FINAL DRAFT

The style differences between horror and thriller/horror films

The two films I am looking at have multiple stylistic similarities and differences. The first film I will be looking at is Paranormal Activity a Horror released in 2009 by an Independent Film company, Blumhouse Productions. Paranormal Activity follows the events of an unseen presence in Katie and Micah's house. The second film I will be looking at is Scream 4 a thriller/horror film released in 2011 by Outerbanks productions, Hollywood. Scream 4 follows the killer Ghostface murders and a group of friends who try to out smart and defend themselves against the villain. Both films have the same age certificate rating of 15. The typical horror genre includes a supernatural force or being such as ghosts or demons ass well as keeping the audience in suspense with unexpected moments. The Horror sub-genre of Horror/Thriller films will include lots of suspense and tension created in the film as well as surprise, anxiety and terror. The genre conventions of horror has changed over the past years as the target audience for most horror films are teenagers who are now exposed to more graphic, violent and sexual images shown in film. As well as the language now use in society it has made it hard for the film industry to shock the audience. This is why films like Paranormal Activity have come to the cinemas, as it is a new way of viewing the events that take place creating a new relationship with the audience. The Paranormal Activity camera style is down to the economy as it is a cheap way to film. While Scream 4 in part of a franchise which has created lots of profit which has allowed them to be able to to film their sequel this way referencing to previous films. The most identifiable stylistic difference is the cinematography styles.

The camera style of Paranormal Activity gives the feel of a documentary. As multiple parts are home video segments used within the film. This type of camera style now days is stylistically attractive to producers as it is cheap to make meaning they can spend more of there budget on other parts of post production if needed as well as making more back from the box office. The time when it changes from normal camera to hand held camera appears when day turns to night when the unseen haunting starts. An example of the home video style camera being used is during the nights, Micah and Katie watch certain nights back via their computer. This is where voyeurism is used as theirs a screen within a screen. When voyeurism is used in Paranormal Activity it helps the audience connect to the characters this is because it leads them to feel sympathy from Micah and Katie as they see their reaction to the previous nights events, which helps to make the horror supernatural immediate and believable to the audience giving them a sense of realism, incresing the impact on the audience. This scene also helps to portray the horror genre as the supernatural being only appears to be attacking in the dark when Micah and Katie are most vulnerable.

Scream 4 Slasher film where the camera throughout is positioned with the main characters Sydney Prescott and Jill Kessler. The film starts with voyeurism being used as the opening is a film within a film to remind the audience of the Scream prequels and the way that Ghostface works, this helps to communicate the plans and themes of the horror/thriller sub genre. With Scream being filmed this way it allows the audience to see the event from multiple angles, as the suspense, tension and anxiety build within the audience shot in the conventional 'Classic Hollywood, continuity way as well as part of the typical Horror/Thriller genre conventions. Scream 4 also uses camera techniques such as continuity editing, close ups during murder scenes and on the props that have phallic imagery such as Ghostfaces knife. Other camera techniques used are when the camera is positioned within the boot of Sydneys car as the inside is reveal the camera is positioned with audience surrounding the car.

The documentary style of Paranormal Activity means there are lots of long takes throughout. Long takes helps to create suspense seen in scene 5 when the sound of the photo smashing echos, as Micah goes to investigate with the hand held camera, the tension increases, with the camera constantly running on a long take you can see how unexpected the event is. As well as the build up and aftermath of the event connecting the audience to the characters vulnerability. Throughout the film you only see the unseen presence haunting Katie the more vulnerable one of the two where Micah is seen as the hero trying to protect her. Micah is also the one to use a ouija board to try to communicate to the unseen presence. This differs from Scream 4 as they are all trying to protect themselves from the killer and both the girls and guys are seen as vulnerable to the killer Ghostfaces games.

An iconic scene in the film is where the group is in the classroom preparing for the stab fest where they are discussing the new genre conventions of a horror film, they are telling you the audience what you should be expecting from this film. Later on in the film the sequence where the villain Ghostface is deciding which one of the group will be his next victim is done using shot reverse shot creating tension as the audience watch the next events unfold one of the genre conventions the group where dicussing in the classroom. The shot reverse shots are used to flick between character to character creating a convincing and conventional conversation sequence during the film. This reinforces the thriller/horror genre, the victim of Ghostface are usually from the more vulnerable groups in society, the murders are generally started by a killing of a young female.

Throughout Paranormal Activity the camera, lighting and mise-en-scene all help to portray the horror genre correctly such as during the nights. In scene 5 the hand held camera is used as it hand held the shaky camera effect adds to the mood of the film. The sound effects in the film are predominantly non-digetic, off screen sound, this helps to keep the audience unaware of the events which are going to happen. With the film being cheap to make due to the camera style chosen it allows their to be more spent of special effects and sound to help create the full impact of the atmosphere to create the 'Haunted House' sub-genre within scenes in post production.

Scream 4's editing pace speeds up in scenes such as scene 5 where the assistant of Sydney Prescott gets murdered. As she enters the isolated car park locations on her own she is already now a vulnerable character. Then the lights dim and the editing speeds up this helps the audience to pick up on the tension and prepare for the upcoming events. As well as them being able to relate to the emotions that the character is feeling in this situation. The location, actors and lighting choices helps to create a suitable mood for the horror/thriller sub genre. This shows that the horror/thriller genre needs stylistic techniques to help to portray the situation the victim has been put in. In the scene there is style over substance where there is more to look at then there is meaning.

Scream 4 conforms to the classic Hollywood narrative as it has Todorov three stages, it also conforms as it had multiple of the 9 character types identified by Propps theory. It is very much based on cause and effect of events that happen such as the Ghostface killings itself in this one it all starts because of the jealousy of Sydney cousin Jill being known only for being her cousin which is her motivation for becoming the only survivor in this set of Ghostface killings.

The stylistic differences between the two films are reinforced by the genre of the two films. Paranormal Activity horror genre is reinforced by the shaky home video camera usage following an unseen supernatural being. The stylistics choices such as the editing and lighting helps to keep the horror genre effective throughout the film. While Scream 4 thriller/horror genre is kept as the known killer Ghostface keeps the suspense alive for the audience as they don't no who the Ghostface next victim will be the only clues you get throughout are the ghostly phone calls with the question 'Whats your favourite scary movie?' an iconic line which helps to create tension to build as the audience tries to decide themselves who the killer is.

This shows that the sound is also important in the film sound is important in horror films and horror sub genres as this helps to add to the tension such as with the deep music used throughout as well as showing iconic lines which fans of the movies will pick up on. In Paranormal Activity the most iconic scene for sound is the last scene, this is because both Micah and Katie are downstairs and the camera is left running in the bedroom all the audience can see is the staircase going into darkness giving the illusion of walking down to hell. So the audience rely on the non-diegetic sound of the scene to understand the goings on, the sound that is heard is shouting and screaming before you hear the iconic slow footsteps building up suspense as something walking up from hell. 

Both Scream and Paranormal Activity have made themselves iconic for their way of portraying the horror genre and have become a franchise in being able to produce multiple prequels to both films. Paranormal Activity has the same old horror context but used a different way of filming which creates a more successful style of horror. They have been able to re-invent the horror genre through their stylistic choices to make the audience feel more involved with the story as audiences now days are harder to shock. Paranormal Activity brings the audience in to relate them with the home video style of making the film. While Screams camera style helps to create the suspense and tension needed in horror films to keep the audiences attention. The home video style technique from paranormal activity has now been adapted and used in multiple films since such as 127 days later and Cloverfield. This type of filmmaking could be considered postmodern as it lacks deeper meaning of the events, and with no new ideas on how to film things they have resorted to using old methods of how families capture memorable moments on film. 

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