The Horror Genre - Cinematography

Cinematography is crucially important in the horror genre, not only to give the audience information about characters, or to draw the viewer's attention to settings and props, but also in order to create the appropriate sinister, frightening and uncomfortable aesthetic. In horror films, decisions regarding angles, shot composition, camera movement and lighting can all help build tension and scare the spectator.

There are five aspects of cinematography which I will be covering in this post:

• Lighting 
• Angles 
• Camera movement 
• Shot distances 
• Shot composition 

Lighting

Lighting is very important in horror films as it can set the tone for the film, and plays on natural fears of the dark that the audience have. Common aspects of lighting found in the genre are low-key lighting, backlighting and underlighting.

Low-key lighting, where light sources are limited and the scene is full of shadows, is moody and unsettling. It helps create the threatening atmosphere as it is dark and mysterious, creating enigma and the expectation that something sinister will occur. 

Backlighting creates a threatening silhouette, and is often used to hide the identity of a character from the audience. This type of lighting is typically used for the ‘monster’ character and can help them look menacing. 

Under lighting (sometimes known as uplighting or bottom lighting) occurs when the primary light source is placed below the character, making the character look threatening. This type of lighting was prominent in the old monster movies made by Universal in the 1930s.

Angles

Horror films frequently present images from unusual angles to unsettle the audience, ranging from low angles showing the monster, high angles foregrounding a character's status as a victim, bird-eye-view shots (extreme high angles) to suggest that characters are not in control of what is happening to them, to disorientating canted angles as a precursor to violence or to suggest the panic a character is experiencing.

Low angles, where characters are shot from below, are almost exclusively used for the monster character, though they are sometimes used when another character has the upper hand over the monster. This angle makes the subject look bigger and, therefore, stronger, more threatening and more powerful. This is important for the viewer as it makes the monster seem scarier.

High angles, where the subject is shot from above, are used to make characters appear weak and powerless. This is important in the horror genre as the victims need to look as vulnerable as possible. 

Canted framing (or Dutch angles), when the camera is tipped to one side so that lines that would normally be horizontal and vertical (as we would typically view them) are shown as diagonals, is used to create confusion and the feeling of uneasiness in the viewer, often reflecting these feelings in characters. 

These types of angles are very common in horror films especially during moments of chaos and panic, often when victims are being pursued by the monster. 

They signal to the audience the abnormality of a situation and can be an indicator to the audience that something untoward is about to happen.

Camera movement

Horror films contain all the most notable examples of camera movement, from pans to tilts, but what is often the case is that this movement is slow in order to create tension and build suspense. In many horror films, however, this slow movement is often countered with quicker movements of the camera, to shock the audience and to imply that the characters are being overwhelmed or panicking. Common in 'found footage' horror movies, such as 'Paranormal Activity' and 'The Blair Witch Project', is the use of handheld camera movement, which lends verisimilitude to the often fantastical events taking place.

Tracking shots, when the camera follows the subject, create the feeling that the subject is being watched/followed. This type of camera movement is used in many types of horror films, especially slasher movies, as the subject is frequently being stalked by the monster. Tracking shots thrust the audience into the action, making the experience more terrifying for them.

Handheld camerawork, where the footage is shaky and often appears as if it has been filmed by the protagonists on a camcorder, is used to unsettle the audience and make it appear as if the footage is realistic. Often the shaky camerawork is used to reflect a character's fear, shock and panic as they realise the seriousness of their situation and attempt to flee the monster. 

Use of this style of camerawork is chaotic and can be used to confuse and disorientate the audience (or reflect these feelings in the characters). In contrast to the slower pace of much camera movement within films from the horror genre, handheld camerawork is invariably much quicker, overwhelming the audience.

Shot distances

A variety of shot distances are used in horror films, from extreme close ups to draw the spectator's attention to prop's with narrative significance, to long shots that show the isolation of characters or the remoteness of a setting.

Close ups, big close ups and extreme close ups are all used to unsettle the audience and to reflect a character's emotions, their fear and terror.

Extreme long shots help establish the isolation of the locations in horror films, which reflect the danger the characters are in and create negative expectations for the audience. In these types of shots any characters are often loosely framed, creating a sense of their vulnerability. 

Settings in horror films often appear to have a life of their own, such as the house in 'The Amityville Horror' and the hotel in 'The Shining', and this is something I am considering for the narrative of my horror film.

Shot composition

The framing or shot composition in horror films can be used to unsettle the audience, particularly the use of point-of-view shots (POV) and shallow focus/rack focus, which can suddenly shock the viewer by revealing something sinister in the background.

 

POV shots, often from the perspective of the monster who appears to be following or stalking the victim, are unsettling for the spectator. 

They can help the viewer experience the panic and fear of the characters (particularly if they are from the victim's perspective).

Loose framing, where there is lots of background space around a character, can make the character appear isolated and vulnerable, creating negative expectations about what may happen to them.

Conversely, tight framing, where there is little or no background space around a character, can create a sense of claustrophobia and suggests that the character is trapped, creating the expectation in the spectator that there is no hope of escape.

Shallow focus, where a portion of the frame is blurred out, hides elements (often the killer) from the audience. If rack focus is used, where what is in the background suddenly comes into focus, this can create a jump scare to shock the spectator.