How I Have Met Audience Expectations of the Horror Genre

As you will see from my research in to the horror genre and further research in to hand-held camera films, I think I will meet audience expectations well in my film and teaser trailer. In my film treatment I have used a story line that fits well with the genre: a group of friends in a deserted town, no one to help them and things gradually get worse until they are all dead. This will appeal to my audience as it's what they expect from a horror film and the types of characters are classically used in horror. I have also made them teenagers meaning the age group I am aiming my film at can relate to them, again adding to the fear as they will be able to imagine themselves in the characters positions. I have also used monsters/ zombies that are used in a lot of horror films and also on the list of protagonists in horror films that I found in my research. I took the idea of the monsters never being seen like in The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity that I looked at in my further research. I think this is what people found really fearful about these films, which will therefore appeal to my target audience both in the film if it was actually made and definitley in my teaser trailer as it won't give too much away. The idea of using night vision in my teaser trailer meets audience expectations on Hand-held camera films and also creates a sense of realism. Night vision also allows the audience to see what the charcters may not be able to see, making the audience really realise the fear of characters. I have also tried to create suspense in my teaser trailer script without giving too much away. I took ideas from the REC trailer to have continuous filming split up between titles in order to build tension up to the climax at the end of the trailer, which I feel will really shock and excite the audience hopefully making them feel fear when watching the trailer.

My chosen location in my opinion also appeals to the horror genre dramatically. It is run and and echoey, which I feel will look really god on camera and also looks like a location that would actually be used for horror films. The location also fits very well with my film treatment and script. My chosen costumes appeal the horro realism as these are typical clothes teenagers wear. I can imagine this is what people of this age group would be wearing on a trip like in my film, therefore making the film seem more realistic and therefore creating fear. My use of fake blood is also obviously appealing to the horror genre. Props to create gore are nearly always used in horror films, so I feel I am really following conventions there.

My image plan for my film poster is also appealing to the genre because it is mysterious and doesn;'t give muhc away, therefore allowing the audience to image things. this builds fear and is a technique used in a lot of horror film posters so I feel this was a good idea for an image on my film poster. My idea for the image on my magazine is also appealing to the genre. The image will be dramatic and gruesome, with blood on her hands as she gets dragged away. This is the sort of shot often used for horror films, and I feel it will work really well on my magazine cover.