How do I measure fear on the screen

Fear is a kind of emotion from people`s heart, there are a lot of effects could make people fear, because people always afraid of something unusual.On the screen, there are also many elements to make people fear, however, how to measure the fear on the screen is a interesting thing, I have a special method to measure fear myself, which I will show below.


                                IDEA

1 The effect which is unknown on the screen

There are always some types of scene, which just shows something on people`s back when people looks behind, I believe that the most horror thing for the audience is to find something which is unknown by the next second on the screen. These shot always shows on some Eastern style horror films, such as Ju-on: The Grudge（Japan），A Wicked Ghost (Hong Kong),  See prang 2（Thailand）

2 Bloody dress up

The special make up is also important, sometimes when people see someone with just two holes on their eyes on the screen, or their tharm shows outside their bodies, will be really horror, at least will make audience`s sight a shock.

3 Unreasonable

Sometimes there are some horror films shows some different theory showing to the audience, for example, some disease could be contagious by people`s mind, this theory will easily make people fear when they believe it is true. The representative of those films is Infected（Korea）

4 Monsters vampires and zombies

In many horror films earlier between 1940 to 1980, the monsters, vampires and zombies are the mainly style to display horror, there are many horror films to show about those elements.

5 Violence

Violence is a type of soft horror film for audience, these style of horror films could make people scared and exciting.

                         Technique of expression

Some techniques, such as sound and color will be the mainly skill to show the fear.

1 SOUND

Sound is important in a film, sometimes a good type of sound could let a film becomes perfect.In horror films, some strident or strange voice appears suddenly will make audience startle, some quick speed musics also could make people become nervous.

2 COLOR

The strange color could receive a special effect sometimes in a horror film, for example, there is a film named Infected(Korea), there is a scene shows a red apple on the desk, but at the next time, the color of the apple changes into green. This effect make the audience fear for a long time. Sometimes deep color could also make audience depress and nervous.

3 Special equipment

Sometimes some good horror films will devise some special weapons for characters to use, such as saws, guns, knifes and so many others. If a filmmaker want to make out some bloody effect, he will use those weapons to increase the vision, but most of the time, the audience will feel not comfortable with their stomachs when watch it.

Film analysis--Dracula (3)

Mise-en-scene:

Mainly white color costume, frontality and long space, coffin on the back

Cinematography:

MS, focus on the lady,point-of-view shot with other people

Editing:

Cheat cut and rhythm

Sound:

Direct sound

Mise-en-scene:

The entrance of the tomb, frontality of the two man, three point lighting

Cinematography:

MS, focus on the man in the front, point-of-view from the lady, zoom in

Editing:

Reverse shot and rhythm

Sound:

Offscreen sound from the lady and light music

Mise-en-scene:

Mainly white color costume, frontality and long space, coffin on the back

Cinematography:

MS, focus on the lady,point-of-view shot with other people, zoom in

Editing:

Reverse shot and rhythm

Sound:

Direct sound from the lady and light music

 Mise-en-scene:

The man`s head with one mainly light, frontality the man`s head, read project on the right

Cinematography:

CU, Deep focus with the man`s face, point-of-view shot from the lady

Editing:

Reverse shot and rhythm

Sound:

Offscreen sound from the lady and light music

Mise-en-scene:

The shadow of the cross in the front of the lady, one point light on the right, matte shot

Cinematography:

MCU, the focus on the lady`s face and racking to the cross, point-of-view shot from the teacher

Editing:

Reverse shot

Sound:

Direct sound with some offscreen sound

Mise-en-scene:

Deep and shallow space, four people in the screen

Cinematography:

MS, the focus on the teacher, level of framing, tracking shot with the teacher and the lady

Editing:

Reverse shot

Sound:

Direct sound with the teacher and the offscreen sound with the lady

Mise-en-scene:

Frontality space and one key lighting

Cinematography:

MS, focus follows with the lady and handheld camera with the teacher and the lady

Editing:

Reverse shot

Sound:

Direct sound with the lady and the offscreen sound with the teacher

Mise-en-scene:

The lady lays in the coffin and there are a high-key lighting on the lady, shallow space and matte shot

Cinematography:

MS, focus follows with the lady and handheld camera with the teacher and the lady

Editing:

Same shot

Sound:

Direct sound with the lady and the offscreen sound with the teacher

Mise-en-scene:

The big nail on the lady`s chest, frontality and offscreen space of the nail

Cinematography:

CU, deep focus on the big nail

Editing:

Cut in, match on action and rhythm

Sound:

Offscreen sound

Mise-en-scene:

In the tomb, there are some candles on the wall in the back, one key lighting, frontality of the man`s face, deep space

Cinematography:

CU, deep focus on the man`s head, 

Editing:

Reverse shot

Sound:

Environment sound

Mise-en-scene:

Blood the the lady`s body, shalow space, looking down

Cinematography:

MS, racking focus between the lady and the big nail, point-of-view shot about the man, filming down

Editing:

Cut in, match on action of the lady and the man

Sound:

Direct sound and loud music

Mise-en-scene:

The lady`s head roll`s away, blood and shallow space, frontality

Cinematography:

CU, whip pan between the teacher and the lady, high rate quality and point-of-view with the teacher

Editing:

Cut in

Sound:

Synchronous sound about the music

Film analysis-- Dracula (2)

Mise-en-scene:

High-key lighting, shallow space

Cinematography:

ECU, deep focus, point-of-view shot

Editing:

Cut in, Jump up

Sound:

Direct and offscreen sound 

Mise-en-scene:

Normal light, frontality

Cinematography:

ECU, deep color, point-of-view shot

Editing:

match on action, reverse shot

Sound:

Offscreen sound

Mise-en-scene:

High-key lighting with deep space and mainly red costume of main character.

Cinematography:

LS, contrast and wide angle lens

Editing:

Cut in

Sound:

Direct sound

Mise-en-scene:

Two point lighting, frontality and traditional English costume

Cinematography:

MS,zoom in, following with the actor and shadow

Editing:

long take sequence

Sound:

Direct sound

Mise-en-scene:

Two point lighting and frontality

Cinematography:

MS, zoom into the right and follow with the young man`s head

Editing:

Same shot

Sound:

Direct sound

Mise-en-scene:

Special decor in his hand, two point lighting and frontality with shallow space

Cinematography:

CU, deep focus and point-of-view shot

Editing:

Cut in and match on action

Sound:

Offscreen sound

Mise-en-scene:

High-key lighting, offscreen and shallow space

Cinematography:

CU, rate focus and level of framing

Editing:

establishing shot, match on action and continuity editing

Sound:

Direct and offscreen sound

Mise-en-scene:

Map on the wall, matte shot,clearly shadow

Cinematography:

MS, zoom and follows with the old man, 

Editing:

Same shot

Sound:

Direct sound

Mise-en-scene:

Frontality, offscreen of the character and shallow space, three point light

Cinematography:

MCU,deep focus with the old man, point-of-view with the young man 

Editing:

Cheat cut

Sound:

Direct sound

Mise-en-scene:

Desk with the shadow of the old man`s hand, shallow space

Cinematography:

EMS, zoom with the old man`s hand, point-of-view with the old man

Editing:

Cut in with jump cut

Sound:

Offscreen and direct sound

Mise-en-scene:

Photo on the old man`s hand, a candle burning on the desk, frontality and shallow space, three point lighting

Cinematography:

CU, zoom with the old man`s hand, point-of-view shot about the old man

Editing:

Same shot

Sound:

Direct and offscreen sound

Mise-en-scene:

Frontality and offscreen space, two point lighting

Cinematography:

MCU, deep focus with the old man`s face, level of framing

Editing:

Parallel editing and rhythm

Sound:

Young man`s offscreen sound.

Mise-en-scene:

Different shadow on the wall in the back, deep space

Cinematography:

WS, shallow focus with these two men, reframing the  image.

Editing:

Cheat cut

Sound:

Direct sound

Film analysis--Dracula (1)

Mise-en-scene:                                      

Red costume, three point light deep space and matte shot.                        

Cinematography:

LS, Deep focus,level and angle of Framing

Editing:

Reverese shot

Sound:

Great quality with DIEGETIC sound.

Mise-en-scene:

Three point light, shallow space, Red Costume

Cinematography:

MCU, Point-of-view shot, deep focus

Editing:

Match on action and rhythm

Sound:

 Music background with direct sound

Mise-en-scene:

Three point lighting, offscreen space

Cinematography:

CU, shallow focus, point-of-view shot

Editing:

Cut in, match on action, rhythm, montage

Sound:

Good quality music background with offscreen sound

Mise-en-scene:

Three point lighting, offscreen space

Cinematography:

CU, shallow focus, point-of-view shot

Editing:

Cut in, rhythm, montage

Sound:

Good quality music background with offscreen sound

Mise-en-scene:

Three point lighting

Cinematography:

CU, shallow focus, point-of-view shot

Editing:

Cut in, rhythm, montage

Sound:

Good quality music background with offscreen sound

Mise-en-scene:

Three point lighting, offscreen space,

Cinematography:

ECU, shallow focus, point-of-view shot, deep focus,deep color

Editing:

Dissolve, montage

Sound:

Good quality music background with offscreen sound

Mise-en-scene:

High-key lighting, frontality and matte shot and red costume

Cinematography:

MCU, deep focus, following and tracking shot 

Editing:

reverse shot, montage

Sound:

Diegetic and sound, and good quality music.

Mise-en-scene:

Three point light, frontality

Cinematography:

MCU, Deep focus, following shot and level of framing 

Editing:

Cut in

Sound:

good quality music.

Mise-en-scene:

High-key light on the back, deep space, mainly red color

Cinematography:

LS, depth of field, level of framing

Editing:

Cut in, overlapping editing

Sound:

Good quality music and diegetic sound.

The history of Western horror films

Horror movies have withstood the test of time to become the longest-lasting movie genre in history. The very first horror film was made by legendary special effects master George Melies in 1896; the English title is "The Devil's Castle." Horror films have outlasted such other once wildly popular genres as the western and the musical and in the process have made the transition from low-budgeted B-movies to bloated-budget blockbusters featuring big name movie stars and directors as well as some of the most respected actors in the business. However, it must be noted that no horror film has ever won the Oscar for Best Picture, and Fredric March is the only actor to ever win an Oscar for a role in a horror film. March won for "Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde."

1. Appeal

   • The long-lasting appeal of horror movies is often traced to the fact that they allow people to confront their most primal fears within the safe confines of a movie theater. The horror that is unleashed in these films is a representation of unleashed repression rising to the surface and becoming personified. The successful horror film, therefore, works not only because audiences can face down and defeat their fears without actual fear, but it also works by confirming our belief in the need for authority to suppress unrepressed desires bubbling to the surface and tossing society into a state of chaos.

   German Expressionism

   • German silent cinema was the first national cinema to fully exploit the medium of film for the purpose of horror. Expressionist movies captured the disturbed state of mind of the characters through the use of highly stylized sets that reflect the disorientation of the both those in the movie and those in the audience. Examples include such masterpieces as "Nosferatu," "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," "The Golem," and "Vampyr." These films differ substantially from the bulk of horror films by rejecting the necessity of creating a realistic milieu into which the Other would emerge and create destability.

   Universal Studios

   • Universal Studios became the Hollywood king of horror movies during the 1930s. Universal Studios almost single-handedly is responsible for the continuing popularity of Frankenstein movies, vampire movies, mummy movies and werewolf movies. This was a period when many studios were just beginning to define themselves by the genres they specialized in. Just as Warner Brothers was claiming the gangster genre as their own, Universal laid almost exclusive claim to horror films with a series of iconic movies made in the first few years of the talkie era: "Frankenstein," "Dracula," "The Mummy" and "The Wolf Man."

   Creating Myth

   • Many horror movies were inspired by ancient folk tales and myths about vampires and mummies. One Universal horror movie, however, actually created a myth that is still often thought to trace back through the centuries. Screenwriter Curt Siodmak was hired to write "The Wolf Man," and his research revealed precious little information about how one supposedly becomes a werewolf. Among the items that Siodmak invented were the curse of the werewolf, the effect of a full moon, and that a werewolf can only be killed by a silver bullet.

   Val Lewton

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     Val Lewton turned RKO studios in horror central during the 1940s with a series of films he produced that revealed the power of imagination and atmosphere and revealed that sometimes it is more frightening to not show the monster. Films like "Cat People," "The Leopard Man," and especially "I Walked with a Zombie" also were transitional films that helped horror become much more critically respected.

   Science Fiction

   • The splitting of the atom and other scientific breakthroughs of the 1940s were reflected in the horror films of the 1950s. The standard horror conventions during the Eisenhower era mostly did away with ancient inspirations and replaced them with a bit of science fiction. Atomic power was responsible for creating a host of new monsters from Godzilla to the giant ants in "Them!" as well as men and women who grew to monstrous size as well as incredibly shrinking men who disappeared altogether.

   Psychos

   • Alfred Hitchcock's seminal film "Psycho" set the template for the introduction of a new horror subgenre: the psycho-horror film. Whereas in the past the monsters had mostly been foreigners with a strange way about them, the new psychos appeared like the boy next door until he revealed his lunacy. Following in the footsteps of Psycho's Norman Bates have been such now-iconic figures as Michael Myers in the "Halloween" series, Jason in the "Friday the 13th" series, and, according to some, even Hannibal Lecter. While "Silence of the Lambs" cannot officially be termed a horror movie, it is worth noting that many of the conventions of the horror film now routinely figure into other genres.

Read more: The History of Horror Movies | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5068412_history-horror-movies.html#ixzz2CcTBtbcr

Booklist

Journal of film and video

THe Horror Film in Neoconservative Culture (Sharrett, Christopher)

The Horror Genre: From Beelzebub to Blair Witch (P Wells)

Images of Fear: How Horror Stories Helped Shape Modern Culture, 1818-1918 (Martin Tropp)

INFEKCJA (Japan)

A Wicked Ghost (Hong Kong)

Dracula (America)

I Am Legend (America)

Saw (America)

Dorian Gray (2009, UK)

To be continue!~