Analysing Films Within The Horror Genre

Let Me In

 

 

 

Devil's Due

 

 

 

I have chosen to study these films as they both have an association with the female gender and blood, like our own film opening. In Let Me In, the protagonist is a vampire who kills people for their blood, and in Devil's Due, the protagonist becomes possessed by the devil and attacks random people. These films also have similar settings- they are both set in suburban environments, which makes them relevant films to study as our film opening will be set in a similar type of place. Both Let Me In and Devil's Due have a supernatural element (a vampire and the idea of possession), which makes the audience more afraid as they fear the unknown. In our film opening, we are also using a supernatural element- the girl in our story sees a bloody, dead version of herself, with no apparent reason behind it.

In these two films, a lot of (fake) blood is used to create graphic imagery in order to try and  have an affect the people watching them. We will be using this element in our film opening. As is common within the horror genre, both Let Me In and Devil's Due use diegetic sounds, meaning that we (the audience) can hear them, and the characters in the film cannot. This helps to instil fear into the film, and makes the atmosphere of a scene much more tense. The murder victims in these films are random, innocent people, which adds even more fear to the film as it gives the impression that nobody is safe.  

Omniscient narration is a key part of both Let Me In and Devil's Due. In Let Me In, the audience is aware that the main character, Abby, is a vampire throughout the film, but the other characters are not. Similarly, in Devil's Due, the audience knows that Samantha (the protagonist) has been possessed and is attacking people, however, her husband is not aware of this until the end of the film. Close up shots are another key element of horror films. They are used to show how characters are feeling, which is essential for any film within the horror genre.

Follow shots have been used in these films (and are popular  in horror films in general), as they allow the audience to feel more engaged with the film. It also allows the spectator to witness a character in action, making them feel more close to the character. The 'Rule of Thirds' is also noticeably used in the films I have been researching.

By analysing these films, I have learned more about what kind of filming and editing techniques are commonly incorporated into horror films that are similar to the type of film opening we intend to create. After doing this research, I think that me and my group are going to pay attention to the types of camera shots, etc. that we use when making our film opening in order to ensure that it reflects the genre well.