Blog Post #2





Within our project we would like to represent the issue of women being common victims of murder and assault. We wanted to subtly execute the idea of misogyny and vulnerability in women through the genre of horror. Women both in horror movies and in movies in general can often be represented as damsels in distress.


For example, the psychological thriller The Silence Of The Lambs shows a twisted serial killer whose victims are only women. This is criticized because it portrays women as the victim of male violence and is a major criticism of the genre as a whole. However, it can’t be denied that statistics show that women are the most common victims for murder and rape. It can even be argued horror films work to dive deep into women’s fears of the real world. The horror movie The Shining is also good example of a victimized woman where character Wendy Torrance is shown as neurotic and helpless in the eyes of her husband, but in reality she is only trying to defend herself and her son from her insane husband.


In some instances I do agree with the convention that many women happen to be victims of murder and assault, and is in fact a fear of many women. However, I disagree with the representation of women in the way that they’re helpless, defenseless, or weak. I also think that it should not be forgotten that men too are assaulted and abused, especially young boys.





In our project we will be retaining the idea that women are most commonly the victims of murder and rape because it is still important to recognize the amount of women that are murdered and abused every year. However, we will challenge the idea women are weaker than men and that they are unable to fight for themselves.

Blog Post #1





Horror


Genre Conventions - content: The most obvious purpose of the horror genre is to scare and frighten the audience. In order to do so, unsettling themes are usually portrayed. These themes can range from death, demons, homicide, to ghosts. Horror films tends to take place in a creepy or unnerving setting. The Conjuring is an example of this because the setting is in a large, old house, which is located in the middle of the woods. Key elements like foreshadowing, jump scares, and suspenseful music are used in order to get a frightening reaction from the audience. Filmmakers in this genre investigate to know what people’s biggest fears are. Through these fears, they are able to put it on screen and create a visual nightmare for most. The main characters are usually the one experiencing the horror and pain the audience does not wish to feel. This creates a suspenseful feeling for the audience since they will not know whether the main character will come out dead or alive. There is a common subgenre to horror which is the psychological horror. This subgenre that relies on mental, emotional and psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle viewers.


Genre conventions - production technique: In horror films, many production techniques can be used to efficiently improve the quality for the viewers. Some common production techniques begin in just the screenplay, where things such as using older English, Latin and so on and so forth are used to add an extra layer of unknowingness to the conversations within the film. An extremely popular production technique in horror films is the use of GCI or special FX makeup to achieve gorey looks that otherwise would be virtually impossible. The use and absence of audio is incorporated to create what is known as a jump scare. A scene which its main purpose is to physically scare the viewer or in other words make them “jump”. Another common production technique is having underexposed environments. This makes for dark scenes which appropriately math the horror genre and also make things harder to see with the physical eye, making it easier to scare the audience.


Film/magazine sample #1 - include analysis of how this film embodies your genre: https://youtu.be/XSOvTa38w24 The film Sinister (2012) is a great example for a horror film. The plot revolves around Ellison, whose discovery in the attic of his new house of a box of home movies depicting grisly murders puts his family in danger. The film consists of many jump scares and gory murder scenes of several families. The gray-like color scheme accounts for a creepy effect in the viewers. Sinister contains a demon haunting the house. The use of something supernatural in the film also contributes to it being a horror film.


Film/magazine sample #2 - include analysis of how this film embodies your genre: https://youtu.be/wHbpWtMOJTI In It (2017) many jump scares are incorporated into the film to keep viewers interested, afraid and on the edge of their seats. Many scenes include a dark palette, low exposure and both a mixture of CGI and special FX makeup to bring the monsters main antagonist, Pennywise the killer clown to life.


List of 5-7 other film/ magazine examples within the genre (with links or images of these examples)








The Shining (1980)











2. The Conjuring (2013)





Annabelle





Silence of the Lambs





The Babadook

Genre Research Activity





Genre: Science Fiction


Genre conventions- content: First of all, the setting of a Sci-Fi film usually takes place in an alternative world, usually being strange, different, or faraway. It can also take place in a different dimension or even the future. For example, in the 2010 movie, Avatar, the setting took place in a non-existent planet called “Pandora”. Another characteristic of the Sci-Fi genre includes the use of non-human characters, such as robots, aliens, or monsters. One example of this is Gamora from Guardians Of The Galaxy, who is part of the Zen-Whoberis alien species. Allegories—which are stories, poems, or pictures that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one—are used often in Sci-Fi films. They transport us to distant worlds only to get us thinking about the way that we live in this world. A good example of a Sci-Fi movie that uses allegories is Wall-E. Pixar's Wall-E is about a robot who still works and lives on an abandoned Earth. When the robot goes to space to meet the community of humans, humans were portrayed as lazy, overweight, and relied on technology to do all life tasks. This gives the idea that we shouldn’t let technology take over our lives. In addition, dystopian communities also fall under the category of Sci-Fi films. Movies like The Hunger Games, the Divergent series both portray communities that society considers negative in today’s world. One last characteristic includes advances in future technology. Avatar portrays this characteristic when scientists in the movie were able to transfer a human’s consciousness into the body of an alien.


Genre conventions- production techniques: The typical color palette for Sci-Fi movies is cool colors mixed with white and black and sometimes green.An example of this is The Matrix, which uses many green toned shades and colors to make the movie feel futuristic. Geometric and inorganic shapes are also used on sets and costumes. An example of this is the movie Black Panther, which uses these techniques in the production to create a more futuristic effect. More production techniques include: high shutter speeds, settings in outer space, close ups for dramatic effect, and CGI/ special effects to imitate impossible things in real life.


Institutional conventions- marketing: The typical target audience of Sci-Fi films are usually young kids to people in their 20’s. Young children are frequent customers in theme parks. Through this way, sci-fi films are able to market their films and create rides. Universal studios is famous for marketing their films through roller coasters, simulation rides, and stores full of merchandise. Another way sci-fi films market themselves is through comics or coloring books. For example, Star Wars was turned into a comic series following the success of the films. Through toys, t-shirts, mugs, etc., sci-fi films are able to gain audience attention by selling these things in children’s stores or young adult stores. Another way sci-fi films are marketed are when they are shown as a trailer in the previous of another sci-fi movie in the theatres. Lastly, the most recent type of marketing strategy is through social media and the internet. Most young people have some type of social media app. Through Youtube, movie trailers are shown as well as Instagram ads and others.


Film/magazine sample #1 - include analysis of how this sample embodies your genre: https://youtu.be/4lmrmx3cpWU


Film/magazine sample #2 - include analysis of how this sample embodies your genre: https://youtu.be/PHkxW_v0Ydk


List of 5-7 other film/magazine examples with the genre (with links or images of these examples):





Avatar


Interstellar






3. Avengers





4. Wall-E









5. The Matrix





6. The Hunger Games





7. Black Panther

Hello, my name is Mariana Gamboa. I'm here to share some very interesting information about a recent genre research study I conducted with my fellow classmate Cristina Caballero. Our choice of genre was the Sci-Fi genre for films.