{"id":127103,"date":"2022-03-14T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-14T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=127103"},"modified":"2022-08-30T10:16:53","modified_gmt":"2022-08-30T15:16:53","slug":"genre-breakdown-horror-films","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/genre-breakdown-horror-films\/","title":{"rendered":"Genre Breakdown: The Different Types of Horror Films"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this genre tour, we breakdown some of the best-known sub-genres for tips on how to improve your own horror filmmaking endeavors.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Suppose your friend suggests seeing a horror film this weekend, let me ask you: Which genre comes to mind? Psychological? Paranormal? Monster? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

See, while we associate horror as the genre that will elicit fear and revulsion for entertainment purposes, there are many sub-genres that exist within it, and each genre plays on different fears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that we tend to double-check our front doors and move a bit quicker to the bed after watching the latest horror. But how do you, an aspiring filmmaker, create these feelings and experiences for your audience? Which genre offers you accessible avenues to explore when making your fearfully frightful film? This will depend on which sub-genre of horror you want to focus on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us embark on our ghost-train tour of horror film genres, where we will break down some of the best-known sub-genres for tips on how to improve your horror filmmaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you go back to the origins of the horror genre in film history, we pay homage to the French filmmaker George M\u00e9li\u00e8s<\/a>, with his 1896 short film Le Manoir du Diable<\/em> (The House of the Devil<\/a><\/em>), re-using shots in minimal locations (tip num\u00e9ro un.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the Japanese weren’t far behind, releasing two of the earliest horror films ever documented\u2014Shinin No Sosei<\/a><\/em> (Resurrection of a Corpse<\/em>) and Bake Jizo<\/a><\/em> (Jizo the Spook<\/em>) in 1898.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, as we follow the genre from its international roots into modern day, we find that horror lends itself to indie and DIY filmmaking and includes some of the most diverse and creative sub-genres. (If you need a quick primer on genre theory, check out this article first<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Slasher Horror<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Violent<\/a>
George Mihalka<\/a>‘s <\/em>My Bloody Valentine<\/a> is a cult classic of the horror sub-genre. Image via Paramount Pictures<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let’s start with one of the most beloved horror sub-genres. Many consider the slasher film one of the most sensational and popular genres. You can trace its origins to John Carpenter<\/a>‘s Halloween<\/em><\/a> in 1978, where it enjoyed a prominent run in the ’80s and ’90s, perhaps culminating in the mainstream success of the slasher-esque thriller The Silence of the Lambs<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The slasher is still out there and thriving today (I don’t mean literally), but like most contemporary horror, it’s often self-aware\u2014if not self-deprecating. Slasher films can be pretty straightforward to write and shoot, as they need to follow standard thriller plot points, leading back to the systematic hunting of an unknown assailant. Don a creepy costume and track an unsuspecting group or individual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good thing about this sub-genre is that it can occur outside or indoors, depending on your resources. Remember that you’ll need VFX<\/a> if you want to create heart-racing slashing scenes. If you’re on a budget or don’t have the skills yet to film your protagonist tearing through flesh comfortably, never underestimate the power of a shadow or blood splatter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Films to check out: <\/p>\n\n\n\n