The are several main elements of mise en scene which is the setting, props, costume and makeup, and colours and lighting. Other elements include the facial expressions and body language of the actors and also the arrangement of props and how the actors are positioned.
Setting
The location/setting play an important part in horror movie because it establishes the atmosphere of the movie. Typically in a horror film the setting would be isolated and away from civilisation. This increases the fear because it is harder to access help. Locations can include places like abandoned buildings and derelict areas.
The well known horror film, "Friday the 13th" is set in a forest to emphasise the danger. The lack of pathways and the similar surroundings make the characters (and possibly the audience) feel lost and cannot escape.
The well known horror film, "Friday the 13th" is set in a forest to emphasise the danger. The lack of pathways and the similar surroundings make the characters (and possibly the audience) feel lost and cannot escape.
However, a lot of the horror films are set in comfortable places such as homes. The fact that it is set in a house relates the the audience, making it seem more realistic which increase the fear. It removes the safeness people have in their homes and turns it into something that is no longer a place of comfort.
Props
A lot of the time, props in horror films are used to suggest danger and can often foreshadow what is going to happen next. Props adds to the scene, making it more realistic. An example of an iconography is the set of knifes in the movie 'Scream'. The knives are placed in the centre and highlights the possible danger and trouble.
Other props are usually different types of weapons. These weapons are typically something sharp to emphasise pain and blood. For example,
Lighting and Colours
The majority of horror films are set at night. This is because it gives of an eerie mysterious atmosphere and increases the tension for the characters and audience. As it is set at night, it makes it harder for the character to see which also links to how the lighting is effective for jump scares. The place is likely to be isolated which increases the characters vulnerability.
The colours in horror films are typically black to symbolise death. However, white is often used quite a lot show the contrast between the protagonist and antagonist. Whilst black is the dominant colour, the colour red is shown many times in a horror film.
It could be because there is a lot of blood (maybe a slasher horror) or to emphasise and forebode what is going to happen next. Red signifies danger and is commonly associated with the devil which could link to the paranormal genre.
The colour palette in most horror films would be quit pale to suggest death and warnings. For example, in the woman in black, a variation of grey was used to shown the supernatural atmosphere.
Costume and Makeup
Generally, the protagonist would be dressed in regular clothing suited for that particular time period. In comparison, the antagonist would typically wear something that looks quite menacing. For example, a generic costume would be a little girl in a white dress with either blood or dirt it. The white dress symbolises innocence which is used as an ironic feature.
Often, the antagonist would be wearing something black to demonstrate the threat they pose to the protagonist. Make-up also plays a large part to get a characters personality across. For example, a well-known character in horror films is Freddy Kruger in which their makeup is done to create a distorted face.
As characters are likely to be injured a lot, makeup must be used to shown the damage such as bruises and cuts. This emphasises the difficulty they might've had and how they have been affected.
In conclusion, this research has influenced the mise on scene in my main brief. It has helped me understand what features I need to include for a good horror film.
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