Genre Research

Genre: Horror

Genre Conventions – Content
Horror films focus on evoking fear, suspense, and sometimes disgust. They frequently feature supernatural elements, dark or abandoned settings, and threats that elicit emotional responses of terror and tension. Common themes include isolation, survival, and encounters with dangerous entities like ghosts, monsters, or murderers. These narratives often explore the darker sides of human psychology and society.

Genre Conventions – Production Techniques
Cinematography in horror often uses shadows, dim lighting, and eerie soundscapes to create a haunting atmosphere. Directors use extreme close-ups for character expressions and wide shots to emphasize isolation. Quick cuts, jump scares, and sound effects like creaking doors or footsteps add suspense. Many films employ sudden changes in camera angles or lighting to keep viewers on edge and amplify fear.

Institutional Conventions – Marketing
Horror films are marketed to highlight their scare factor, often with posters showing dark imagery, eerie landscapes, or unsettling visuals. Trailers focus on building suspense without giving away the full storyline, often ending on a cliffhanger or a scream. Horror marketing aims to attract fans seeking adrenaline rushes, often using social media teasers to build excitement among the target audience of young adults who enjoy thrilling experiences​

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Film Sample #1: The Conjuring
This film embodies horror with its portrayal of a haunted house and a family under supernatural threat. It uses shadowy lighting, suspenseful pacing, and sudden sounds to maintain tension. The film relies on minimal gore but maximizes dread through eerie atmospheres, portraying the paranormal in a way that feels realistic and unsettling.

Film Sample #2: Hereditary
Hereditary presents psychological horror with an emphasis on family trauma and supernatural elements. The film uses subtle sound design, dark lighting, and patient cinematography to build a gradual sense of dread, leaving much to the viewer's imagination, making the horror feel both personal and pervasive.

Additional Films in the Genre

1. Psycho: 
   
   
   
2. Paranormal Activity: 
   
   
   
3. A Nightmare on Elm Street: 
   
   
   
4. Halloween: 
   
   
   
5. The Shining: 
   
   
   

Representation

 One of the shows I find fascinating for its representation patterns is Brooklyn Nine-Nine. This comedy series stands out for its ability to balance humor with socially relevant themes, particularly through its diverse cast and progressive storytelling. While it's a lighthearted sitcom, the show deliberately breaks away from many common stereotypes found in police procedurals, offering nuanced representations of its characters.

The characters of Detective Rosa Diaz and Captain Raymond Holt are prime examples of how Brooklyn Nine-Nine subverts stereotypes. Rosa Diaz, played by Stephanie Beatriz, defies the "fiery Latina" trope commonly found in media. While Rosa is tough, independent, and a bit intimidating, the show allows her to be emotionally complex. In one pivotal storyline, Rosa comes out as bisexual, an aspect of her identity that is handled with care and authenticity. This representation is particularly significant as bisexuality is often stereotyped or erased in media. Instead of reducing Rosa to her sexual orientation, the show makes it a natural part of who she is, without making it her defining trait.

On the other hand, Captain Raymond Holt, portrayed by Andre Braugher, is a Black, openly gay police captain. His character directly challenges two major stereotypes: the hyper-masculine portrayal of Black men and the flamboyant gay stereotype often seen in television. Holt is stoic, formal, and deeply respected, and the show skillfully uses humor to highlight his seriousness without ever making his race or sexual orientation the punchline. Through these two characters, Brooklyn Nine-Nine shows how media can represent people with intersectional identities beyond the limitations of traditional stereotypes.

In conclusion, Brooklyn Nine-Nine serves as a powerful example of how television can break free from stereotypes and represent diverse characters in a way that feels genuine. By focusing on characters like Rosa Diaz and Captain Holt, the show goes beyond surface-level representation, allowing for complex portrayals that challenge the norms. Whether addressing issues of sexuality, race, or gender, Brooklyn Nine-Nine manages to create a show that is both entertaining and progressive, setting a new standard for representation in the media landscape. 

Sound

 We have been learning about what Sound can do to develop a project.

Sound can add emotional impact, create dimension, and increase viewers perception. We learned about the differences between Diegetic and Non Diegetic Sound, sound effects, motifs, and foleys among other things. 

We were instructed to create a 1-2 minute sound clip of a certain scene. We had to utilize different techniques to build tension using only sound. 

My partner and I decided to attack a Haunted House scene, due to the various different sounds you could see in that situation. We decided to just start by listing possible things you could hear in or around a Haunted House. We used the outline to help organize our scene by sections. It made it much easier to visualize the time frame and ways we could employ certain sounds. My group utilized Adobe to edit our project. 

I think we did an excellent job of choosing sounds and adding in our own Foley sounds. However, we could have had a more cohesive story to entice the audience.

Project: https://browardcountyschools-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/0615124948_my_browardschools_com/EcyBO71TO-9NgGt55SHg92wBjOM_pEOYUFoN8Bgpyfu1dQ?nav=eyJyZWZlcnJhbEluZm8iOnsicmVmZXJyYWxBcHAiOiJPbmVEcml2ZUZvckJ1c2luZXNzIiwicmVmZXJyYWxBcHBQbGF0Zm9ybSI6IldlYiIsInJlZmVycmFsTW9kZSI6InZpZXciLCJyZWZlcnJhbFZpZXciOiJNeUZpbGVzTGlua0NvcHkifX0&e=qgrARj