Media Studies: November 2025

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Planning - My Protagonist and Antagonist (#20)

What's up viewers! Today I will be creating character profiles for the protagonist and antagonist! This blog is to do a small deep dive into the character's that are going to be in my two minute film opening.

The Protagonist

Here on the left, is a mini profile of the protagonist. Although in the two minute film you may not be able to know all these things from looking at her, I thought it would be fun and cute to do something like this for my character, that I will be portraying. She currently doesn't have a name, (any suggestions let me know) but I'm sure that wont be too important during the opening film. This was made on Canva through my school. As shown in the profile, this girl is someone who does things last minute, especially school work. I chose this characteristic for her because teenagers, including myself, some times slack off on school work and it can affect us in the long run. Even knowing this, many of us still do it regardless.

This girl is mainly the victim and example for later people to be careful of procrastination. She will be dressed in casual home-wear and seem like she just rolled out of bed. She will be the annoying character that brushing everything off, because "it will be fine". I personally hate these characters but what is a horror movie or film without that annoying character? I chose to do these characteristics because this is what fits her character the most and character stereotypes.

The Antagonist

As shown on the right, this is the antagonist's character profile. This character is mainly inspired by The Nun, that I talked about in many blogs, for how I envisioned them. This character doesn't have a specific gender or anything besides being tall without a set face. Like the one above, this was also made on Canva. This character also doesn't have a name, (click the link below to vote on a name). This character will be the "punishment" for slacking off too much. Obviously I cannot spoil my film opening but they are the piper the protagonist as to pay for procrastination. Beware or they'll get you too...hehe😏. Every student knows there is a punishment for slacking off or putting the work for "later" and this character is going to embody that feeling or punishment that people get when they "forget" to do things for work/school.

This character is the villain in this film opening. They will be dressed in all back with a almost nonvisible face to emphasize the unknown and scary feel that all entities in horror movies, like The Nun, give. I think that these entities are the most important people in the movies because they are the icon of the film, making or breaking, the movie based on how memorable the movie will be. Referring to my 14th blog, "Research - Genre Convections in Horror Films", movie icons are one of the main components to the movies.

Reflection

This blog is a deep dive into my characters and what roll they play in my two minute film opening. What helped me with these profiles was my research of the convections of a horror film because it showed me what is needed in a horror film, and what makes the film great. Choices like the annoying victim, serves a purpose of giving a easy vulnerable victim, and the antagonist being a the universal student anxiety into a horror threat to serve the purpose of that scary icon the audience expects. I'm hoping that these uses of convections and character dynamics hits like I'd like to, and I think it will because of the research and movies I've watched many times. This is why research is important because without it, I would be some what lost in what my characters had to embody for this film opening. Research provides a deeper appreciation and perspective for viewing films like The Nun or Friday the 13th.

Name Suggestion Link: https://forms.gle/XzJa2LLK4rwqWp1y5

The results of this poll will be shown in a few blogs from now once I get enough votes for the names I could do.

Sunday, November 16, 2025

Research – Research – Auteur Theory and Tim Burton (#18)

Hey gals and pals, Maya here! Today's main topic is the Auteur theory with Tim Burton, who is a famous director. His famous movies are Corpse Bride (2002), Beetlejuice (1988), and The Nightmare before Christmas (1993). The Auteur Theory states the director is the true author of a film, putting their themes and styles that you can recognize their signature throughout their movies. You know a Tim Burton film when you see it.

Some of Burton's signatures visual motifs and themes are the gothic expressions, high contrast color palette, character design, and the setting of contrasting worlds. For example, Burton uses things like a spooky, shadowed realm, like foggy cemeteries and elongated figures. The colors are normally blacks, whites, grays, and cool blues. Another thing that he normally has are the overly cheerful and suburban landscape. The colors in these themes are usually light green, pink, and baby blue.

Compare and Contrast

In The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), the protagonist is Jack Skellington, also known as the Pumpkin King, who craves a new experience. The worlds in this movie is Halloweentown and Christmas town. In Halloweentown it is dark, whimsical filled with grays, blacks, and oranges. In Christmas town it is bright, perfect, and extremely happy, with colors of red, green, and white. The visual motifs that Burton uses in this movie are the spirals and swirls, for example, in Jack's hill and bowtie to symbolize a feeling of dizzying existential angst. The main conflict of this movie is that Jack tries for force the Halloween style into the Christmas system that leads to disaster. The film is a gothic opera with songs that drive the plot and emotion.

Halloween vs Christmas Town

In Beetlejuice (1988) the protagonist is Lydia Deetz, an outsider who wants to find a world she fits in. The worlds of this movie is Maitland House and Deetz House. Maitland House is cozy, natural New England home before a makeover. The Deetz House is a modern nightmare, jagged, and filled with over the top art pieces. Some visual motifs in Beetlejuice (1988) are the black and white strips in Beetlejuice's suit, the waiting room of the afterlife, and the chaotic graphic motif. The main conflict of this movie is that Lydia and the Maitland try to force the Deetz family out of the afterlife, leading to funny chaos. The score in this film is a chaotic, carnival ride, using playful music to undo the macabre elements, (themes and imagery that are disturbing, gruesome, and associated with death or decay). (Thedopeart, 2023)

Deetz House

The overlapping between the Auteur's Signature;
The protagonist in both movies are lonely and misunderstood, search for a home, somewhere to belong outside of the usual. The worlds or setting is dark but honest, bright but fake world to criticize traditions. The patterns and motifs in both movies are recognizable of strips and swirls, to establish a visual identify. The conflicts overlap in a sense that the theme of creative expression are forced to be normal and not acceptable. The scores and music is a big character in itself, mixing macabre sounds with light memorable sounds.

Reflection

It takes a lot to have a style that is recognizable but Tim Burton does it best. His spooky but whimsical style is memorable and whenever some someone sees this they know it is him who has directed the movie and art style. This research can help me with further projects by helping me find a style that fits me and makes me memorable for the audience, mainly for my two minute film opening. I'm not sure what style I would want to make it mine and recognizable but that a issue for future me 😜. Tim Burton has done his own works and made it into something that's great and sticks for the audience, which is something I want to do for my film opening. This research is making ideas bubble in my head, and now I know I'm going to cook. Trust the process guys!!

References

   Arabian, A. (2020, July 16). The Visual & Thematic Motifs of Tim Burton - Part 1» LIVING LIFE FEARLESS. LIVING LIFE FEARLESS. https://livinglifefearless.co/2020/film-tv/the-visual-thematic-motifs-of-tim-burton-part-1/

   devongordonfilms. (2020, November 30). Tim Burton as an Auteur. Devon Gordon. https://devongordonfilms.wixsite.com/website/post/tim-burton-is-an-auteur

   Dortch, E. (2024, October 15). Macabre Themes in Literature: Understanding Our Fascination with Death and the Unknown ‣ The Writers Blog. The Writers Blog. https://www.evelyndortch.com/macabre-literature/

   Dumas, Z. (2025, February 5). Stripes, Shadows + Spookiness: Spotlight on Tim Burton’s Signature Style. Backstage.com. https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/tim-burtons-signature-style-explained-78275/

   Heckmann, C. (2021, August 15). What is Burtonesque — A Complete Tim Burton Style Analysis. StudioBinder. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/tim-burton-style-analysis/

   KING & MCGAW. (2024). The visual genius of Tim Burton’s gothic aesthetic | King & McGaw. Kingandmcgaw.com; King & McGaw. https://www.kingandmcgaw.com/stories/the-visual-genius-of-tim-burtons-gothic-aesthetic

   McBane, P. (2023). The Wonderfully Weird World of Tim Burton | Scarlette Magazine. Osu.edu. https://org.osu.edu/scarlettemagazine/2023/10/19/the-wonderfully-weird-world-of-tim-burton/

   Thedopeart. (2023, February 27). Macabre Definition: Exploring the Dark Side. Thedopeart.    https://thedopeart.com/blogs/macabre-art-and-style/macabre-definition

Friday, November 14, 2025

Research – Analyzing Opening Credits & Title Styles (#17)

Today's blog will be about how opening credits and title styles can make a feel and atmosphere for the rest of the movie for the audience. I learned this in class and what it can do for a movie.

Here are the questions of the day:

Why are opening credits important? What do they tell the audience before the movie starts?

Opening credits are important because they introduce what the rest of the movie is going to be about and the atmosphere. Things like the movie title, the font, graphics, and credits can relate to the tone and the vision that the director wants to the audience, even before the movie starts or continues. Title sequences are a tool for storytelling. Typography like fonts, paired with designs, can communicate themes and emotions. In romance films there are often brush scripts and in horror films, there are grungier fonts, (in the mid to late 20th century). Into the 21th century, as digital technologies advanced, typography in title sequences became more fluid and merged visual effects to make cooler and more dynamic fonts.

To continue, an example of this is in The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special (2022), the opening credits are mainly red and white with a semi-cursive font. Red and white correlates to the fact that this movie is set around Christmas time. Red and white also reminds the audience of Santa Claus, which is what the opening scene song is talking about also. The music of this holiday special is upbeat and, of course, holiday themed, similar to other types of Christmas music, (duh!😒jk). The camera movements in this scene are filled with mid shots, aerial shots, and handheld angles.

A aerial shot with the red and white credits.

A aerial shot mixed with a handheld movement with the red and white credits.

These choices fit the story and mood of the film by having the upbeat holiday-like song and the many Christmas themes throughout the opening scene. These choices make a joyful, energetic mood for the rest of the movie for the audience.

Opening credits are important choices the writers and directors make to convey a theme to the audience. It is also a hook for the audience. Things like the use of color, fonts, and imagery immediately signal the genre. Furthermore, the song or score that is being played during the opening scene becomes the film's memorable identity and pulls emotions, like suspense or excitement, out of the audience. Opening credits can also be a foreshadow of the plot, core themes, and conflicts in the movie. It can also immerse the audience in the movie and hook them.

Another example of opening credit and styles can set a mood is in The Nightmare before Christmas (1993).

Opening Title

As seen here, the title style is gothic and spooky, with a red, orange theme. The letters aren't smooth or clean, they have dramatic curves and sharp points; that can mimic shapes of gothic architecture. (As shown below)

The overall effect is distinctly spooky which communicates to the audience that the film deals with themes of horror and Halloween, before mentioning Christmas. The letters flow into each other, which is a hallmark of the late 19th and early 20th century art nouveau style which is flowing forms. The color contrast between the orange and black symbolizes a Jack-o-lantern, that's glowing, setting the theme of Halloween town. Tim Burton, the writer of this movie, has a brand. The lack of symmetry gives a feel of hand-crafted appearance, which reflects the stop motion used for this movie. The opening title and scene manages to be dark but quirky which sets the stage that the monsters are singing about the Pumpkin King stealing Christmas.

Reflection

Based on today's blog I learned and analyzed that opening credits and title styles can do a lot for a movie before it even starts/continues. It's what these the audience's attention, the views, and likes. From now on I will watch the opening credits to understand the feel of the movies plot and future. This analysis and research will help me to make sure that my film opening conveys the themes and atmosphere I want it to give for the audience. This blog was super fun to do and to see how much a simple choice of a title style can do for the movie. Now I understand that the opening credits aren't just words, they are a indicator for the movie's plot and style for later. Maya out!

jokes jokes, I locked in

References

   Combemale, L. (2024, September 23). The Art of The Nightmare Before Christmas: The History & Importance of a Holiday Classic - Artinsights Film Art Gallery. Artinsights Film Art Gallery. https://artinsights.com/the-art-of-the-nightmare-before-christmas-the-history-importance-of-a-holiday-classic/

   Envato Tuts+. (2020, August 11). What Is Art Nouveau? Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LettuxcTmtw

   Europeana. (2011). Origins of Art Nouveau. Europeana. https://www.europeana.eu/en/exhibitions/art-nouveau-a-universal-style/origins-of-art-nouveau

   Thrift, M. (2020, May 8). Celebrating Saul Bass’s centenary: 10 essential title sequences. BFI. https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/celebrating-saul-basss-centenary-10-essential-title-sequences

Research – Color Psychology for the Horror Genre (#16)

What’s up guys! Today’s research blog will be about color psychology and genre coding of the horror genre. Colors can play with the mind and trigger certain emotions and feelings out of the audience. In a horror movie, it is specifically a tool for signaling danger, dread, and more to the audience and to create a spooky atmosphere for the movie; whether it’s a poster, movie opening, or the whole movie.

Psychological Effects and Theme Color Codes

Color theory in a horror movie/film adds a leg to human psychological and cultural associations to create an unsettling mood. A few colors I will be talking about that are common in horror movies are red, black, blue, and white.

Red

Suspiria (1977)

To start, red; when the brain sees red it may start thinking of danger, violence, rage, or passion. These themes and the color red can imply a physical threat, gore, danger, and/or psychological unraveling. Red is a common color in most horror films as it can create a feel of uneasiness in the audience. For example, Dario Argento’s Suspiria (1977) uses vivid, intense red lighting to create a violent and disorienting atmosphere, which is seen in this picture to the left. Another example is The Shining (1980), which uses splashes of red to signify the madness of the atmosphere and scene, which is shown on the bottom. The use of red in horror is the foundation of many associations of blood and danger, which is a psychological response of alarm and uneasiness. Psychologically, red stimulates signals of a threat and intensive, often destructive passion. By using red, whether it is lighting or accents, directors use these themes to create a mood of urgency, guiding the audience's emotional experience to the themes of a psychological unraveling.

The Shining (1980)

Black

The color black is mainly used for the effect of death and mystery, which conveys the themes of lurking evil, the unknown, and darkness. Black is also a common color that horror films use to keep the audience on their toes and in suspense about what is hiding in the dark. For example, in The Witch (2015), they use many scenes of vast amounts of black area in their poster to create a deep shadow and isolation. In The Nun (2018), they use many scenes of the Nun creeping in the dark with tense music which creates a mood of suspense and eerie feeling.

The Witch (2015)

The use of black in horror is mainly about the power of absence, the absence of light and hope, making the color for conveying dread of the unknown. Psychologically, it taps into the cultural association of death and despair. Directors use vast areas of deep shadows as a negative space to make intense suspension by hiding the antagonist or threat, forcing the audience to have an imagination of what is lurking in the dark. The dark woods in The Witch (2015) uses the dark woods to symbolize spiritual isolation and death. Furthermore, black is used to embody the threat itself, which in The Nun (2018) merges with the shadows to extend into inescapable evil.

The Nun (2018)

Blue

From the many horror movies I've seen, I haven't seen blue be used many times, but blue, to the brain, symbolizes coldness, detachment, and isolation. The horror theme of this color is an eerie calm, ghostly presence, and a cold fear. Blue is also used to emphasize a haunting tone for movies, scenes, or movie posters. Additionally, in The Ring (2002) they use a blue palette to emphasize a lifeless and oppressive tone.

The Ring (2002)

As shown in this scene, the coloring is mainly blue with black and white. The main use of blue makes this scene have an eerie calm and a cold feeling for the audience. Since you can't see the girl's face, it makes a feel of what's there or what's hiding, which adds to the eerie feeling that this scene creates.

Hellraiser (1987)

Like a scene in the Hellraiser (1987) movie poster, it has mainly blue as shown, and it makes a deep, icy blue for a supernatural horror aesthetic and effect. I won't lie, but I haven't seen Hellraiser before, but it seems interesting but what caught my attention the most about the movie poster was because of how the guy on the cover looks, his expression, and blue.

` The color blue in horror is strategically used to evoke a mood of chilling isolation and supernatural dread, constructing with the immediate violence signaled by red. Psychologically, blue represents coldness, detachment, and emotional distance, which the directors put into themes of haunting presences and fear.

White

The color white, for our brains, normally signifies loss of life, vulnerability, and dread. These moods create a sense of emptiness, unrelenting gloom, and realism. The main use of cool colors and desaturated tones in horror is to enhance the perception of fear. Although white is often associated with purity, in horror movies the color white is mainly to pull out loss and dread from the audience. This use takes the vibrant feeling of the environment and warmth to create a landscape of emptiness that emphasizes fear and realism by suggesting a world without comfort or hope, pushing the audience to a corner of the cold and suffering from death. The color also creates an inescapable reality. An example of this is in that it evokes a dark and sad atmosphere, in The Blair Witch Project (1999).

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Reflection

This research on color psychology of the horror genre which helps me understand how the many colors are used to trigger emotions and psychological response. As I had analyzed red, black, blue, and white, the analysis links films to their intended atmosphere that the directors and editors wanted to use. The main strength lies in the simple color associations, like red signaling danger and black creating suspense. Coloring is important and one of the foundations for the establishing the genre for the necessary mood of the movie. This research was enjoyable to take a deep dive into colors and that makes or breaks the movie, movie poster, or film opening. These moves that I've mentioned, I have watched at least once or heard, but never watch it. I do have a goal to watch these movies soon to further my research on each movie.

References

   A, A. (2021, October 22). The Color Wheel of Horror - Creating Mood with Color Lighting. Fotodiox, Inc. USA. https://fotodioxpro.com/blogs/news/the-horror-color-wheel-the-color-lighting-used-in-horror

   FSF, A. F. (2005, February 20). The Ring. Cinematography.com. https://cinematography.com/index.php?/forums/topic/5086-the-ring/

   Kurbrick, S. (1980). TheShining. Tboake.com. https://tboake.com/manipulation/TaniaFiuzie/Shining.html

   Luminism. (2025, January 14). Color in Film: The Shining. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIyiizdSlyU

   rob@theclickhub.com. (2024, November 26). How Does Colour Psychology Work in Film and Video? - Sharp Films. Sharp Films. https://www.sharpfilms.co.uk/how-does-colour-psychology-work-in-film-and-video/

   Sherpa, L. D., & Barman, P. (2025). The Effects of Color Grading on Audience Experience in the Context of Horror Movies. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, Volume 6(Issue 1, January-February 2024), 8. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388708336_The_Effects_of_Color_Grading_on_Audience_Experience_in_the_Context_of_Horror_Movies

   Winter, D. (2023, July 14). Blood Red to Morgue Blue: The Role of Color in Horror. Lwks.com. https://lwks.com/blog/blood-red-to-morgue-blue-the-role-of-color-in-horror

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Research - Visual Mood Board for My Horror Film Opening (#15)

Hello world! I made a mood board for my horror film opening. I did this mood board to help expand my mind for what I'm going to do for film opening and the mood I would want to push out.

Mood Board

Here is my mood board. I used scenes from The Conjuring (since it is my main inspiration), and pictures from online. This was made on Canva through my school!

My film opening is horror genre based as it’s a genre I really love to experience and watch. I do like thrills and suspense horror movies. With that being said, I used mainly dark scenes, pictures, and tense features to emphasize the dark, low-key lighting I would like my horror film opening to have. Like stated before, The Conjuring directed by James Wan, is one of my favorite movies and my main inspiration for my film opening. The Conjuring is a classic horror film that contains the main features that most horror movies have as well which is why it makes it a great movie in my opinion. This is my inspiration because since it is a classic it uses many techniques that create a great horror film. For example, the conjuring contains many scenes with low key lighting, suspensive moments, and jump scares that will get be every time no matter what! I wish for my opening to be similar to these feature to create the best film opening I can do.

In my mood board I tend to use low-key lighting with pops of color like red and white to show a panic and suspenseful scene that the main character will be going through. For mise-en-scene of my film opening the setting will be a girl who is studying in the late hours of the night before a big test and sitting next to a sliding glass door that shows the dark backyard in the background. The costume that she will be wearing in comfortable house wear with a simple bun to show that she is comfortable and relaxing. The antagonist will be in all black with their face barely showing, to show that they might not be human and rather an entity or something unnatural. The props that will be used and shown are a computer, a notebook and pencil, keys, and a weapon that the antagonist will be using.

To connect everything together, I chose to use mainly low key lighting and dark scenes to continue the deep shadow and minimal, vulnerable light sources. The red and white coloring will be important to my film opening because the red will resemble danger and blood while the white represents the small lighting from the computer. As the protagonist is wearing comfortable house wear, it shows she is vulnerable which plays into the classic home invasion trope, while the antagonist is wearing all black and barely visible representing danger and the unknown. The setting is important to the film opening because the glass sliding door between the girl and the entity creates a boundary between safely and danger and let's jump scares to happen impactfully. The props like the keys will introduce the idea of a potential escape which can create tension. The mise en scene of the computer could be used to highlight the time of night and distract the girl, making her a easy target, and can also be the primary light source.

Reflection

This mood board has helped be connect visuals and ideas for my 2-minute film opening, as it has also helped create a foundation for my film opening. The mood board focuses mainly on the dark parts of horror movies like in The Conjuring, to create that suspension and fearful feeling for the audience. My film opening is planning to be mostly a isolated terror for the audience. The Conjuring in my main inspiration and I will, (and have) watched more moving directed by James Wan to help and continue to inspire me for further blogs and projects. (As I am writing this my cat is in my lap, lol!) I wished this blog was a bit longer but I hit all of the points I wished to talk about and explain. I have said this multiple times but I can't help but to say that horror movies are my favorite, (and now he's purring hehe) The mood board help me but my thoughts on paper and help express what I'm going for in my film opening.

Me after horror movies

Word Count: 749 (not including this)

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Research - Genre Convections in Horror Films (#14)

What's up YouTube tube tube tube tuuuuuuube! (a meme) Today, I will be comparing and analyzing the codes and conventions in a horror film. I will be looking at the setting, characters, movie icons, narrative, genre theories, and some sub genres that horror films and opening contain.

Settings

To start, the setting in most horror films takes place in dark places. For example, the woods, isolated houses, graveyards, long lonely roads. When the audience sees these locations they know what to expect, and it's a common expectation in horror movies. These locations start to create a space for the tense, suspension, and mood for the horror film set up. When people use different locations that aren't dark and spooky, it takes away from the atmosphere that horror movies present and the audience might tune out the movie not seeing what they expect. For example, seeing someone get chased or killed in a bright place, like a park or on a field, could remind the audience of kids playing in the park or field, not bringing the horror feel that people are used to. (Runnacles, 2016)

Characters

Moreover, the type of character plays a huge place in a horror film as it adds to the atmosphere of the movie. The many types of characters that the audience expect and see are a group of friends, teenagers, vulnerable people, the attacker, someone masked and unknown, and the last person standing. As said before, these types of characters add to the film and play a huge role in the film. For example, seeing a group of teenagers, the audience will think of how they will get into trouble and not everyone will make it out alive at the end due to a stupid mistake or action they've taken. Carol J Clovers theory of the final girl supports the usual characters of the horror genre. This theory is about a female survivor that defeats the killer. This girl displays masculine traits, as in their name, intelligence, and unisex presentation, being shown as innocent. The male audience can identify with the "final girl" because she represents a hybrid male/female figure who eventually triumphs over the killer, aligning the spectator with the victim's perspective, Clover argues. (Fisher, 2021)

Movie Icon

To continue, the movie icon makes the movie. For example, in the Halloween movies, Jason is the main character people think about. His mask and machete is what Jason, Jason! Seeing these things will always remind the audience of who Jason is and his movies. Another example is Freddy Krueger, with his clawed hand, red and green striped shirt, and hat is what creates his character and reminds the audience of A Nightmare on Elm Street. Things like weapon of choice, the dark colors that they wear, the time of the havoc, and low key lighting add to the movie icon. This is also what sets the genre from others and what gives the audience that fear factor that we look for when watching a horror film. It's important to use these familiar icons and features is what makes the horror genre clear. When a film has an icon, it makes the movie memorable to the audience and will stick with them for a while, if not forever. Just how when we see Jason or Freddy Krueger, even if it is their mask or shirt, we will remember their movie and character as it stuck with us for a while.

Sub Genres

Equally important is sub-genres in a horror film. A few of the subgenres that are in a horror film are slasher, psychological, and paranormal. These sub-genres are used very often in horror films. The sub-genre Slasher can entail lots of killing, many deaths from the same person, blood, violence, and dark costumes. This one is a common one that is in many horror films. For example, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Prom Night, and Friday the 13th are movies that contain this subgenre. On Friday the 13th, Michael Myers is the person doing the many killings, violence, etc. In the psychological subgenre, there are themes like playing with your mind, ghosts/spirits, seeing characters that look human that really aren't, and the antagonist isn't always shown. In movies like The Conjuring and Orphan, they really mess with people's heads due to the many mind tricks these movies use. For example, in The Conjuring, there are people who seem like the villain and killer but end up being possessed and not who they seem they really are, which, in my opinion, those plot twists get you the most. Finally, in the paranormal sub genre, things like the camera placed in the house, spirit movements, plays on the audience's fear, and household props can do a lot for a horror movie. Themes like this can create a sense of suspension and tension because the audience won't know what's saved or not in the film, and it adds to the atmosphere of the movie. (The Los Angeles Film School, 2021)

Genre Theories

A few theories I will be talking about are the Richard Dyer and Jackie Stacey theory, (I know I used the Carol J Clover theory, but hers was very simple, and I have explained it already. 😋). I chose to talk about these theories because, to me, they apply to the horror genre best and add to the genre as well. The Richard Dyer theory is that genre offers escapism. The escape is the opposes to social tension and function. His theory states that genres create a utopia, a feeling of something better for the audience rather than our reality. Dyer's five ways a genre offers relief is abundance (scarcity or poverty), energy (exhaustion or monotony), intensity (dulling or coldness), and transparency (manipulation or falsehood). (Dyer et al., n.d.) The Jackie Stacey genre theory talks about how cultural technology of imitation, cinema is uniquely stated to help us theorize "genetic imaginary", the constellation of fantasies that genetic engineering provokes. (Stacey, 2018) (Stacey, 2010) Stacey also states that Dyer's theory needs to be more specific as she believes that genres and the audience's preferences change with and over time. Social and historical changes and not everyone will always want the same thing over and over. (Runnacles, 2016)

Reflection

As I conclude, the genre convections in a horror film are what the audience expects in that film. As stated, the audience expects the low-key lighting, the scary movie icons, the type of characters, the settings, and the many subgenres of the genre. The horror genre uses these themes and tactics to create the anxiety, intensity, and chaos that the audience loves when watching these movies. The continued success of the horror genre is direct evidence that all these conventions matter to the film world and to the audience. The structure, character dynamics, and aesthetics build a successful horror film. I love horror movies, so this deep dive into the conventions of it adds the cherry on top of my love for it. I personally like something more when I understand and do done research on it more than ever before. The conventions of these horror movies, like The Conjuring, Friday the 13th, and more, are movies that I enjoy and watch here and there. Since doing my research on horror movies, I have noticed choices and see the movies in a different light than I had never seen them in before. I have even shared some information with my mom about the many things I'm learning about horror movies.

References

   Cotton, S. (2012, November 26). Research: Conventions of the Horror Genre. Shannon Cotton. https://shannoncotton2.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/research-conventions-of-the-horror-genre/

   Dyer, R., Taytor, R., Group, F., And, L., & York, N. (n.d.). Pastiche. Retrieved November 11, 2025, from https://www.columbia.edu/itc/film/gaines/historiography/Dyer.pdf

   Fisher, M. (2021, July 24). Media Studies - Carol Clover’s Final Girl Theory. Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmK3TQaUI0k

   How. (2025, October 8). Kinolime Blog. Kinolime Blog. https://blog.kinolime.com/articles/it-follows-script-analysis

   Runnacles, A. (2016). Conventions of the horror genre. SlideShare; Slideshare. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/conventions-of-the-horror-genre-67172644/67172644

   Stacey, J. (2010). The Cinematic Life of the Gene. In Duke University Press eBooks. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822390947

   Stacey, J. (2018). BiblioVault - books by Stacey. Bibliovault.org. https://www.bibliovault.org/BV.titles.epl?exactAuth=Stacey

   The Los Angeles Film School. (2021, October 18). Subgenres of Horror Films Explained. The Los Angeles Film School. https://www.lafilm.edu/blog/subgenres-of-horror-films-explained/

Saturday, November 1, 2025

Research - Five Nights at Freddy's, Analysis of Film Opening 3 (#13)

Today, I analyzed the movie opening from Five Nights at Freddy's. I've analyzed the camera shots/angles, lighting, mise en scene, editing, and the meaning behind repetitive items that pop up.

Five Nights at Freddy's Opening Credits

Background of Movie

The Five Nights at Freddy movie was made in 2023, rated PG-13. The movie is about 1 hour and 49 minutes. The genres of the movie are horror, thriller, and whodunnit. Whodunnit is a subgenre of detective fiction where the central focus is a crime, typically a murder and a mystery about who committed it. The stars of this movie are Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, and Elizabeth Lail. This movie has 24 nominations but no wins, yet. This movie is based on the game, Five Nights at Freddy's, which was made by Scott Cawthon, who is also a writer for this movie. The movie was directed by Emma Tammi, with the writers, (other than Scott) Seth Cuddeback, and Emma Tammi. (IMDb, 2023)

Opening Scene

This opening is about 2 minutes long. The opening shows the pizzeria where most of the movie takes place, and a drawing of a yellow bunny on the walls. The pizzeria is abandoned after an accident happened. The night guard, Michael, is trapped inside, relying on limited resources and surveillance. This is based on the FNAF game, where you play as a night guard in an office with the same requirements. In the opening scene, there are a lot of flickering lights which add a sense of false safety in the office. The animatronics are designed for childlike innocence that are now corrupted and lethal. This is to make the viewer feel unsettlingly about how the animatronics and interact in the movie. The opening scene starts off with a cut-off of a scream from the previous night guard, signifying that a person has died. The opening credits are red, yellow, blue and purple, which resemble the four main animatronics in the first movie.

Cinematography and Editing

There are many scenes of shaky POV shots of terrified guards, moving through air ducts to escape/hide. This creates a sense of anxiety and claustrophobia, emphasizes the sense of panic and feeling trapped for the audience. The opening scene is filled with low-key lighting, the only lights being arcade games and stage lights. This adds to the fear of the dark. The shadows everywhere can function as hiding places, suggesting that the animatronics can hide anywhere, which makes the situation more nerve-racking. The film uses sharp and abrupt cuts during the confrontation to build tension before a shocking impact. The sequence builds anticipation using slow tracking shots and POV shots to build a greater jump scare moment for the viewers.

Low-key lighting in the arcane

The sounds that are mainly used are diegetic sounds like the whirring of the fan, static and buzz of monitors, and the clanging of air ducts, and panicked breathing of the guard. The use of up-beat but intense music creates a sense of unease because the audience doesn't know whether to jam with the music or be scared. The sounds of the animatronics off-screen cause the constant fear of the audience. This mirrors the games, which use sound cues for the player. Throughout the movie, the sound of the killing is very vulgar in a sense. The sounds are crunching metals, tearing, and the whir of suit compressing, which is the main killing strategy of the games and movies. The director's technique of using gory sounds, instead of visuals, still adds to the gruesome scene while continuing with the PG-13. This leaves the visuals to the audience's imagination.

Repetition of things in the opening

In the opening, it shows a wall of children drawing a yellow bunny, which is an old animatronic from the games which continues to show in the movie. Bunnies normally symbolize innocence and vulnerability, which the villain uses to kill children. The children that have been killed are five kids, which pop up many times in the movie and opening scene. The kids are connected with the animatronics as spirits (Lotodots, 2023). At the end of the movie, there is an alarm clock that shows 6:00am, which in the games resembles the end of the shift, and in the movie resembles the end. (FoundFlix, 2023)

Scene Analysis

Two Scenes from the Movie Opening

Reflection

The opening of the Five Nights at Freddy movie really works because of how it shows the viewers how dangerous and scary the job is by using the sound of a previously killed security guard in the beginning. The way the scene uses the tight, dark air vents and shaky camera movement, makes us feel trapped and panicked like we are in the guards' shoes. The sound design is key as the grinding of metals and loud thuds of the animatronics in the shadows makes us aware to listen for danger, even if the animatronics look inviting and fun. The survival horror genre is set up perfectly and sets up the atmosphere for the rest of the movie. Researching this movie is a full circle for me, personally, because I have played the many games that this franchise has and loved that they made it into a movie that captures the games. I grew up playing these games and the movie was a cherry on top of the ice-cream cone. Researching this movie was really fun to see the attention to detail that the director and writers added to the movie. There's a second movie coming on December 5th, and I'm excited. I might analyze that movie next! :)

My handwritten notes of the opening scene

References

FoundFlix. (2023, November 16). FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S (2023) Ending Explained. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM8JiJhGvJI

IMDb. (2023). Five Nights at Freddy’s. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4589218/

lotodots. (2023, November 5). Every CHARACTER in the FNAF Movie: EXPLAINED. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDCGbRNOhb0

Wikipedia Contributors. (2023, October 30). Five Nights at Freddy’s (film). Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s_(film)

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

The Protagonist

The Antagonist

Reflection

Wednesday, November 19, 2025

For Planning Blogs, this is my schedule, not including this blog:

For my Production Blogs, this is the schedule:

For CCR's, here is my schedule:

Sunday, November 16, 2025

Compare and Contrast

Reflection

References

Friday, November 14, 2025

Reflection

References

Psychological Effects and Theme Color Codes

Red

Black

Blue

White

Reflection

References

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Mood Board

Reflection

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Settings

Characters

Movie Icon

Sub Genres

Genre Theories

Reflection

References

Saturday, November 1, 2025

Background of Movie

Opening Scene

Cinematography and Editing

Repetition of things in the opening

Scene Analysis

Reflection

My handwritten notes of the opening scene

References