Planning- Music scene 2

 We want to ensure that the final scene's music is nearly the opposite of the first. We wanted the music to create instant suspense because our movie will conclude on a cliffhanger. We want the audience to be almost taken away by the film's opening sequence and left wondering what will happen next.

Scene 2:

Mirage by Hamlin Naeselius

We want the beat drop to be fast and sudden since we want this piece of music to be shorter than the first scene. This song really captures the tone we are aiming for. We believe that this music heightens the suspense and appeals to the audience's fear.

Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/9756e936-659d-4469-b589-022022ae3090/ 

Return by everything

This song's tense pace really appealed to me when I first heard it. However, the more we listened to it, the more we concluded it was a bit slower than we had preferred. The information the scenario just conveyed isn't particularly improved by the lack of a significant beat drop. A larger beat drop, in my opinion, would be more effective at building tension for the listener.

 Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/aacedec4-7950-4f00-bcc5-3ef5f1d9ef3b/

The Curse by Belladonna Strings

I loved the spooky atmosphere this song generated when I heard it. Although the beat was extremely suspenseful, there wasn't much of a sense of high stakes. When we first came up with the concept for this film, we wanted a big beat drop in the music following this sequence. This beat drop is intended to create the feeling of a heart stopping during a tense, intense moment.

Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/1a779f92-0d5d-4cc0-b98c-3b377eb004de/

Reflection:

We considered a number of musical possibilities before deciding on... Hamlin Naeselius's Mirage. We believe that the rapid beat drop complements our film's layout quite nicely. The beat drop at the beginning is ideal because we only want the song to last ten seconds. We are excited to include this in our movie premiere. 

Planning- Music scene 1

 Hello, blog! We are gradually getting closer to the editing days as we have finally completed filming for our opener. We wanted to work out things like coloring and music before we actually started editing. Each of us discovered a few songs that we are thinking about using for our movie's premiere while conducting research and making plans. We only want to utilize music in the opening and final scenes of our movie, which is why it is so crucial. In order to make the initial scene appear as normal as possible, we want it to be entirely musical with no speech.We want viewers to believe that our movie is based on a typical teenage girl. To make sure they won't know what's about to happen, we must choose vibrant music.

Scene 1:

Restless One by Sully Bright 

Sully Bright's Restless Ones. When we initially heard this song, we thought it would be ideal for the tone we had in mind. We felt that it accurately captured the emotions of teenagers and had a tone that was almost upbeat. We believe that the footage we have would look fantastic with this track. The lyrics' slow tempo is the only part of it that we don't particularly enjoy. Although it moves more slowly, we intended it to be bright and happy.

Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/392163f3-b151-45ea-9125-d0f284aedbb3/

Glow by Adelyn Paik

One of the first songs we listened to when we started our investigation was this one. We enjoyed how cheerful it was when we first heard it. We believe that this music perfectly captures the happy vibe that we want to portray. We still believe that this song would be a fantastic pick for our opening scene, even after listening to a lot of other music.

Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/46da3827-f001-40c8-8760-017ccf61584a/

Heaven by Maybe

We adored this song's calm when we first heard it. We initially believed that this music would be a fantastic representation of a teenage girl, but we later discovered that it is a bit too calm for what we are attempting to convey. It moves more slowly and doesn't capture the intensity of puberty.

Link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/627d8c33-e65f-4f0a-a250-cf51e79da2e9/

Reflection:

After deciding on a few audio possibilities, we decided to gather together and selected the best one. After much deliberation, we selected... Adelyn Paik's Glow! We can't wait to see how this upbeat song turns out and are delighted to have it in our film. Check the blog for more!

Planning: Planning what time to film

 Hello blog! Today, I will be telling you why choosing a specific time to film is important! 

We carefully considered the optimal time of day to film. For our project, lighting was crucial, so we made sure to shoot when there would be lots of sunlight. The video appears brighter, cleaner, and more lifelike thanks to the natural lighting. We chose to shoot between 12:00 and 3:00 PM as a result. Strong and steady lighting is produced during these hours since the sun is typically at its highest point in the sky. This reduces shadows and improves the clarity of the scenes captured by the camera.

We were able to maintain organization and ensure the greatest lighting for our scenes by scheduling the filming time in advance. We were able to take advantage of natural sunlight and enhance the overall quality of our movie by selecting these times.

Here is an example of how good the lighting was when we filmed at these times.

Reflection:

As we worked on our movie, we saw how important planning is to the filming process. The time of day we would film was one of the most important things we had to consider. We wanted to select a time that would provide us with the finest natural light because lighting can significantly alter the appearance of a video. We decided to film between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM after giving it some thought. The sun is typically at its strongest around this time, which contributes to the sights' clarity and brightness. This improved the video's natural appearance and made it easier for the camera to record everything. We learned from this experience the importance it is to prepare ahead of time before filming. We were able to improve the project's quality and shorten the process by selecting the ideal time to film.

Planning: Clothing

 Hello blog! Today I will tallking about how each character will dress and why we chose that.

We carefully considered what our characters would wear as we designed them for our scenario. We decided to dress them in typical, daily high school attire rather than expensive costumes or anything excessively stylized. The audience will find the characters more relatable and believable as a result of this decision. Luna's outfit will consist of a basic top, leggings, and standard shoes. Her attire is typical of the informal attire that many high school students wear every day. It helps demonstrate that she is just a regular student going about her day like everyone else because it is cozy, useful, and familiar.

Additionally, the boy in the story will be clothed in typical student clothes, such as shorts and a regular shirt. Similar to Luna, his attire is not intended to be showy or out of the ordinary for a high school student. Despite its seeming minor importance, this fact is crucial to the story's overall tone. We want the audience to instantly identify the characters as typical high school kids by dressing them in everyday attire. This makes it easier for viewers to relate to the characters and realize that their experiences can be comparable to those of actual students.

Reflection:

I became aware of the significance of small details like clothing in a story while designing the characters for our project. The characters' basic, everyday attire served to further emphasize that they are typical high school students. We focused on clothing that students typically wear in real life rather than theatrical or silly clothing. For instance, the boy is dressed in a standard shirt and shorts, while Luna is dressed in a basic top, leggings, and shoes. The audience finds the characters more believable and relatable as a result of these decisions. Viewers are better able to comprehend the scene and the characters when they see familiar-looking clothes. All things considered, this choice improved the story's realism and made the characters more relatable to the viewer.

Planning- Story board

 Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog!

This week was such a productive week for my team! We spent time working on our storyboards, carefully planning each scene for our film. While creating the storyboard, we focused a lot on the different types of shots and editing techniques. It made us think more about how each scene will transition and how important making a storyboard is before actually filming! 

Now that our storyboards are complete, we are so excited to start filming! Seeing every scene laid out has made this experience so fun and real. We can't wait to bring the characters to life and work so hard on our scenes! 

Planning- Script

 Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog. Today I will be telling you guys about our script!

This is the script that we came up with. We wanted to make it mysterious and let the audience figure out that Tomas was, in fact, the person writing Luna the notes. We thought it was a good idea to make the ending a little bit suspicious because it adds curiousity and suspense, which is what horror needs. Overall, my group and I are so excited to film our opener and make it scary! 

Planning- Brief planning schedule

 Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog. Today I will be showing you guys my planning schedule in order to make this film successful. Ad we are getting closer to filming day, It's very important that my team and I have a planning schedule that we are all able to follow. Although we have already done a lot of research, we still have a lot of planning to do. By making this schedule, we will be more organized and prepared for our film. To make this easier for us, Melanie decided to make us a planning schedule which has been super helpful. 

Besides the schedule, we have figured out who will be our actors, how our characters will be like, and who the protagonist and antagonist will be. In order to practice, our team will meet up a few times to fully plan everything to make sure that we are successful. We also plan on collaborating with some TV people so that they can teach us how to make a good film. We will also focus on learning tips and tricks on premier pro. My team and I are so excited to start working on our film! 

Planning- Character protagonist and antagonist

 Hello guys! Welcome back to my blog. Today, I will be discussing the protagonists and antagonists in my film opening!

Luna serves as the protagonist in my film's opening. She is the main character whose perspective the audience uses to explain the story. Because Luna is calmer, the audience can immediately agree with what she says. She is the first to notice that something is off because she is alert to even just the smallest changes around her. The camera may remain close to her reaction as the suspense grows. This emphasizes her function as the story's emotional focus. The paranormal experiences seem more vivid and intimate because of her shy personality. 

The supernatural existence in the forest serves as the antagonist in the film's opening. This supernatural being is offered clearly rather than being clearly shown by distorted sounds, shadows, and scary backgrounds. It stands for the unknown, something that plays on fear and may have an impact on conduct. Because the audience is never truly aware of its intentions, the mystery can increase the fear and threat. Furthermore, Tomas can also be an antagonist. Although he starts off as self-assured and confident, his slow personality change can cause tension with Luna. This makes it difficult to determine if Tomas or the supernatural existence is actually in charge. The film's psychological terror factor is strengthened by such confusion. 

The story sticks with normal horror stereotypes by making Luna the protagonist and making the supernatural existence the main rival. 

Planning- Character types

 Hi guys! Welcome back to my blog! Today, I will be planning out what the characters in my short film will be named and also what their personalities will be like.

As my team and I planned, we decided on the names Luna and Tomas for our characters. We wanted the characters to feel realistic and natural, but also meaningful to the horror genre.

Luna is a very quiet and kind of shy type of character. Even though she would rather just observe something rather than be the center of attention, I wouldn't consider her to be antisocial. She's more of a listener than a talker. Whenever she does talk, she means every word and its consideration. She can be a little sensitive at times, as she tends to automatically assume the worst if she notices a shift in tone during a conversation. She is very aware of her surroundings, which is why she is aware that something is wrong when she walks into the forest with the mystery note. Her fear slowly grows and expresses itself in small ways, such as stopping before answering and looking over her shoulder. Luna is a representation of an emotional thinker, which makes her character more realistic to the audience. She is more vulnerable because of her quiet personality, which allows the audience to feel her uneasiness.

On the other hand, Tomas is friendly, secure, and at ease in social situations. H enjoys communicating and frequently uses jokes or funny conversation to break the awkwardness. Even in rough situations, he is the type of person to still put in effort to make the situation better. He jokes around with Luna and makes dissing jokes at her, but he cares a lot about her deep down. He can come off as powerful due to his extroverted personality. Because he is very secure about himself, any change in action will immediately catch the audience's attention. His sudden behavior change will create a major conflict. 

At first, their opposite personalities provide balance. Tomas is outspoken and bold, while Luna is shy and careful. This balance can start feeling unstable as the opening goes on. This increases the horror setting's emotional and psychological impact. 

Because I wanted Luna and Tomas' relationship to feel genuine, I decided to make them opposites. Because she is quieter and more reserved, she is more sensitive to small changes around her. By making her character like this, I believe I'm giving the horror film a more relatable feeling. At the start, Tomas' talkativeness and confidence create contrast. His chill personality contributes to a sense of routine, and it also increases the discomfort of any change. After giving it some thought, I believe their opposite personalities increase the suspense and add to the feeling of fear. 

Planning- Ideas

 Hello guys! Welcome back to my blog! Today I will discussing some ideas that my group and I had for this project. We chose the paranormal horror project because e want to make a film that creates suspense, tension, and mystery. 

Idea 1:The mysterious note

Our first idea centers around two characters, a boy and a girl. The story begins when the girl receives an anonymous, mysterious note that lures her into a dark, eerie forest. As she follows the clues, unsettling sounds and visual cues hint at a paranormal presence nearby. The audience will experience the suspense alongside the character, gradually realizing that she is in danger. By the end of the opening, the forest and the surrounding environment will feel threatening, and the presence of a paranormal figure will be subtly suggested but not fully revealed. This approach leaves the audience with unanswered questions and a sense of foreboding. To develop this opening, we planned to experiment with different lighting techniques, shadows, and sound effects to heighten tension. Additionally, we will analyze openings from existing paranormal horror films to understand genre conventions and effective ways to build suspense.

Idea 2: The haunted house

The second opening idea takes place in an old, abandoned house with a dark history. A couple, possibly the boy, investigates the house after hearing rumors of strange occurrences. The opening focuses on the character's exploration, emphasizing eerie sounds, flickering lights, and unexplained movements that suggest a paranormal presence. Strange reflections in mirrors or fleeting shadows could hint at ghosts or spirits. This opening aims to create a claustrophobic, unsettling atmosphere and establish the house itself as a character that holds secrets. The scene ends ambiguously, showing a sudden, unexplained event that leaves the audience questioning what is real and what is supernatural.

Idea 3: The cursed object

Our third concept involves a cursed object, such as an antique box or doll, discovered by a couple. The opening shows the character examining the object, unaware of its dark power. Subtle paranormal occurrences objects moving slightly, whispers, or chilling sounds build tension and suggest that the object is more than it seems. By gradually revealing its influence over the character, the scene creates suspense and foreshadows danger without showing the paranormal entity directly. This opening allows the audience to anticipate supernatural activity while maintaining a mysterious tone.

Reflection:

After talking to my group and making these ideas, I have been able to think more critically about how to build tension and draw viewers into a paranormal horror thriller by working on these three film opening ideas. I have discovered how lighting ,sound, and visual clues combine to create suspense and hint to supernatural elements without giving away everything at once by creating many scenarios. I have been able to think about how settings, props, and character interactions might heighten the sense of mystery and terror by investigating concepts like the cursed thing, the haunted house, and the mystery note. In order to make well-informed creative decisions, this process has also inspired me to examine previous paranormal horror movies in order to identify common themes and techniques. My planning and teamwork abilities have also improved as a result of coming up with several openings. I can now discuss and improve ideas with my group to make sure the movie is consistent and suspenseful. All things considered, this project helps me in refining my technical proficiency in sound.

Planning-Project Proposal

 Hello, my name is Antonella, and I am a Junior at West Broward High School. For this film opener, I will be working with Melanie and Maheen. We will be creating a short film opener in the horror genre. 

Our project will be in the horror genre, with an emphasis on the sub-genre paranormal. We chose this sub-genre because it focuses more on suspense and tension rather than just violence. This will work well for the film opener because the mystery can be developed through the sound and editing. The viewers of paranormal films often wonder if what is happening in the film is true, so we want to add that to our film opener. The target audience for our film is teenagers and young adults of any gender from ages 14 to about 22. This film will appeal to viewers who enjoy watching suspenseful stories and paranormal stuff. A social issue explored in our film opener can be the fear of the unknown. The scenes in the forest can create a lot of tension for the audience because they are unaware of what's out there.  

To create our film opening, we plan to use our school's camera, which we will rent out, and a tripod to film. For editing, we will use Premiere Pro and add sound effects to create a more tense atmosphere. I want to learn how to perfect filming camera framing, too. I also want to learn how to use different sound effects to imply danger. 

Our basic plan for this project involves two characters, one boy and one girl. The girl will receive a mysterious note anonymously, which will be unsettling. She will be made to walk into a forest. By the end of the opening, it will be obvious that the girl is in danger, and it will leave the audience with unanswered questions. To prepare, I will experiment with different lighting and sounds and analyze paranormal horror film openings to understand more of the conventions. 

Research-Different marketing stategies for horror

 Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog. Today I will discussing the different types of marketing strategy horror genre uses. 

In order to build suspense and terror before the audience even steps into the theater, the horror genre mostly depends on marketing. In order for them to make their stories seem more genuine, natural, and very scary, paranormal horror movies in specific, use unique techniques. In order to increase audience concern and curiosity, these different market strategies often mix real life and fantasy.  

Presenting the movie a being based on true events is one of the best marketing techniques in paranormal horror. For example, in the movie Anabelle, their relationship to actual paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren is highlighted in movies such as The conjuring franchise. Because they make it more believable, viewers can often think that those events can happen to them. This technique makes the story seem more believable, which raises their level of scared. Some viral marketing, including online "case files" or news reports, helps in the stories natural social media spread. The monster of ghost is often not shown clearly in paranormal horror posters. Rather they just use dark color schemes. The most common colors are black, grey and red. They also use eerie symbols like dolls, crosses, shadows, and scary homes. Menta tension and mystery are increased by this restriction. The viewers are forced to visualize the threat due to the lack of visibility, which is often more uncomfortable than actually watching it. 

Instead of continuous action, paranormal horror movies trailers usually feature slow pace, quiet, and unusual sounds. They mostly rely on jump scares, distorted audio, and eerie moments rather than giving away much of the plot. By leaving viewers with unsolved questions, this technique encourages them to see the movie in order to learn the real story behind the strange events. The marketing of paranormal horror nowadays mainly depends on social media sites like You-tube, Instagram, and Tik-Tok. Short portions, like found footage or scary countdowns that feel intimate and realistic are released by studios. Using hashtags of riddles, some promotions even invite audience participation giving viewers the impression that they are a part of the haunting happening in the film. Teenagers and young adults who are active online and enjoy group setting viewing sessions are often the target audience for paranormal horror. In order to make the horror seem more realistic, marketing places a strong value on relatability such as normal houses, families, and usual environments. Slasher horror and fantasy on the other hand, could seem more over-exaggerated. 

In conclusion, mental terror, mystery, and realism are prioritized over spectacle in paranormal horror marketing. Before the movie is even published, studios are able to convey terror through digital techniques and viral promotions. These marketing strategies are important for influencing viewer expectations and increasing the mental effect of paranormal horror. 

Reflection:

My understanding of how mystery and realism in paranormal horror marketing create fear has improved a lot as a result of this research blog. I learned that viewers get more interested and uneasy when there are a few images and little information presented. This will help me in developing my movie's introduction since I now understand how to build suspense and get the viewers' attention without giving too much away. 

Work cited

The Do’s and Please-Don’ts of Horror Movie Marketing | by Sol Rivero | Medium, solinwords.medium.com/horror-movie-marketing-516d3c99f1fa. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.

The Pollack Group. “Marketing in the Horror Film Industry – How the Genre Keeps Fans Coming Back for More.” The Pollack Group, 7 Feb. 2024, pollackgroup.com/marketing-in-the-horror-film-industry-how-the-genre-keeps-fans-coming-back-for-more/.

 “Scream-Worthy Marketing: How Horror Movies Master the Art of Fear.” Mint Advertising, 4 Mar. 2025, mintadvertising.com/scream-worthy-marketing-how-horror-movies-master-the-art-of-fear/.

Research-Color/typography

 Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog. Today I am going to be researching which color/typography is associated with horror genre, or more specifically paranormal films. 

The use of color and typography by designers in horror and movie posters is not randomized. Everything has to be carefully picked to bring attention to danger, mystery, terror, or the paranormal before the audience can see a trailer or the actual film. By using these visual components, it allows us to quickly identify a hoor film and the tone. 

One of the most popular background colors in horror design is black. Black represents death, mystery, and darkness. A lot of horror posters use black backgrounds to create a sense of danger or loneliness. This color aligns closely with paranormal themes such as ghosts and demons. However, blood, violence, warning signs, and powerful emotions are all closely associated with the color red. Its use of typography or on posters can instantly indicate that something scary or hazardous is going on. It can also physically increase a viewers pulse or alertness. In order to make headlines pop out more, white and lighter neutral tones can be used to contrast sharply with dak backgrounds. These can also sometimes symbolize ghosts, spirits, or other supernatural things. Sickly green, are used to show something rotten, poison, or just something abnormal even though they are not red or black. They are mostly used for films with a paranormal or zombie theme. 

When it comes to creating a sense of fear, typography, is equally as effective as color. The genre is frequently linked to specific types of literature.

Horror typography often reflects the erratic character of terror or insanity by using jagged letters, crackers or unusual shapes, and uneven spacing to show discomfort or confusion. Films with a haunted house or demon theme soties use fonts that have an old-fashioned or gothic appearance, such as the classic heavy serif fonts, which can convey and old, ritualistic or supernatural atmosphere. Handwritten and dripping affects fonts that seem to be hand-drawn. bleeding, or scraped allude to violence, haunting, or chaos. Blood, spirits, or insane behavior are visually reflected in this style. Texts with contrasting high colors, such as white or red writing on black backgrounds, are frequently used in titles to both make the title stand out and inspire meaning. 

A good horror aesthetic is produced throughout posters and promotional materials when these design elements are combined: black background, red or white titles, and terrifying fonts. Before the viewer can see the movie, they are informed by this approach that they are going to encounter danger or paranormal activity in the film. Designers use color and typography smartly to tell audiences what kind of movie they are about to see. Understanding these elements helps us see how these designers communicate emotions. 

Reflection:

Doing this research, my understanding of how color and typography can immediately identify the horror genre has improved. Red shows danger, while black evokes mystery and terror. Even before the viewers see the film, they can already get a sense of how scary the movie will be. Overall, these custom colors can influence the feelings and expectations of the audience. 

Work cited:

  “Design Secrets behind the Scariest Horror Movie Film Posters Ever Made.” TheOmniBuzz, theomnibuzz.com/design-secrets-behind-the-scariest-horror-movie-film-posters-ever-made?utm_source. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

Jaztonbtecmedia. “Film Poster Design Analysis (Horror).” Jazton’s Btec Blog, 23 Oct. 2019, jaztonbtecmedia.wordpress.com/2019/09/26/film-poster-design-analysis-horror/?utm_source.

Typography Lessons from the Horror Genre - 99designs, 99designs.com/blog/design-history-movements/typography-lessons-from-the-horror-genre/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

Studio, Putracetol. “The Role of Typography in Horror Design: More than Decoration.” PutraCetol Studio, 1 Nov. 2025, putracetol.com/typography-in-horror-design/?utm_source.

 

Research-Analyzing 2 opening scenes

 Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog. Today, I will be analyzing two opening scenes from two horror movies. The movies The Conjuring and The Black Phone.

In the first 2 minutes of The Conjuring (2013), director James Wan uses many close-ups and low-key lighting to automatically create a sense of fear. The film opens inside a dark room with the Anabelle doll, followed by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine, explaining the case. This scene already creates a sense of fear and realism before the actual haunting arrives. It starts with a slow fade-in from black to a close-up shot of Anabelle. The close-up shot forces the audience to pay more attention, and shallow depth makes the background blurry, so the camera focuses only on the doll. This scene immediately unsettles the viewer and tells that ordinary objects, like a doll, can be threatening. 

The camera uses slow, deliberate zooms and pans rather than quick movement. For example, when the Warrens are introduced, the camera slowly tracks toward them as they are speaking. The techniques that were used were slow zooms to increase unease and minimal movement to avoid jump scares early on in the movie. In terms of lighting and color, the lighting is low-key, with heavy shadows very small amount of lighting sources. Warm light is used; it's from lamps, but it creates an uneven illumination. These create a claustrophobic and realistic atmosphere, which makes the supernatural feel more believable. 

The opening uses diegetic dialogue (the Warrens explaining the case). It also uses ambient sound, sound bridges, and minimal music. This makes the audience feel tense and alert. The scenes consisted of slow editing with long takes. There were only a few cuts, which allows the tension to come naturally. Cuts are usually only used when something new is about to come in. The slow pace reinforces realism, which makes the horror feel more disturbing. The introduction of authority (Ed and Lorraine) makes the audience feel like the story is more real and serious. They are framed in medium shots, and the camera is placed at them at eye level, which can build trust and credibility. 

In the opening of The Black Phone, it starts during a league baseball game, with wide and mid shots that show the kids playing. These shots are bright and can establish a sense of everyday life. The camera is calm and steady, which gives the audience a sense of a safe place. The wide shots are used to show the setting, while the mid shots are used to follow characters and actions. During the game, we see Finney pitching at the game, which was shot with a medium close-up on his arm. Then we can see Bruce scoring and celebrate. These shots automatically build up some tension between the boys and can tell the audience the roles of these boys are without anything scary happening. Cut-ins are used to show action like pitching or celebrating. They also used slow tracking to capture movements across the field. The use of panning shots throughout the game was crucial because the audience got to follow and see the game. Tracking shots were also used to move alongside the players. The lighting was high-key lighting, which creates a sense of innocence, youth, and safety. The sound was mostly diegetic because there was a lot of crowd chatter and cracks of a bat. 

Reflection:

I discovered how various filming methods may drastically alter a horror film's tone and vibe from beginning to end by examining these two openings. The Black Phone begins with a calm, everyday scene that increases the effect of the next horror, but The Conjuring uses dark lighting and slow camera movement to create anxiety right away. In general, I discovered that directors purposefully employ lighting, sound, and camera techniques to manipulate the audience's emotions.

Research-Character types and narrative in paranormal horror

 Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog. Today, I will be talking about the different character types and narratives in paranormal horror. 

Recognizable character types and narrative patterns are used in paranormal horror movies to help the viewers understand the plot. Because they have been shown to produce tension, realism, and emotion, these practices are often studied and reproduced. Paranormal horror movies can emphasize suspense and mood over detailed explanation by using well-known characters and storylines.

Character Types

To make supernatural events seem more real, paranormal horror often uses realistic, everyday characters. This is the person who rejects any idea of the existence of ghosts or spirits, and is usually the typical character. When the paranormal activity can no longer be logically explained, this character shares the audience's disbelief and expands their horror. The victim is usually a kid or a vulnerable adult who is going through hard things in their life, or a possessed person. Priests and paranormal investigators are examples of authority figures. While they try to manage or explain a supernatural threat, these characters stand for knowledge and order. These characters direct the story while repeating moral or religious themes in movies. Families, often parents,  are attempting to keep their children safe; they often use their house as a safe group meeting place, which can raise drama because now that the house is also in danger. Below is an example of paranormal investigators from The Conjuring. 

Narrative structure 

Horror stories about the paranormal typically have a logical structure that gradually builds suspense. The place and characters start off as safe and familiar at the start of the movie. Then, odd and inexplicable things start to happen, usually small at first, usually just like a sound or an item moving. The audience is kept wondering what is real by the slow disturbance, which can raise the tension. A growing sense of danger results from the character's investigation of the disturbance as the story goes on. This often proceeds from equilibrium to disequilibrium and toward a new equilibrium, according to Todorov's story theory. Overall, paranormal movies usually end in an unclear manner, basically stating that the paranormal activities will continue. This makes the audience believe that the paranormal activities will remain unbeatable. This often leads to the franchise, and they often become successful. 

Reflection:

Overall, this taught me that in order to make the supernatural seem more realistic and powerful, paranormal horror frequently uses well-known character types like disbelievers, victims, and authority figures. I also came to understand the significance of the narrative structure, particularly how the tension steadily rises from everyday circumstances into unsettling ones. In general, I discovered that these patterns are intentionally used to build tension and maintain audience interest. 

Work Cited 

Kench, Sam, et al. “Horror Writing Tips for Fiction & Film.” StudioBinder, 31 July 2025, www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-write-horror/.

Six Archetypal Horror Characters and Why They’re Important | the Artifice, the-artifice.com/six-archetypal-horror-characters-and-why-they-are-important/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

Research-Technical elements of horror

Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog. In today's blog, I will conduct research on the technical elements of the horror genre, specifically focusing on the paranormal. 

Paranormal horror relies heavily on technical elements to create fear without the physical threat effect. This genre uses the environment, tone, and allusion to create more tension rather than just gore or monsters. Through lighting, camera movements, sound design, and editing, all working together, the audience is made to feel uneasy and curious about what is real. 

Lighting

Lighting is a crucial element for paranormal horror. Deep shadows and poor view are often created with low-key lighting, which gives the scene a more mysterious look. In horror, potential danger is hidden by darkness, which leaves the audience to wonder what might be going on or what might be there. To make the movie seem more real, they usually use light tools such as lamps, flashlights, candles, etc. Tension is also built by the rapid changes in lighting. This could mean the lights flickering or going out completely, making the scene completely dark. Darkness is used in the movie The Conjuring to prepare the audience for a terrifying scene and to make them question what is actually real. Below is an example of how dark they make the scenes. 

Camera Movement

To create tension, paranormal horror often uses slow and purposeful camera movements. The goal is to give the viewers the impression that something will happen with the use of long tracking shots and slow pans through empty rooms. Because it gives the footage a genuine and natural feel, handheld camera work is also often used, more often in found-footage movies. Long-term static shots can also make the audience a little nervous because they are being made to look at frightening and unusual scenes, such as an object moving by itself. 

Sound

Because terror often comes from sound rather than just looking at something, sound is also a very crucial element in paranormal horror. To create fear and jump scares, non-diegetic sounds like low drones, distorted whispers, or loud noises are important. Silence works just as well. With silence, more suspense is built up, and it raises the audience's attention to small sounds. Children's voices, creaking doors, and footsteps are all examples of diegetic sounds that are often exaggerated to indicate an eerie presence. Below is a video of some sound examples that could be used in a movie. 

Editing Techniques 

Editors sometimes use slower-paced scenes to let tension develop gradually. While rapid cuts can be used to startle the audience during jump scares, long takes give a more real and painful feel. To indicate supernatural forces at work, paranormal movies sometimes use tiny visual shifts between cuts, such as items switching positions. Not that much editing is used in found-footage paranormal horror to retain realness and give the audience a real, raw vibe. 

Reflection:

Overall, paranormal horror depends on many technical elements rather than just graphic images to create fear. All these techniques work together to give the audience a more real experience. 

Work Cited 

Must-Know Camera Angles and Movements from the Horror Genre | No Film School, nofilmschool.com/horror-camera-angles. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

“Why Sound Is so Important in Horror Movies.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/why-we-love-horror/202209/why-sound-is-so-important-in-horror-movies. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

dillon1990mccray. “The Lighting of the Conjuring.” Dillonmccray1990, 3 Feb. 2015, dillonmccray1990.wordpress.com/2015/02/03/the-lighting-of-the-conjuring/.