Typical Slasher Movie Characters

The couple

• Usually madly in love.
• would die for each other
• never apart and when they are they're always talking about each other
• no real typical costume

Jock

• Macho man
• lots of muscle
• thinks he's the best looking man in the world
• very sexist
• thinks every girl should drop to his feet
• baseball jacket of some type

Dumb blonde

• usually very sexual and provocative 
• has literally one brain cell so she can breathe 
• very inquisitive
• doesn't understand puns, or jokes either
• has to have everything explained to her.
• short skirt, low cut top.

The intellectual

• Very smart
• knows just about everything about anything
• makes witty and nerdy puns
• knows when something strange is happening
• first person to realise they are in danger.
• long hem lines, turtle neck jumper, glasses

 

Fool

• usually the one that does drugs
• doesn't take life seriously
• finds everything funny
• very laid back
• only bothered about himself, very selfish.
• baggy clothes, jogging bottoms, jumpers

Outsider

• usually there because someone felt they needed to invite them
• normally a goth or emo sometimes a dork
• very quiet, very shy
• doesn't get involved in a lot
• dark clothes, nothing to extravagant

Virgin

• usually very religious
• very naive, doesn't know of the dangers outside of her home
• used to pick on in sexual joke, usually made by the jock
• dresses very 'proper'.

http://messmediatownley.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/teenage-costume-inspiration.html
                                                                                                                                       

Shroom Forest and Clip deconstruction

• This is an establishing shot of the woods.
• by using this shot it shows all the trees which create vertical lines. this conforms to the convention of strength because this is the location that the murder is at his strongest.
• the shot has an almost green tinge to it showing the audience the corruption of the murderer.
• the lighting is very low key to show that they are at a 'deep, dark forest'. this makes it more scary for the audience.
• it is an eyelevel shot to show what the people in the film would see if they were stood here.

• this is a close up shot of two characters in the woods.
• again the trees are create vertical lines conforms to the convention of strength because this is the location that the murder is at his strongest especially as there are two people in there now to kill.
• in this shot one of the trees also creates a diagonal adding tension to the scene.
• the blue hat that the character on the left is wearing subverts the characterisitcs of the character. the blue hat should represent masculinilty and calmness but the boy is acting quite child like as he is worrying about the murderer.
• on the other hand the black clothes worn by the character on the right conform to the situation very heavilly. for example both his hair and coat are black showing the mystery of the killer, the sufferignt hey are both going through or about to go through and the threat the killer has on their life.
• the characters are at a personal distance showin the audience they are friends and not alone.
• the framing in this shot is moderately loose showing the audience that it is possible to get away from the killer but it is very unlikely. 

• This shot is a medium shot of one of the characters.
• the lighting in this shot contrasts as there are parts where you can see just the sky then parts that have dark parts showing tradgey.
• the colour blue is used in both his top and hat which again subverts the characterisitcs of the character. you can also see that he subverts the convention of masculinty and calm by the expression on his face.
• the composition in this scene is very vertical. the character subverts the sense of strength by his facial expression.
• the character is show at the edge of the shot showing that there is nothing he can do about his murder and that he is insignificant as he cant do anything about it.
• this is an open shot to show the whole surroundngs of the woods.

Masks - Inspiration

Many Horror films feature the killer(s) with masks on.

Masks have many uses throughout horror films:

• Protects your identity.
• Create tension.
• Takes away your knowledge of who the attacker may be.
• Can give a power.
• Hide emotion.

There are a wide variety of films that feature the main protagonist with a mask on and we remember them for their individual masks that they use.

For example, Friday 13th, The Strangers, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Orphanage, Nightbreed, Scream, Halloween etc

The Strangers

• The primary use of masks in this film protects the killers identity's and to create tension.

• As you can see from the image above, they feature masks with the mouths drawn on, showing a fixed emotion, and only the eyes would be seen from the victims. 
• Two masks are traditional masks, one without the top of the head and big eyes taking up the face, the other with hair attached onto the mask in order to match the person wearing it. 
• The middle mask is a piece of fabric, with eyes cut out and a small smile drawn on, leaving no clue as to who the murderer is. 

The Orphanage 

• The Orphanage is a Spanish film that uses masks with children for the use of protecting an identity.
• From the trailer this is apparent as the boy kicks back the lady once she tries to lift off the mask. 

• The mask is quite childlike, using primary colours to draw on facial features. 

To conclude, the use of masks in horror films is a chilling way to show tension and terror. 

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. 

http://messmediatownley.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/halloween-i-1978-opening-credits.html

Deconstruction of a SLASHER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VullvS5yLAY&safe=active 

Halloween I (1978)

Opening Credits

• Establishing shot at eye level of the pumpkin, makes you feel uncomfortable, feels like it moves in towards you
• Creepy score used, that is non-digetic - also used throughout the scene
• A piano is also present, mixed in with what sounds like a sped up clock, creating tension
• Visual effects used to emphasise the flicker of the candle in the pumpkin and the light is bright for long periods of time
• Orange text relates to the colour of the pumpkin

House

• Establishing shot of house, zooms into the door and moves along and around the house, as if we are personally looking at it, from the killers POV
• Crickets are heard, no voices, so possibly a remote area, which is a convention of a slasher film and typically found
• Eye line match. look at the window and around the house, and then you see people inside
• White house used that is very big and on its own, suggesting vulnerability, killers point of view and blurry when looking at two characters due to curtain being in the way

Guy on stairs

•  Low angle POV shot, the camera follows him as he ventures down the stairs, he is always kept in a medium shot, not considering him as a possible victim.
• Hear digetic sound of him talking to the girl, and score goes higher and faster, making things more tense, knowing that he is not after the guy, but more after the girl
• No editing used makes you feel much more involved and you are able to act as the murderer and makes you feel uncomfortable that you are put into this situation 
• The movement down of his t-shirt makes it clear that him and the girl had sex, thus making them the first to be killed, as in a typical slasher movie. Shirt is stripy, showing things won't go well

First stabbing

• Now feel more involved and even more uncomfortable due to the use of a mask, narrow in on the subject. High angle POV when she is dead on the floor, shows the power and dominatiation over her life
• When the girl is spotted, there is a change in the music, very high pitched, leading to a tense build up, and a drop in the notes making them low when killing is taking place, combining with the high pitched screams
• Narrow view, not interrupted with editing as this will take away the persona feel of the scene
• Se through the clown mask makes it much more effective, blood on her chest connotates death, and we see the killer look at the knife so can tell this was a stabbing, she is found naked, showing she had sex and adds to the fact if you have sex in a slasher, you're most likely to die first

http://messmediatownley.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-use-of-nursery-rhymes-to-create.html