Genre Research Blog Activity

 Horror

Genre: horror

Target Audience: The majority of viewers for horror movies are between the ages of 15 and 35, with a tendency toward young adults and teenagers. These viewers take pleasure in the excitement of suspense, moments that make you jump, and feeling afraid in a secure environment. They are frequently thrill-seekers and are drawn to genres that offer high-energy and suspenseful tales, such as science fiction and thrillers. A wide spectrum of thrill-seeking reasons is also satisfied by horror, which draws viewers with a variety of tastes, including those drawn to supernatural themes, psychological fear, and physical gore.

Genre Conventions (contents)- Themes: Common themes include mortality, supernatural forces, psychological torment, and revenge. Stories often revolve around survival, confronting fears, and the clash between good and evil. Settings: Dark, isolated locations like haunted houses, abandoned buildings, and forests are staples. These settings, combined with eerie soundscapes, build a sense of danger and isolation. Characters: Horror frequently includes archetypal roles, such as a “final girl” who survives till the end, morally ambiguous protagonists, and villains like monsters, ghosts, and serial killers. These characters reflect primal fears and societal anxieties. 

Genre Conventions ( production technique) - Mise-en-scene: Dim lighting, shadows, and a dark color palette (e.g., reds, blacks) create suspenseful and sinister atmospheres. Props like knives and other makeshift weapons heighten tension. Sound: Horror films rely heavily on sound to evoke fear—creaking doors, whispered voices, and sudden, loud noises to emphasize jump scares. Editing: Quick cuts and fast-paced editing amplify anxiety and create a sense of urgency and fear.

Institutional Conventions ( marketing)- Jump scares, suspenseful cuts, and intense trailers are used to promote horror movies. Promotions frequently highlight the film's intensity and distinctiveness while concentrating on particular horror clichés (such as supernatural or slasher aspects). As demonstrated by It Follows, which tested ads aimed at both younger audiences and older, nostalgic viewers, the genre frequently uses social media for viral marketing. Successful ads steer clear of overhype and utilize imagery and language that appeals to horror enthusiasts, strengthening the feeling of mystery and community involvement.

Film Sample #1- Hereditary: Hereditary examination of grief, familial curses, and supernatural forces is a prime example of psychological horror. An gloomy atmosphere is created by the film's use of creepy ambient sounds and dim lighting. The protagonist's psychological collapse is further enhanced by close-up shots and disturbing perspectives, and the use of sluggish, eerie images heightens the tension. Hereditary marketing focused on its unsettling family story to appeal to viewers looking for intellectual and atmospheric horror.

Film Sample # 2 - The Conjuring: The Conjuring, which centers on paranormal investigators coming across evil spirits, blends jump scares and strange terror. The movie employs close-up images and gloomy, cramped settings to evoke closeness with the protagonists' anxiety, intercut with loud, unexpected noises to startle viewers. Viewers interested in paranormal horror were drawn in by the marketing's emphasis on real-life case files, which added an air of credibility.

Other films:

The Shining - 

A Nightmare on Elm Street- 

Get Out- 

Psycho- 

IT- 

Representation

 Grey's Anatomy has been a driving factor behind the transformation of racial, gender, and identity depiction on television for almost 20 years. In addition to shattering stereotypes, the show addresses the perils of "othering" and exoticizing characters through its diverse cast, nuanced character arcs, and dedication to inclusivity. Allowing people to look at how the show's ensemble and characters like Cristina Yang and Miranda Bailey are good instances of representation, as well as where the show deals with problematic representation. 

Sandra Oh's portrayal of Cristina Yang is a prime illustration of how Grey's Anatomy subverts the conventional "model minority" trope that is sometimes used to describe Asian characters in the media. Although Cristina is an extremely driven and brilliant surgeon, her depth transcends the stereotypes of the hard-working, heartless overachiever. The one-dimensional representation of Asian women as robotic or exoticized for their intelligence is challenged by the show's acceptance of her emotional vulnerability, messiness, and genuine humanity. Although Cristina's brilliance and work ethic are important aspects of her personality, she also has depth because of her relationships, infertility issues, and vulnerable times. 

The character development of Miranda Bailey is a potent critique of the ways in which Black women are frequently "othered" especially in the workplace. As the dominant "Nazi" in the first few seasons, Bailey runs the risk of being viewed negatively by the prevalent assumption that Black women are too aggressive or irate. This is made more difficult by the show, which lets Bailey go beyond these strict representations. Her struggles with anxiety, family conflicts, and the demands of being a Black woman in a largely white, male-dominated field are all evident. In Grey's Anatomy, her vulnerabilities and fears are exposed, despite her initial exoticization as a tough, no-nonsense character. 

Grey's Anatomy sometimes problems with how it exoticizes or de-centers disadvantaged persons in its wider ensemble, even as it excels at avoiding stereotypes for many of its main characters. As LGBTQ+ women, characters such as Dr. Callie Torres and Dr. Arizona Robbins, for example, occasionally become exoticized due to their sexual orientation, particularly in the early seasons when their identities were viewed as dramatic devices rather than complete facets of their personalities. In a same vein, non-white characters like Maggie Pierce and Jackson Avery frequently live a de-centered life in which white protagonists like Meredith Grey's story are prioritized over theirs. 

In the end, Grey's Anatomy is successful in dispelling a lot of negative stereotypes and opposing the "othering" of its varied cast. The show develops a more sophisticated, inclusive story that captures the complexity of the real world by allowing characters like Cristina Yang and Miranda Bailey the room to grow. But like any long-running series, Grey's Anatomy occasionally falters in giving its underrepresented characters' storylines full attention, which leaves space for improvement in the ongoing discussion about media representation. 

Multimedia: Christina's breakdown (youtube.com)

  

 

 

Sound Project

    For this project, I was assigned a partner, and we had to create a one-to-two-minute scene only using sound. We created a project outline to help us know what sound we were going to use for what. We also had to create four sounds ourselves. Our teacher assigned for us to watch videos on foley do we knew how to produce our own sounds. Foley is making the sound of everyday sound effects. I also learned how important sound is for film, for example, sound is what adds a majority of horror to scary movies. Without the sound, the films would not be as scary, they would almost be comedic. 

   Our approach to successfully completing the project was to have a very set in stone plan of what we were going to do each day. During the brainstorming phase, we figured out what our scene would be, what sounds were needed, and what sound we were going to use foley for. Our outline helped us organize our sounds because when we were searching for sounds, we knew exactly what sounds we had to look up. It was also helpful with editing because we just had to lay the sounds down in the correct order. The editing resource we chose to utilize was Adobe Premier Pro. 

   Personally, I think what was done well in the project was role splitting. I do not like to edit and I'm not very good at it, so my partner took on the job and I made the foley sounds for the project. We both came up with the scene and what sounds we would use, but we were both able to put our individual talents to use. What I think we could have done better was choosing the sounds. At first our teacher gave use feedback that it might sound as if someone was drowning, (we did a mermaid transformation). However, other than that I feel we did pretty good.

Link to project: Soundscape Link