SEOKJ IN KIM & JAMAAL MALIK

Media Studies

Paranormal: Supernatural

- The terms “paranormal” and “supernatural” are commonly known as the similar words. However, they are actually two separate terms.

- “Paranormal” refers to something that’s not understood by current scientific knowledge.

- “Supernatural” refers to a phenomenon that is beyond our capability to understand, now and simply forever, because it just doesn’t operate under our rules.

Plot

The Conjuring(2013): Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.

Oculus(2013): A woman tries to exonerate her brother, who was convicted of murder, by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon.

Carrie(2013): A reimagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White, a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother, who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.

Theme

In Horror Movies, the theme is mainly around a house with either basement or attic, this is because house is meant to be a pleasant place for you to live with others but producers want to make you think re-think about the place, this makes the audience more interested as they can relate to their house, for example; making unexpected noises sometimes.

Some theme of supernatural films are based on a true story, the reason behind it is to make the audience more interested about the movie and so they won’t get put off during the film.

Horror and supernatural films are always family and friends related plots. The characters always want to save either a family member or their close mates in dangerous and horrific situations.

Character TypesIn Most Paranormal Supernatural films there is an innocent person who’s in huge trouble and there’s someone who wants to solve the problem for the innocent person. This is useful for the audience because it builds a story line for the audience to follow.

In these kind of horror films there is a character who doesn’t speak much however they are the person who turns out to be the most scariest character if not the worst character in the film. This makes the audience entertained because it’s unpredictable for them to guess what’s going to happen next.Most Importantly there is a character who

causes or creates problem for others in the film, for example opening a door when there is no need. Having a such character in the film keeps audience suspense as they won’t be able to predict what the character is up to.

Setting / Location

In horror films there is a usually a house in the middle of nowhere, this makes the audience feel lonely, which creates an scary atmosphere of being left alone.

Mirrors are commonly used in horrors films as it has a good reputation of being horrific, for example story of “Bloody Mary” and many other urban legends stories are connected to mirrors.

Door and a dark empty room can create a very dull atmosphere towards the audience as being locked up can make the audience feel nervous as not being able to see anything except darkness can make you panic.

Music/Sounds:

Sound is very important especially in horror film because this is what makes you feel nervous, scary and even terrifying. Producers use many different sound effects such as screaming, door opening and many more in order to make the audience feel more realistic about the film and what they are seeing. In order to create an effect of you actually being at the place in the film.

Music has the ability to set the tone for how events will unfold. Music may progressively build to signify that a dramatic event is about to happen or it may be upbeat to lighten the mood. Horror films rely heavily in sound clips to create a scary scene. 

Music adds to the complete experience of a horror film because it is a way in which the director chooses to set the mood of the scene and film. By repeating sequences of musical scores the audience associates that music with events in the film. The point of a horror film is to scare the viewer. Music is the biggest contributor to getting the viewer’s adrenaline pumping because it sets the tone before any events actually occur. The viewer can feel scared before any events transpire based on how effectively and artistically music is utilized.

Camera Shots/angles:

Two-shots are good for establishing a relationship between subjects. In this case it’s usually the crazy character looking towards the innocent one, which can make the audience feel sympathy. Since they don’t know what the other person coming towards them is going to do.

Medium shots are used in horror films to show to audience the entire person or area.  They’re great for establishing the scene and allow for good action of the characters.

A high angle is a camera angle that looks down upon a subject. A character shot with a high angle will look vulnerable or small. These angles are often used to demonstrate to the audience a perspective of a particular character. 

Editing Techniques

- In terms of editing for a horror film most important but simplest technique is a jump cut. The point of a cut is to keep the audience interested by changing from one view point to another. Which can make an object appear really quicker in order to scare the audience.

- Also editing can be used to provide a clear balance between what is known and what is unknown, For example, when the boy is walking around the house looking for the killer, It is partly editing that makes those choices, which can shaped a horror movie very clearly with its choices. 

- Lighting is perhaps the most important aspect of suspense. The deliberate blending of light and shadow, the juxtaposition between darks shadows and dazzlingly bright lights can be used to great effect in horror movies to not just unsettle the audience and create a suspenseful atmosphere, but to unsettle the characters, and encourage the audience to further empathize with their situation.

Narrative structure

A narrative convention of any genre is its predictable set of plot events. In paranormal films the story starts off very interesting, for example one of the family member or friends gets into very unpleasant position.

In most films the movie usually have a cliff hanger at the end of the movie and a kind of never ending plot. Which makes the audience more interested and makes them want to watch the next movie if it comes out.

Towards the end of the the film, there is always a big lead up to climax, which eventually results in horrible situations for the characters. This is very important for the audience because it keeps them entertained.