Introduction to Horror

Introduction to Horror

 

Horror Films are designed to unsettle the audience using techniques to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears. This is done in a terrifying way while captivating and entertaining the audience at the same time in a cathartic experience.

Horror films are successful as the audience often want to be scared, however you know that they can be reassured by the fact that they are safely in there own house (or in the cinema), as a result of knowing that nothing bad that they are seeing on the screen will happen to them. This reassurance combined with the shock created on the screen is what makes horror films so entertaining.

The uses and gratification model shows that people watch films for four reasons...
Identity - for role models that reflect similar values as yours
Education - being able to acquire information, knowledge and understanding.
Entertainment - the ability to get enjoyment from a film.
Social interaction - to produce a topic of conversation.