SLASHER
Slasher films are generally set in a suburban environment and focus around young people, generic victims are attacked by a masked killer with a handheld bladed weapon.
e.g. Friday the 13th, Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and A Nightmare On Elm Street.
Pros: Slasher movies are generally set in an area that is accessible for us to shoot and focus on young people allowing for ease of casting. Additionally skill can be showcased through the detail of the mask and any gory scenes shown and CGI elements aren't necessary meaning that professional looking sequences can be produced on a small budget.
Cons: If not done properly, blood and gore can look tacky. When filming, the weapon of choice needs to be taken into consideration so as not to cause any legal issues if filming in public.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
The psychological subgenre relies on the character's fears and/or abnormal psyche to frighten readers, viewers or players.
e.g. Psycho, The Shining, The Exorcist, and The Silence of The Lambs.
Pros: Psychological movies don't heavily rely on blood, guts, and gore. Scares are therefore easier to achieve as they mostly rely on tormenting the viewers' imagination. Locations are also easy to find for this sub genre.
Cons: Skilled actors are needed as the portrayal needs to be convincing in order to get into the mind of the audience.
GOTHIC
Pros: Gothic horrors allow for cinematography to be used to its full potential, in order to capture the beauty of the setting.
Cons: Believable acting, once again, is necessary for an effective opening. Location issues can arise as traditional properties are usually listed and thus require permission from location owners before filming - for this reason, Gothic films require larger budgets.
SCI-FI
Science fiction horrors look at the sinister aspects of concepts of futuristic science and technology (i.e. space and time travel, parallel universes, extraterrestrial life).
e.g. Alien, 28 Days Later, The Thing, and Cloverfield.
Pros: Usually a huge box-office success appealing to sci-fi and horror fans alike.
Cons: Requires a huge budget in order to produce believable props and fund the extensive needs for CGI.
COMEDY
Comedy horrors are simply a humorous take on a dark subject - 'black comedy'.
e.g. Scream, Scary Movie, Shaun of the Dead, and Cabin in the Woods.
Pros: When done correctly, comedy horrors can appeal to a wide audience as they're a lighthearted laugh for horror junkies and more suitable for those who can't handle more sinister horrors.
Cons: If not done right comedy horrors can appear extremely tacky and look cheap. The comedy aspect needs to be well thought out so as to: 1. actually be funny, and 2. not be too inappropriate, going so far as to offend members of the audience.
POSSESSION/SUPERNATURAL
Possession and supernatural films focus on the supernatural - i.e ghosts, demons, omens etc. They are often claimed to be based on true events and thus rely heavily on the audience's imagination to scare them, though jump-scares are also often used.
e.g. The Conjuring, Paranormal Activity, The Possession, and Sinister.
Pros: When done effectively, jump scares can be an easy way to frighten the audience. Many people believe in ghosts etc. basing a film around these supernatural elements allows it to appeal to a wide audience. Locations are also easy to find for this sub genre as they are usually set in suburban neighbourhoods, specifically in the home.
Cons: When done incorrectly, possession/supernatural films can come across as tacky/cheap. Lots of films within these sub genres are very similar and its hard to stand out. The films also generally require a large budget in order to come across well as CGI is usually required.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
The psychological subgenre relies on the character's fears and/or abnormal psyche to frighten readers, viewers or players.
e.g. Psycho, The Shining, The Exorcist, and The Silence of The Lambs.
Pros: Psychological movies don't heavily rely on blood, guts, and gore. Scares are therefore easier to achieve as they mostly rely on tormenting the viewers' imagination. Locations are also easy to find for this sub genre.
Cons: Skilled actors are needed as the portrayal needs to be convincing in order to get into the mind of the audience.
GOTHIC
Gothic films combine fiction, horror, and death with romanticism; playing on both the thrill and the fear of the unknown. These films place a great importance on atmosphere, and are often heavily feature symbolic and dreamlike elements. Gothic films are set in the Victorian era (or prior periods) and use traditional elements such as dungeons/castles and combine them with the supernatural.
e.g. The Woman in Black, Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein, and Sleepy Hollow.
Pros: Gothic horrors allow for cinematography to be used to its full potential, in order to capture the beauty of the setting.
Cons: Believable acting, once again, is necessary for an effective opening. Location issues can arise as traditional properties are usually listed and thus require permission from location owners before filming - for this reason, Gothic films require larger budgets.
SCI-FI
Science fiction horrors look at the sinister aspects of concepts of futuristic science and technology (i.e. space and time travel, parallel universes, extraterrestrial life).
e.g. Alien, 28 Days Later, The Thing, and Cloverfield.
Pros: Usually a huge box-office success appealing to sci-fi and horror fans alike.
Cons: Requires a huge budget in order to produce believable props and fund the extensive needs for CGI.
COMEDY
Comedy horrors are simply a humorous take on a dark subject - 'black comedy'.
e.g. Scream, Scary Movie, Shaun of the Dead, and Cabin in the Woods.
Pros: When done correctly, comedy horrors can appeal to a wide audience as they're a lighthearted laugh for horror junkies and more suitable for those who can't handle more sinister horrors.
Cons: If not done right comedy horrors can appear extremely tacky and look cheap. The comedy aspect needs to be well thought out so as to: 1. actually be funny, and 2. not be too inappropriate, going so far as to offend members of the audience.
POSSESSION/SUPERNATURAL
Possession and supernatural films focus on the supernatural - i.e ghosts, demons, omens etc. They are often claimed to be based on true events and thus rely heavily on the audience's imagination to scare them, though jump-scares are also often used.
e.g. The Conjuring, Paranormal Activity, The Possession, and Sinister.
Pros: When done effectively, jump scares can be an easy way to frighten the audience. Many people believe in ghosts etc. basing a film around these supernatural elements allows it to appeal to a wide audience. Locations are also easy to find for this sub genre as they are usually set in suburban neighbourhoods, specifically in the home.
Cons: When done incorrectly, possession/supernatural films can come across as tacky/cheap. Lots of films within these sub genres are very similar and its hard to stand out. The films also generally require a large budget in order to come across well as CGI is usually required.
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