Ways Horror Films are Manipulating You

15 Ways You Didn't Even Realize Horror Movies Are Manipulating You Into Fear

In a detailed paragraph, explain how you are using or could use 4 of these steps to help develop your horror film story before you begin shooting.

    Four of these steps that I could use to help develop my horror film story before shooting are (1) liberal use of negative space, (2) reflections and mirrors, (3) scenes that are longer than they need to be, and (4) jarring editing techniques. Other genres often strive to achieve a balanced image that has a good amount of both positive and negative space. Because of this, when a film has too much negative space, it can create an uncomfortable feeling, like something is about to happen. The use of reflections and mirrors have conditioned audiences to expect something bad to happen when one is being utilized in a horror film. Thus, by having a reflection, you can ramp up the tension for the audience. People often have some understanding of when a scene should end, such as when an action or conversation is completed. So when a scene lasts longer than audiences expect, it makes them feel like something else is about to happen. Using jarring editing techniques such as jump cuts can be an effective way to make the audience feel like they're seeing something that they aren't, such as the stabs in the Psycho shower scene.