Stereotypes of Horror Films

Killing the pretty blonde girl

In most horror films a very common cliche is when the villain kills the pretty blonde girl first. Most audiences, mainly men, enjoy this aspect of horror films as it makes the them feel like a hero as they think they could have saved the innocent girl from the evil villain. This makes them feel good about themselves. Also the female audience will be interested as they can relate to the 'pretty girl' as they want to be her and think that they are like her. This means the audience put themselves in the characters position, which causes them to be more scared and frightened. 

Children

Children are frequently used in horror films as the audience finds the perturbing and unpredictable. They also may think that the creepiness of what the children are doing is contrasted with the purity of their actions. Another thing that may scare the audience is that they know that the children aren't thinking like an adult and are are unsure about their actions.

Scary location

The scary location for a horror film is always used so that it reflects the feel and genre of the film. The film makers will always pick a very scary and disturbing location for the audience as they want to make them as scared as possible. Another thing they will be looking for when choosing a location is a place that most people can relate to for example a scary house or deserted car park, which are familiar surrounds for people.

Lonely situation

When leaving one of the characters on their own it makes the film all the more frightening as the character does not have anyone to call on or to help them. The character is therefore more vulnerable when by themselves.

We only see glimpses of the villains face

In horror films they usually don’t show the villain’s face as the unknown is quite scary to people. It causes people to imagine their own villain which fulfils their worst fears. Suggestion stimulates the imagination of the audience and involves them in the creative process.

Tense moments

Tense moments in horror films are used to build suspense and instigate the audience to anticipate that the worst is going to happen. The big build up is also more likely to make the audience jump as it as it builds anxiety rather than getting it over with quickly.

Blood

Using blood in a horror film is very common as everyone has an automatic innate reaction to blood which makes the film shocking and gruesome.

Did I just see that moments?

These moments in a film make the audience think about the plot in more detail and they try to link it in to the story line. This again builds suspense and triggers the audience think something is about to happen.

Dreams

Although the use of dreams in horror films is quite common and could be looked upon as being a cliché the advantages of a dream situation are enormous. In a dream the brain is roaming and out of control. This means that the unreal and totally unexpected can occur. The possibilities for strange villains, supernatural experiences and non sequential events are endless.

Stereotypes of Romance Films

‘Mr. Right’ finds her initially annoying

At the start of a romantic comedy the audience unusually don’t expect the couple to be together at the end as they initially hate each other or one of the characters thinks that the other person is really annoying. Example of these are one of the main characters does not like the other for some mistaken reason, one of the characters is in a relationship or their family is making it impossible for them to be together. This normally makes the audience more interested and find it unexpected when the two characters get together.  

Montages

A montage is very common in romantic comedy’s as it shows the couple’s relationship grow and develop over a long period of time. It usually is shown half way through the film and sums up the events that have occurred in the past. This may be used in a film as it stops film form becoming long and boring for the audience, it also means they have more film space for other aspects of the film.

Pushy mother and subordinate father

Sometimes in romantic comedies there is a pushy mother or a subordinate father. The parents are very often seen as the ‘villain’ in the film, this gives the couple something to concur and overcome. It demonstrates the good cop bad cop situation and makes the story not so straight forward.

Faithful side kick

In many romantic films there is a faithful best friend who the main character can confide in about their ‘difficult’ love life. This lets the audience hear what the character is thinking and gives them another opinion. It sometimes adds a comedy aspect.

Happy ending

A romantic comedy always has a happy ending as it makes the audience feel happy and gives a positive vibe. It causes the audience to think that the couples love will last for the rest of their lives and be happy ever after.

Stereotypes of Action Films

Explosions

The use of explosions in action films is sudden, dynamic and grabs the attention of the audience both through the visual effect and the noise that it makes. It varies the types of difficult situation the hero has to cope with and is a good vehicle for the use of special effects.

Hero/ heroine

The use of a hero or heroine is a common idea which enables the audience to identify with either of them. Since the action film genre is one that tends to appeal to men more, the hero in this type of film is very often male. Stereotypically men are faster, stronger and take more risks and therefore make a more dramatic subject.

Side kick

In this type of film there is frequently, but by no means always, a side kick. He is a person that the hero can confide in, thus letting the audience know what is going on in the hero’s mind. He is often of inferior intelligence and ability which makes the hero seem all the more brilliant. Since he is in on the plot he may be useful as a back up in getting the hero out of an impossible situation.

Chase scene

The chase scene in an action film is exciting and stimulating. People seem to enjoy watching vehicles travelling incredibly fast as this is not something normally allowed, and are often startled at the feats which the stunt drivers of the vehicles perform.

Fighting (punch up)

The fight scene often involves heroes and villains, good and evil, coming into close contact with one another and striving to win. It is much more real and up close than seeing two machines confront each other. There are often sound effects of thumps and grunts which may cause the audience to almost feel the pain.

Self surgery

This shows that the hero is brave and strong and will carry on whatever happens. He is not deterred or put off by a major injury.

Villain (usually Effeminate/ homosexual, foreign bad guy, oppositional characters)

The villain in an action film is the vehicle for the fear, tension and excitement that the action film tries to nurture. Villains need to be apparently strong, invincible and all powerful. They are usually thoroughly unpleasant so that the audience doesn’t mind what happens to them and are often part of some minority group that most of the audience will not identify with. If they are foreign the nationality is very often unspecified. While the villain may be in possession of advanced equipment and be backed up by an army of supporters or employees so that he appears fearsome, it is often when he comes into hand to hand contact with the hero that his weaknesses are revealed.

The villain misses

Very often in action films the villain can’t hit a still target in front of him let alone hit any of the main characters. This is known as the Stormtrooper Effect. This adds to the heroism of the main character as it makes him look better and stronger.

The main character usually won’t die

It is the fact that the main character never dies that allows many people to enjoy sitting through the fear and tension of the fights, explosions and the chases. They know that their hero, the man they are identifying with, will survive come what may. He is an almost superhuman person that members of the audience may aspire to be like.

Survival

It is often the case that however violent the explosion or fierce the fire the film will show hero or villain escaping with barely a scratch. This highlights their amazing abilities.

Male and female romance

Since the idea of the film writer is that everybody wishes to identify with their superhero, who is leading a life of excitement and challenge, they tend to round the hero off by not only making them invincible but also very attractive to the opposite sex. Therefore every woman who meets the hero will find them deeply attractive and the hero will win the prize of the woman who is perceived to be the most desirable.

Action Film Poster- Inception

This film poster for the action film 'Inception' gives the impression of dark and mysterious events which may occur in the film. The main character is in the centre of the poster holding a gun which suggests that he may be in danger. There are other characters surrounding him who look involved and aware of the circumstance they are in. The street behind this group of characters seems to be in an unusual position as it is stretching high above them. This suggests to the viewer that the environment in which they are in is scary and may put them in a difficult position.

The lines on the street and the vertical lines going upwards towards the sky are intimidating as they tower over the people below them. The city looks dark and urban as the buildings are very condense. Leonardo Di Caprio's name is printed in large letters at the top of the poster. This shows that he is one of the selling points for the film as audiences may be interested in seeing him in an action film. The title of the film, 'Inception' is in deep red letters which connotes blood and evil.

Horror Film Poster- The Devil Inside

This film poster looks intense as the close up shot of the woman is scary and intimidating. This will immediately tell the audience that this film is not suitable for the younger audience. The title on the film poster is white which shows up clearly on the dark background, it also highlights how strange it looks as the letter D in the word 'inside' is turned the wrong way, this reinforces the scary image above as nothing seems right in the picture. The red slogan at the bottom of the film poster suggests blood and evil which could be seen as disturbing for the viewer. The woman in the picture looks blank and shows little sign of life with deep set dark eyes which draw the viewers attention and set the tone for the genre of horror. The cross in the picture represents the role of religion in the film as many of the possessed woman are nuns. In addition the relationship between a possessed woman and religion could be said to refer to the Salem which hunts in the 1600's giving the film historical background and drawing upon the fears already associated with those events.

   

Stereotypes of Comedy Films

Slapstick

This film contains lots of different types  of humour one of these being slapstick which a lot of audiences find amusing. It usually involves aggressive, physical or visual actions. People are invited to laugh at other people’s misfortunes. Perhaps it is the surprise element that makes the audience laugh or perhaps they just enjoy seeing somebody suffer minor accidents to make them feel better.

Hero

The main character of the film is usually seen at the end as a hero. This may be shown in many different ways. He is usually known as one of the idiots at the beginning of the film who wants to overcome his misfortune. This causes the audience to know right from the start that this character is going to entertain them throughout the film, and as he is a likeable character the audience will want him to be happy. They will also be interested to see how he can overcome his stupidity.

A best friend/ Side kick

The main character usually has a few friends who are also idiots at the beginning. They are quite often hopeless as friends which can be seen as funny to some audiences as they get to see the mistakes made by them. The audience may be able to relate to the main character and feel sorry for him as he doesn’t stand a chance.

Stereotypes

There are a variety of stereotypical characters used in the comedy genre and they are very often connected with a minority group of some kind. People are more inclined to laugh at or about somebody who they feel is different from themselves. It is perhaps not so much that they are actually laughing at the minority group but more that they are trying to show that they are part of the main stream community. Laughing at other people makes them feel more powerful. The minority groups targeted may be those with disabilities, those of a different race, of the opposite sex, of a different sexual persuasion or two dimensional characters. As an example of this in ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ the best friend of one of the main characters is obviously gay and the audience laughs both at him and with him as his ‘campness’ is exaggerated.

Romantic sub plot

This type of comedy is usually called ‘romantic comedy’ which typically involves a relationship between a man and a woman. This story line may appeal more to the female audience as it is about relationships and love interests, although the male audience may be able to relate to the male main character if he has had unfortunate situations with his own relationships. This could add more entertainment and enjoyment for the audience.

Journey

One of the clichés seen is a journey which the main character and their friends will embark on. This means that as the film progresses the audience will feel attached to the characters and begin to understand them.

Stereotypes of Crime Films

Tough guys

In crime films there is usually at least one gang, who are the tough scary villains. They are the ones who operate outside the law and often the audience don’t indentify with them. Usually the gang is a minority group who is involved in crime. Sometimes there is the added thrill of violence to the plot.

The gang leaders in crime films are nearly always feared by everyone. This is a cliché which adds something that the audience can be scared of and who they don’t want to do well.

The good guy amongst the villains

The good guy amongst the villains is a person the audience has sympathy with. It causes the audience to anxiously follow the activities of the criminals in the hope that all will be well for the good guy. It also means that the audience can relate to one of the villains. The audience then can have an interest in both the law abiding and criminal aspects of the film and it is hoped that ‘the good guy’ will change his allegiance in the end.

Corrupt cop

The corrupt cop in crime films is a cliché as the policeman is often being turned or bribed by one of the gang members to help them. This is the opposite scenario to the good guy amongst the villains. However because the audience tends to relate more to the law abiding side it does not have the same effect of making them take an interest in everybody. Quite often one of the policemen doesn’t play by the rules or is undercover. This may make the audience more anxious about the people they identify with and more worried that they are going to be betrayed. This heightens the tension in the film.

Gang rivalry

Quite often in crime films there is one group who is against the other group: this causes gang rivalry. There is quite often a fight or disagreement between these two gangs which means the police become involved. This is exciting for the audience as the conflict between these two gangs is thrilling and exciting.

Good cop/ Bad cop interrogation

The good cop, bad cop interrogation scene became very popular as soon as the genre crime began. This highlights the different personalities of the two policemen and shows the different views the audience may feel. It also demonstrates how the character who is being interrogated reacts and how he is putting up a front about his situation.

Code of honour (not explicit)

In crime films there is always an amorphous code of behaviour amongst the criminals or their family members which must not be broken. Although the code is vaguely mentioned throughout the film it cannot be dishonoured. This is what usually starts the film’s plot line. This sometimes intrigues the audience and makes them think about what it could be. The neighbourhood is often very similar in crime films, set in large, crowded cities, to give the element of secrets of the criminals which means that the society that the criminals live in is very similar. This could be the reason for the code of honour.

Violence

Violence is a prominent factor in crime films as the gangs are usually aggressive and forceful towards some of the other main characters in the film. The body in the car boot is a cliché as it is very common in the crime genre. This is because the gangs are brutal and may feel that it is necessary to kill someone. This gives excitement to the plot and means the audience feels interested.

Comedy Film Poster - Just Go With It

This film poster for the comedy 'Just Go With It' looks laid back and comical. The setting is on a beach which looks idyllic to the audience so they may associate with relaxation and fun experiences which would make them want to see the film. The title of the film draws attention to the word 'go' as it suggests action, which represents the storyline of the film as it is all about being spontaneous and not having an organized plan. The main character played by 'Adam Sandler' is smiling at his co star 'Jennifer Aniston'. This suggests that he is a funny character although she doesn't seem to be amused. The girl in the background is in bright colourful clothes which demonstrates that she is a happy and sunny character; she looks much more at home in her surroundings than the main characters which suggests that she is distinctly separate from their relationship. The fist bump between the main characters in the centre of the poster indicates that their relationship is unromantic and comical this is reinforced by the distance between them and the other woman standing in the gap.

Romance Film Poster- Titanic

This film poster centres around the theme of passion as it is from the romantic genre. The two main characters are centred at the top of the film poster to demonstrate their relationship in the film. It also draws attention to one of the main selling point of the film which are famous actors: Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet. The boat is a prominent feature in the poster because it is a key aspect in the film. The title of the film is written boldly on the front of the boat which suggests that this is also the name of the boat. The slogan of the film is a lot smaller than the title as it is not such a significant feature although it does give indication to the viewer about the storyline. The slogan suggests that nothing could break the bond between the couple which draws attention to the bow of the boat which appears to be directed in the centre of the couples embrace as though the boat its self is trying to part them. This is a metaphor for the titanic tragedy.   

The Karate kid Trailer Analysis

Credits/ intertitles

There are only three intertitles throughout the trailer to demonstrate the feelings of the ‘Karate Kid’. These intertitles tell the audience details about the character: ‘A stranger in a new world’ and show the audience how he feels about his new life: ‘A life he never wanted’ and ‘A teacher he never expected’. This lets the audience get to know the main character and see what issues he may face in the film.

Genre

The genre of this film is action as it follows a boy defeating his rival and becoming the ‘hero’ of the film. The film includes lots of actions scenes which are shown throughout the trailer.

Pace

This trailer is quite slow paced as it wants to show the story in detail for the young audience to understand what’s happening and relate with the main character, a little boy. It also means that the action scenes seem more involved and busy in contrast to the slow moving trailer. This trailer is also set apart from others as it is slow comapred to other action films which would be very fast paced and intense.

Shot types/ camera angles

There are lots of long shots of exotic locations which suggest to the audience that it is set in a hot country which has lots of dramtic sunsets and unusual buildings. This is used to demonstrate the mountains and  

Target audience

This film is mainly aimed at children as they can relate to the main character who is a young boy. However, there is some adult humour which may amuse older audiences if they go and see it with their children. The film has a very simple storyline which children can understand and exciting action scenes which would be intense to watch.

Unique selling point

The unique selling point of ‘The Karate kid’ is that it is a new take on the film which was made in 1984. This means that it is a lot more interesting for the audience and up to date. Another selling point of this film is that it has two well-known actors, Jakie Chan and Jaden Smith which some audiences would be interested to see as it was one of Smiths first films. Also the exotic location may interest some audiences as they would want to see the unusual settings. 

Thriller Film Poster- The Eye

The eye in this picture is the main focus which immediately suggests to the viewer the name of the film. As there is a hand coming out of the eye which looks unnerving and strange. This is because it demonstrates that someone is trapped or alternatively could represent someones inner thoughts or viewpoints being controlled by an outer source. The fact that the eye is staring right at the viewer although they don't know who it belongs to could be frightening for the viewer. The fingers look like eyelashes although they are going in the wrong direction which could mean that something is wrong and not normal. It is also creating a dark shadow under the eye which seems scary and unusual. The richness of the brown eye colour contrasts with the monochrome in the rest of the picture. The title draws attention to the word 'eye' as it is in bold black writing this emphasises the importance of the eye in this film.

The 5 Year Engagement Trailer Analysis

Credits/ intertitles

At the beginning the intertitle, ‘The engagement’ is on a black background in curly white writing. This suggests a romantic, relaxed engagement leading up to a wedding. Although later on in the trailer it is shown again with big bold pink writing which reads ‘The two year engagement’ indicating that their engagement is a lot longer than they expected. It could suggest to the audience that the bold pink writing is incontrollable but overpowering. This writing is shown again later in the trailer although this time saying ‘The four year engagement’ in big yellow writing demonstrating that their engagement is a lot longer than expected but again uncontrollable.   

Dialogue

The trailer of this film includes comical lines such as 'I got a job for two year' 'Two years is nothing'. This is ironic as the audience know that their relationship is going to be a '5 year engement'.
The trailer also includes serious lines from the film such as Tom says 'You told em it was only going to be two year'. This shows that this film has an emtional side and it not all comical. 

Genre

The genre of this film in romantic comedy, as it shows the stress of a serious relationship. The story line is about Tom and Violet, a young couple, who decided to get enegaed after dating for a year. They end up being engaged for five years, the film shows the couple as they struggle with their juggling their lives with the organisation of their wedding. The trailer also includes a few funny scenes to keep the audience amused and interested.

Narrative

This film is about a relationship which becomes complicated as an engagement gets longer and longer as the couple discover they need to postpone it for various reasons, for example Tom and Violets wedding gets further delayed as violet is offered a place at the University of Michigan which lasts two years.

Music

The film starts with recent music about a relationship and is up beat and happy which refelct the charcters mood. The music then become quiter and changes to a more dramtic and fast paced music as it shows their stress and problems in the relationship.

Pace

This trailer is quite slow moving and doesn’t have a very fast pace. This may be because they wanted to introduce the two main characters in depth and show the story develop throughout the trailer. It also may be slow paced to symbolise the slow moving lives they have as their marriage seems to be getting further away.

Shot types/ camera angles

One of the first shots shown is an over the shoulder shot behind each of the main characters as he proses to her. This means that the audience can see the characters facial expressions clear and are able to relate to the main characters as they feel they have been put in their position.

A mid shot is used to show both the characters on the screen having fun and laughing. This suggests to the audience that this is a fun film which is comical and entertaining.

Target audience

The main target audience for this film was young adults in their mid 20’s - mid 30’s. The film was about a couple of the same age who had just come out of college. Lots of people can relate to this and understand what they are going through as they have been going through the same thing. The film shows an important message about relationships demonstrating that people need to make a balance between their relationships and careers.

Unique selling point

The unique selling point of this film is that the couple are happily together at the beginning of the film but their relationship slowly deteriorates as the story progresses. This is unusual to the normal Romantic comedy as the relationship usually develops throughout the film. This means that this film is showing a relationship from a different point of view and it is subverting to the conventions of a Ron-Com.

What to expect when you're expecting Trailer Analysis

Credits/ intertitles

The trailer demonstrates mixed emotions of how couples feel about their pregnancy they highlight these feelings by intertitles entwined by the scenes: ‘confusing’ ‘embarrassing’. These show clearly how the characters are feeling and that they may not be entirely happy with their pregnancy.

The trailer also shows the famous actors in the film using intertitles such as Cameron Diaz and Elizabeth Banks. These names are paired with the actors in the film to show people who they are as people may recognise one of the famous faces and therefore want to see them in the film.

Dialogue

This film also contains lots of comic lines such as 'I was breast fed until I was six and look how good I turned out'. This shows the light hearted feel of the film and makes the film not so tense and involved. It also includes unexpected lines 'Being pregnant sucks'. This is subverting the usual stereotypical story of a couple getting pregnant.   

Genre

The genre of this film is romantic comedy, this can be seen due to the amusing scenes in the trailer which will cause people to want to go and see it as they will think it is humorous. The film is also romantic as the storyline is about couples becoming pregnant.

Music

The music in this trailer seems to be more in the background as the main focus is on the dialogue. It is quite quite and not very noticable as it fits between the important dialogue. The music seems laid back and happy as it shows the comical scenes.

Narrative

This film shows five couples who are expecting a baby and how they deal with the emotion and stress of this time. These couples are all linked to each other in some way, for example Gary who is married to Wendy is Ramsey's son and also Rosie who is in a relationship with Marco, has a cousin called Skyler. This is a good technique as it links all the storylines together and cuases the audience to feel like they know the audience really well.   

Pace

The film begins with quite a slow pace as it shows a very long scene introducing one of the main characters and her views on being pregnant. It then continuous to become quite fast paced as the scenes are very short to fit in all the characters into the trailer. This means that the audience don’t get to see each character in depth as they would normally. This causes the trailer to become quite fast paced and action packed.

Shot types/ camera angles

A close up is used at the beginning of the trailer to show the woman’s emotion about pregnancy and how upset she is. This causes the audience to find it more comical and concentrate on her feelings.

A long shot is used when showing a group of dads with their children to show all the characters in the scene looking after their children. This is comical for the audience  

Target audience

The target audience of ‘what toe expect when you’re expecting’ is aimed at ages between 20-40, and mainly for couples and new parents. The film also focuses on the couples work lives and how they cope with hard and stressful situations.  

Unique selling point

The unique selling point of this film is that it is about lots of couple’s lives instead of just one main relationship. This is very unusual in film and is best known in the film ‘Love Actually’ which is a very popular. It also means that a big audience can relate to at least one story line as they are all so different.