Horror Film Genre Analysis

Horror Film Conventions Mindmap

This is a mindmap of some of the things that you would generally see in a horror film.

Dark Knight Opening Scene Analysis

Dark Knight Opening Scene

In the opening scene of the Dark Knight there is a bank robbery involving people with clown masks. In the first scene the robbers in masks zip line across two tall buildings carrying guns. This tells us that this film is going to be an action film. Further into the opening scene there are more gun fights which also tells us that this film is an action film. The music in the opening scene is dramatic and instantly makes I think that something bad is going to happen. This music is non-diegetic as the characters aren't able to hear it.

In this scene of the Dark Knight there are robbers zip lining across two buildings. The camera angle used in this scene is High angle long shot. High angle shots are used to make a character look more vulnerable and weak. A long shot is usually used to show where the scene will be set. In this scene the high angle shot is used to make the robbers look small and vulnerable, it also emphasises the height of the building and makes the robbers even more vulnerable because of how high up they are.

In this scene there are three robbers in a car driving to the bank they are going to rob. The camera angle used is an over the shoulder shot. An over the shoulder shot is normally used to show a conversation between two characters. In this scene the camera shot is used to show a conversation but the conversation is not with the character that the camera shot is taken over. This makes the character that isn't in the conversation more mysterious.

In this scene two robbers are having a conversation hidden behind a desk in the bank. The camera shot used in this shot is a close up two shot. Close ups are normally used to show a character's emotion in detail and a two shot is normally used to show a conversation between two people. The character's in this scene are wearing masks so you can't see their facial expressions so this scene relies on dialogue in the film to show their emotion.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Open Scene Analysis

Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone Opening Scene

In the opening scene to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone we can tell that it is a fantasy film because there is a moment where a cat transforms into an old lady. There is also a man on a flying bike which also suggests to us that this is a fantasy film. There is a lot of things we don't know about the characters in the opening scene which might bring the audience to ask; are these people good or bad? Why did they leave the baby on the doorstep of a house? In the opening scene the music is quite mysterious and non-diegetic.

In this scene we can see the character Hagrid flying down on a flying bike. The camera angle used to show this is Low angle shot. A low angle shot is normally used to make a character look large, therefore making the character seem more powerful everyone else. In this scene it is used to make Hagrid look magical and mysterious because he is on a flying bike.



In this scene you can see Dumbledore standing at the end of a road late at night. The camera shot used to show this is a Long shot. Long shots are normally used to show the audience where the scene is being set or it could be used to view a character from far away and make them seem vulnerable. In this scene it tells the audience immediately that the scene is set late at night and something mysterious is happening.

In this scene you can see a close up shot of harry potter when he was a baby. A close up shot is normally used to show a character's facial expressions in detail. Close up shots may also be used on objects to make the audience ask "what is that?" The close up shot used in this scene makes Harry look innocent but the camera shot also wants the audience to focus on the scar on Harry's head. This might make the audience ask "Where did he get that scar?" 

Mad Max: Fury Road Opening Scene Analysis

Mad Max: Fury Road Opening Scene

In the opening scene we know that Mad Max: Fury Road is a Post-apocalyptic film because it is set in the future when the world has become a waste land. We also know that it is an action film because in the beginning a car gets flipped over and Mad Max is captured. There are also multiple fight scenes when Mad Max tries to escape which tells us that this film might not be suitable for young children and this film is for teenagers and young adults. After watching the opening scene the audience might start to ask themselves questions about who Mad Max is. They might also ask; Why is everyone looking for Mad Max? And what are they going to do to him?. In the opening scene there is no music or non-diegetic sounds, this tells us that the film is meant to be quite serious.

In this camera shot it shows mad max, his car and a desert which he is looking over. This shot is an establishing shot and tells us where the movie is going to be set and who the main protagonist is going to be. The establishing shot is effective because it tells us a lot about where the movie is going to be set and who is in the movie. 

In this camera shot you can see Mad Max is being chased by other vehicles and his car has been flipped over. The shot used in this scene is a long shot and it is effective because it tells us where the movie will be set. 

This camera shot is an over the shot camera shot. This camera shot shows mad max staring across at a stone structure in a wall far away. Over the shoulder shots are usually used when two characters are having a conversation but in this scene it is used as an establishing shot to tell the audience where Mad max is.

Analysing Shot Types in a Film Opening

Analysing Shot types in a Film Opening

28 Weeks Later Opening Scene

In the opening scene of 28 weeks later we are in a barn which is under siege to a zombie horde. The main protagonist Don is shown running up a stair case to the upper level of the barn. He then enters a room where the little boy and his wife are hiding. Don then tries to grab his wife and escape but she goes back to try and rescue the little boy in the closet. When the wife gets the little boy out of the closet a zombie bursts in the room and separates Don and the wife and boy. Next Don decides to leave his wife and save himself by running into the next room and closing the door. The wife shouts for Don but it is too late and they run into the room opposite. Don climbs out of the window and starts running across the field. He glances back to the barn to see his wife at the window still shouting for him. She is then taken away by the zombies into the darkness behind her. While Don is running across the field we can see more zombies running after Don in the background. Finally he gets to the river where someone is waiting with a boat and he shouts for him to go. Jumping on to the boat Don quickly gets the boat started but he can't get away yet because the other person has fallen into the river and Don is trying to save him. After an unsuccessful rescue a zombie has zombie has grabbed onto the side of the boat and Don kicks him in the face before steering the boat down the river.

In this scene its a close up shot of a little boy peaking through a gap in the wardrobe door. A close up shot is used to clearly show how a character is feeling. In this scene the little boy is obviously very frightened as his eyes and mouth are open and it seems like he has just seen something which isn't very pleasant.

This scene shows the character Don running down a corridor. The camera shot used is a Mid shot, this type of shot is usually used to make a character look powerful or important. The Mid shot in this scene is used to make Don look vulnerable. As Don runs down the corridor he is surrounded by dark shadows making the viewer...

In this shot it is a close up of Don's wife when she realises that Don has abandoned her and the boy. A close up shot is effective because it clearly shows how the character is feeling by showing the character's facial expressions in detail. In this shot Don's wife is clearly terrified and at he same time in shock because she can't believe her own husband would abandon her.

Genres/ Conventions

Genres and Conventions

Genre	Conventions/Genre Indicators	Film Titles
Action	Explosions, fight scenes, chase sequence, hero and villian.	Casino Royale Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Die Hard Mission Impossible
Sci-Fi	Future technology, Aliens, Space, Spaceships.	Avatar Predators Star Wars Hellboy
Post-Apocalyptic	Fight for survival, Disease/Infection, Male Protagonist, Abandoned Buildings.	I am Legend Maze Runner Mad Max Oblivion
Comedy	Contains Swearing, Not appropriate for young children, characters in the film have a sense of humour.	Shaun of the Dead Brides Maids Anchorman Hot Fuzz

I am Legend

In the opening scene of I am Legend, the protagonist drives around an abandoned city in a car. This tells that this is a post-apocalyptic movie. In the car the main protagonist is accompanied by a dog, this could tell us that the main character might be the only human alive and he only has a dog for company. Further into the opening of the film the main protagonist points a gun out of the window of the car to try and shoot the deer. This suggests that the movie will contain death and action.

Introduction

Out of all the films I have watched my favourite film would have to be Elysium because it contains loads of action and the plot to the film is very interesting. The film stars the actors Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley and Alice Braga. Elysium doesn't have a cliché ending where you know the main character will definitely survive. In the end of Elysium the main character has to take his own life to allow the people on earth to enter the utopia in space.

Michael Bay is a director that I especially like because all of his films contain massive amounts of explosion. This makes his action films extremely exciting to watch.

My favourite genre is Post-apocalyptic because everyone is fighting for survival. This makes me think about what I would do in the character's shoes. It also makes me wonder if the character had done something differently then would the outcome of the story be different. A Post-Apocalyptic film that I really enjoyed was Maze Runner.

A film that I am really looking forward to is Logan. This movie is about Wolverine when he is old. The only X-men that are left are Wolverine and Professor X. A young girl with similar powers to wolverine appears and Professor X tells him to protect her. This movie is meant to be based off the comic book series.

Recently I have watched the film The Avengers. The Avengers is a Sci-Fi Action film which includes aliens and futuristic technology. I enjoyed watching this film because at the end of the film all of the main characters are engaged in a huge fight with an alien army.