The Subgenre in our presentation is killer. Here are some examples of the theme:

-Normal people Vs. Overpowered antagonist

-Separation of group (through choice or by accident)

-Can involve a “Coming of age theme”

-Don’t always triumph over antagonist

-Stuck/Stranded in isolated location

-Group of friends (normally Argue when stuff gets messy!)

Plot and Narrative structure

The Cabin in the Woods

-Linear structure: the narrative of the story has a beginning, middle and end. The story runs on an imaginary line.

-The structure of this film is based around a group of friends who are spending the weekend in an abandoned cabin (Equilibrium). However, when they explore the basement and find and read a diary, the accidentally summon the zombiefied buckner family. When they try to escape, they are prevented by an explosion in the tunnel and a camouflage force field (Disequilibrium). Then they find a hidden elevator (Acknowledgement). Then there is a battle and the protagonists come out on top (Equilibrium).

Todorov’s theory

-This theory refers to the stages throughout the film. These stages are called equilibrium, disequilibrium, acknowledgement, solving and again equilibrium.

-This shows Cabin in the woods follows this theory as it starts off at an equilibrium then they get into trouble and then they resolve the problem.

CharacterFemale Victim:

-There is almost no horror film without a female victim, as they are portrayed as being vulnerable and in need of protection.

- This representation dates back to earlier horror films that were made in a more sexist era, and the idea continued. Usually young, blonde and attractive, helping to appeal to a wider male audience.

-This character is often portrayed to be stupid and annoying, one of the only characters the audience sometimes will to be killed. Although she is shown to be dumb, she isn’t typically the first to be killed, but when she is killed, it is usually gruesome or graphic.

-This character helps to build up suspense in the audience, as her behaviour often puts them on edge, and whenever she jumps, even if unnecessary, they jump too.

CharacterNon-Believer:

-Can be of either sex, although often male. Portrayed as being cocky and at ease, convincing the other characters that they are over reacting and that nothing is going on. Typically overconfident, which usually lead to them being the first to be killed, and their death will trigger a mass killing of the other characters.

-To begin with, the audience will listen to this voice of reason and be reassured and calmed slightly by them. However, when they are shortly after killed, the audience will panic and all sense of security has gone; nobody is safe.

CharacterJock

-Usually a male character of strong, masculine build. Although he is the ‘hero’, there aren’t many horror films where the good triumph over evil.

-In these cases, he tends to be the brave character that goes after the murderer, often never returning. These characters tend to show little emotion throughout the film, perhaps to stay strong and supportive for the other characters that cope less well. In more recent horror films, the hero has begun to appear as a female.

-This makes the film more unpredictable, and challenges the older, more traditional conventions.

CharacterHysterical Character:

-Usually female. They are typically known to not want to leave the building they are in, usually after witnessing the murder of one of her friends. The other characters try to move her, but she often breaks down into hysterics and refuses to move.

-This will usually either result in her staying behind and being killed, or all other characters being hunted down and her saved until last. One way or another, she is always killed. This character has quite an impact on the audience, and her hysterical tendencies reflect onto them and helps to build up more suspense.

CharacterEvil Character:

-Can take many forms; serial killer, demonic possession, ghost, monster (vampire, werewolf, zombie etc.) If they are human, they will often wear a mask, disguising them completely of appearance or emotion, and the audience can make no connection to them whatsoever.

-Any other type of killer, such as a monster or demon plays on the fear of the unknown, and as there is never any solid proof that they do not exist, they play on the audiences more primal fears and the thought that they could actually be all around at night. This character obviously has the biggest impact on the audience and strikes fear into them.