GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM

German expressionism is a movement beginning before World War I in Germany famously known for
many creative movements. These movements were expressionistic famously known through films but also
architecture, dance and paintings. The german expressionism films reflected the gritty reality of life during
that time. The films were mostly prevalent in the 1920s, however the style it introduced, still to this day
influences many directors and producers horror film styles.
German expressionism often included distorted and abstract images. It opposed naturalism and realism.
Thee films focused on creating a dreary atmosphere done famously through the use of lighting, Shadows,
and set designs.
Famous director Fritz Lang was one of the most influential directors of german expressionism he used
distortions and other elements of expressionism to really symbolise the inner feelings of his characters
rather than capturing the realisms of the real world.
Productions designs used with famous director Tim Burton, is a modern day example of german
expressionism influenced film maker. His production designer Bo Welch has inspired me to want to
incorporate german expressionism into my own works. I am particularly influenced by the idea of focusing
on the inner feelings of a character and incorporating a surrealist yet gritty dreary atmosphere to really
produce a horror film. The dark shadows and lightings will be good at creating demonic like figures and
this movement will really challenge the usual codes and conventions of many horrors but I am influenced
by the idea of someones inners thoughts to be personified through the use film.
Other horror films that use german expressionism: Psycho, The Babadook, Nosferatu,

MAKEUP AND GRAPHICS

The makeup and graphics in the conjuring films are very effective in creating
a haunting image that is really going to scare audiences. The demon in the
conjuring 2 is very effective due to the contrast of the white and black, the
black demonic figure dates back to many early horror films making it very
traditional and effective in a horror film trailer.
More subtle ways of creating a character through makeup and graphics was
through the use of masks. Famously used in films like The Strangers, scream,
youre next and silence of the lambs these work to create horrifying
characters that can be incorporated easily into my own works.
Other makeup and graphics I am influenced by are the more realistic human
casualties like Freddy Kruegers burnt face in The Nightmare On Elm Street.
These give a sense of realism into the works and really immerse the viewers
in because the makeup is so realistic. The makeup artist David B. Miller
actually studied real human burn scars to incorporate into his makeup,
which influences me to include something like this into my own works as it
creates a realism into my work which is even more scary considering it falls
under the horror genre.

ALFRED HITCHCOCK
Alfred Hitchcock born in 1899 was an english film director, famous for his suspense and
psychological thrillers. Hitchcock has a very recognisable director style, some of his stylistic
choices include suspense building, MacGuffin a plot device that is essential to the
characters on the screen, but is irrelevant to the audience, and finally his plot twist endings.
Alfred Hitchcock's films focuses heavily on the psychology behind his characters, most
famously in the films psycho. Hitchcock investigates into the psychology behind his
character Norman Bates and the troubles he has with his mother Norma Bates.
Alfred Hitchcock has strongly influenced me as I am very interested myself with his plot
twists at the end and the different methods he uses to create suspense. I believe suspense is
a good technique to use in a horror trailer as it makes the audience feel much more
vulnerable as they expect and wait for something to happen. I want to create something
influenced by Alfred Hitchcock and his exploration of the psychology but also his building
of suspense.

JAMES WAN (SOUND)

James wan is a Malaysian-Chinese-Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer. Best known for being the director of horror film
Saw. Other films include many modern day mainstream horrors like insidious, The Conjuring, Dead silence and The Conjuring 2
Something which really makes films scary in many mainstream horrors is the sound. James wan is famous for using his films for scares.
Paired with his nightmarish characters the sound really showcases just how scary he can make the films.
James Wan uses a lot of bass to really make the sounds loud and builds suspense. But also uses silence to enhance these bass jump scare
sound effects
Joe Dzuban is the sound designer for many of James Wans films and the main aim of this is to scare, so even when you cover your eyes to
look away from the visual the sound is still just as scary.
Also prominent theme in many James wan films is the theme of children which creates a sinister atmosphere due to the connotations to
innocence, but famously in the conjuring and the sound box tune it connotes a destruction of innocence and creates an unnerving sinister
unpredictability in the film