Suspense in film
The work began (and continues to do so) with a strong influence from film noir, horror and psychological thriller films. These particular film genres are remarkable at communicating psychological suspense creating anxiety amongst the audience. By looking at these vital moments in horror movies I hope to be able to investigate how fear can be induced and convert these ideas to my practice.
Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema An essay by Laura Mulvey
At first glance, the cinema would seem to be remote from the undercover world of the surreptitious observation of unknowing and unwilling victim. What is seen on the screen is so manifestly shown. Moreover the extreme contrast between the darkness in the auditorium (which also isolates spectators from one another) and the brilliance of the shifting patterns of light and shade on the screen helps to promote the illusion of voyeuristic separation.
The work began (and continues to do so) with a strong influence from film noir, horror and psychological thriller films. These particular film genres are remarkable at communicating psychological suspense creating anxiety amongst the audience. By looking at these vital moments in horror movies I hope to be able to investigate how fear can be induced and convert these ideas to my practice.
Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema An essay by Laura Mulvey
At first glance, the cinema would seem to be remote from the undercover world of the surreptitious observation of unknowing and unwilling victim. What is seen on the screen is so manifestly shown. Moreover the extreme contrast between the darkness in the auditorium (which also isolates spectators from one another) and the brilliance of the shifting patterns of light and shade on the screen helps to promote the illusion of voyeuristic separation.
The language of Fear in horror movies
By analysing horror movies and recognising the language of fear in the form of imagery and sound I wanted to have the power to predict when the viewer’s anxiety would be heightened and why. Being a horror movie fan I enjoyed watching a variety of slasher, thriller and psychological horror films by directors Hitchcock, De Palma, Craven, Lynch and many more.
By writing short reviews (found in the link Psychoanalysis in horror film) I was able to pin point the height of fear within horror film. I expect to expand my knowledge of horror films and recognise a structure of fear based on the body language of the characters and through sound and other imagery (blood, weapons, darkness, etc)
Within most horror movies from classic to contemporary I recognise the constant power struggle between the dominant male character (usually the villain) and the passive female character (usually the victim), however I haven’t decided to explore these notions further as gender in horror tends to lead to issues of femininity and Freudian theories based on the female as a sexual object. I do not feel that this will enhance the breadth of my research or drive my practice forward, although I recognise that most horror films deal with the notion of regressing the woman and seeing the woman as a threat to the male villian or monster because of her female sexuality thus giving her power.
Evelyn Ankers, the 1940’s established Universal number one horror film heroine starring along side Lon Chaney, Jr., in The Wolf Man and Bela Lugosi in The Ghost of Frankenstein.
By analysing horror movies and recognising the language of fear in the form of imagery and sound I wanted to have the power to predict when the viewer’s anxiety would be heightened and why. Being a horror movie fan I enjoyed watching a variety of slasher, thriller and psychological horror films by directors Hitchcock, De Palma, Craven, Lynch and many more.
By writing short reviews (found in the link Psychoanalysis in horror film) I was able to pin point the height of fear within horror film. I expect to expand my knowledge of horror films and recognise a structure of fear based on the body language of the characters and through sound and other imagery (blood, weapons, darkness, etc)
Within most horror movies from classic to contemporary I recognise the constant power struggle between the dominant male character (usually the villain) and the passive female character (usually the victim), however I haven’t decided to explore these notions further as gender in horror tends to lead to issues of femininity and Freudian theories based on the female as a sexual object. I do not feel that this will enhance the breadth of my research or drive my practice forward, although I recognise that most horror films deal with the notion of regressing the woman and seeing the woman as a threat to the male villian or monster because of her female sexuality thus giving her power.
Evelyn Ankers, the 1940’s established Universal number one horror film heroine starring along side Lon Chaney, Jr., in The Wolf Man and Bela Lugosi in The Ghost of Frankenstein.
31/10/06
Halloween horror film screening
An installation room was set up on Halloween for participants to watch horror movies while their reaction was captured via a video camera. The significance of the audience reaction to horror films was fundamental because it allowed me to pin point the scene and the cause of anxiety.
I wanted to investigate how a group of people reacted to horror movies.
Was the tension and suspense infectious?
When did the group jump in fear?
When did the group cover their face in disgust?
I sat amongst the audience which enabled me to witness the reaction of the audience first hand. I felt that this screening had made an important connection with other students that had a passion for horror movies. Further ideas for screenings were discussed and many students would like to collaborate and screen their own horror films and video pieces in the near future.
The scene below captured a moment in the audience reaction when a graphic and violent scene from Hellraiser was shown. The notion of being caught up in a film and completely immersed is explored by film critic Slavoj Zizek. The Perverts Guide to Cinema:The difference between the symbolic and reality. Cinema explores the symbolic that bursts through realities and produces reassuring fantasies. It also examines the construction of the symbolic realities and the breaking of those realities.
Slavoj Zizek comments: "Cinema doesn’t give you what you desire; it tells you what to desire." Desire is a wound of reality. Our fantasies and dreams are projected on to the screen by characters in the story. The paradox of belief in cinema and the story can be powerful and the viewer should take a step back and let themselves be emotionally effected by the moving images and sound."
23/10/06 
Lucy watching Horror
I wanted to document audience reaction to horror films so I positioned a camera next to me while I watched horror films. It felt a bit staged with a camera pointing at me, but after a while I forgot it was there. I wish I had kept the camera rolling after the movie, because this is when I become most paranoid about things happening that reflective the narrative in the film.
15/10/06
Polaroid murder storyboard
A storyboard of Polaroid photographs that explore the power relationship between the characters played within horror movies. The images show the same character as both the dominant and overpowering villain and passive and tearful victim. The victim focuses her attention towards an unknown entity off camera that the viewer cannot see, whereas the villain concentrates her anger and destruction onto the camera and ultimately the viewer. The Polaroid photographs were added to my studio space for my peers to comment on. Comments about Polaroid murder storyboard: “I like the final Polaroid shot; it takes on the classic pose of the horror film victim that we are used to seeing.”
“The photo of you with the knife is my favourite because you look really convincing and scary!”
“The photo of you with the knife is my favourite because you look really convincing and scary!”
15/10/06
Lucy as victim and Lucy as monster
I have taken some photographs of myself to mimic the victim and villian/monster in horror movies.
To dramatise the images I have used Photoshop to make the victim look pale and vulnerable and have experimented with brightness and contrast to make the victim’s skin look like raw bloody meat. With the monster photographs I have altered the hue and saturation to change the colour of the skin, as well as the eyes and teeth.
I have taken some photographs of myself to mimic the victim and villian/monster in horror movies.
To dramatise the images I have used Photoshop to make the victim look pale and vulnerable and have experimented with brightness and contrast to make the victim’s skin look like raw bloody meat. With the monster photographs I have altered the hue and saturation to change the colour of the skin, as well as the eyes and teeth.
14/10/06
Horror Questionnaire responses
I created a questionnaire that explored what people liked and disliked about horror movies and their reactions to both male and female character behaviour.
I received 6 out of ten completed questionnaires from the MA visual arts group and from the responses I can say that there is a clear divide between people that enjoy horror and people that hate horror.
Most people claimed that when watching a horror movie they felt scared, paranoid and tired. Most people related to the victims fear because they empathise and feel the same fear and panic as the on screen victim.
Five out of six people said that they would not cheer the villain on because they want to "..see the victim escape and kill the villain and then the end of the film will come sooner."
Only 1 out of 6 people claimed that they were afraid that the ghastly death of the victim could happen to them in real life.
These responses from such a small amount of people cannot be used as an overall example of audience reaction to horror. The results show that more people became afraid because they were more vulnerable than others. These findings will not necessarily help to create practical work because from looking at other evaluations of horror questionnaires, all people react differently to different types of horror. However, I will be able to take elements from the questionnaire, such as vulnerability and fear for the victim to create tension in my practice.
Horror Questionnaire responses
I created a questionnaire that explored what people liked and disliked about horror movies and their reactions to both male and female character behaviour.
I received 6 out of ten completed questionnaires from the MA visual arts group and from the responses I can say that there is a clear divide between people that enjoy horror and people that hate horror.
Most people claimed that when watching a horror movie they felt scared, paranoid and tired. Most people related to the victims fear because they empathise and feel the same fear and panic as the on screen victim.
Five out of six people said that they would not cheer the villain on because they want to "..see the victim escape and kill the villain and then the end of the film will come sooner."
Only 1 out of 6 people claimed that they were afraid that the ghastly death of the victim could happen to them in real life.
These responses from such a small amount of people cannot be used as an overall example of audience reaction to horror. The results show that more people became afraid because they were more vulnerable than others. These findings will not necessarily help to create practical work because from looking at other evaluations of horror questionnaires, all people react differently to different types of horror. However, I will be able to take elements from the questionnaire, such as vulnerability and fear for the victim to create tension in my practice.
12 –15/10/06 
25 hours
I brought a candle, which was in the shape of a screaming head from a Halloween shop.
I wanted to capture the candle burning in real time and gathered video footage of the candle every 1-½ hour. In total the candle took 25 hours to burn down to nothing. There was something very satisfying about watching this candle burn down to nothing, especially when the footage was sped up.
11/10/06
Villian VS Victim
I was given my studio space on 11 October 2006. I wanted to add a league table of horror movie villain and victims to my wall. Each villain and victim was paired together according to which movie they starred in together. The villain and victims were then put against each other in a fight, for example: The film Psycho: Norman Bates VS Marion Crane. The winners were added to the wall two weeks later (25/11/06) so that anyone who viewed the work could guess who the winners were. The winners were selected depending on who survived the horror movie or if both characters were killed- who was killed last. As i had predicted there was a large majority of male villains that killed female victims.
Villian VS Victim
I was given my studio space on 11 October 2006. I wanted to add a league table of horror movie villain and victims to my wall. Each villain and victim was paired together according to which movie they starred in together. The villain and victims were then put against each other in a fight, for example: The film Psycho: Norman Bates VS Marion Crane. The winners were added to the wall two weeks later (25/11/06) so that anyone who viewed the work could guess who the winners were. The winners were selected depending on who survived the horror movie or if both characters were killed- who was killed last. As i had predicted there was a large majority of male villains that killed female victims.
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