Saturday 17 November 2012

Camera Perspective from Villain

Slasher horror movies have many ways of showing the victim's feelings and emotions when killing a victim. 


This can be done by looking at all characters that are featured, or looking from the villains perspective.

In a previous post about the slasher film Halloween, I have mentioned the first scene which is viewed from the villains eyes by using the camera in this way, it creates tension and a mysterious feel about the scene. 

These villain perspectives feature usually during the start of the movie in order to create tension and set the scene throughout the rest of the movie, this is also seen with the film Halloween.

Other films such as The Last Horror Movie (2003) feature this technique, however this film  uses a camera to create a POV effect.




  • The murders are then filmed as if the killer is watching the events unfold, creating an uncomfortable position for the viewer. 
  • Killings are commentated and the killer interacts with speech to the victims.
  • We are allowed to see and hear the thoughts and feelings of the killer.
  • And the terror and sadness that is felt by the victims when they are going to be killed. 


This filming technique has been effective for many years, and this is apparent in the 1960 film Peeping Tom which also uses the camera as a way to gain an insight from the killers perspective. 



  • We are first led into a false sense of security, and like the Halloween opening, the killer doesn't say anything for the first few minutes, aiding us to think that something isn't quite right. 
  • Sound is used in a way that helps us to think that the person behind the camera isn't going to be a 'normal' character.
  • The use of the traditional camera lines across the screen in this opening really emphasise the way that the villain is looking directly at a potential victim.
  • Which is similar to all of the three films mentioned as other characters look directly into the camera, portraying the fact that they are looking into a seemingly innocent persons eyes. 




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