Themes used to create the horror experience
Suspense and anticipation:
The filmmakers use a variety of techniques to create this. The main element that is used to create suspense is the soundtrack. The sound in horror films was recently studied by Professor Daniel Blumstein, University of California and results showed that horror films have a significant and regular change between high and low pitch sounds. This technique is called non-linear sounds and is one of the most effective because the sounds imitate animals in distress and this links back to our more primitive instincts- our sense of danger. During the film when we experience the 'danger', there is a rapid increase in our adrenaline levels as our bodies prepare for the fight or flight instinct.
Silence is used effectively when directors place it in scenes immediately before a jumpscare. This works in a similar way to the technique above because the silence causes the audience to anticipate the jumpscare. Even though the audience knows the jumpscare is coming, they do not know how this jumpscare is going to be executed and this leads to the build up of adrenaline for the fight or flight response.
Crescendo and accelerando are one of the most famous sound techniques with one of the best examples feature in the film Jaws. In this instance, the music begins slowly and quietly and as time progresses the music becomes louder and faster. This taps into our survival techniques because the music often sounds threatening and predatory which causes increased adrenaline and heightened senses. When the music reaches its climax, the audience is usually in its maximum state of fear and the next action e.g. a jumpscare will be of maximum effect.
The unknown:
One of the most lasting and effective techniques of creating fear which has been used in countless horror films such as The Blair Witch Project and Last Stop. This technique is often created by the absence of the overall threat in the shot. This means that the characters in the film are reacting to the threat while the audience receives a very restricted view of the situation, leaving them to imagine the appearance and severity of it. In this situation, our natural instinct is to think of something that we are scared of.
Out of place/the impossible:
Sometimes fear can be produced merely by seeing something out of place in the environment of the film. For example in films featuring a family household, the audience would not typically expect to see a demon. Also, films featuring something impossible happening can be equally scary for the spectator. For example in the film Sinister, a still image on a man's laptop moves whilst he isn't looking at it. When things that are seemingly impossible occur they cause the spectator to question their view of reality and try to come up with an unlikely explanation. When the spectator fails to explain to themselves why they are seeing what they are seeing, for example, a still image appearing to move, it causes them to feel a strong sense of fear as they are no longer in control.
Phobias:
Phobias are commonplace in horror films because of the fact that many people share some of the most popular phobias, for example, fear of death, fear of ghosts, fear of clowns and fear of sharp objects etc... These phobias are things that have originated from our ancestors building on real fears such as being eaten by a predator. Some psychologists believe that phobias are purely down to what we have experienced ourselves through conditioning. For example, people are not usually scared of dogs but if one was to bite us it can lead to a mental association between dogs and being bitten, thus resulting in a phobia. the more common the phobia that is exhibited in the film, the wider the fear in the audience will spread. Many horror films use villains with masks or obscured facial features to enhance the fear for the spectator. This causes fear because we are unable to clearly see the facial expressions because they are obscured and this affects the ability for us to be able to read their faces. This method is particularly effective in horror films such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I.T.
Relatability:
The horror experience is always more exaggerated for the spectator when the horror is brought closer to their reality. Horrors which are based in urban or suburban locations are some of the most relatable for the spectator because it metaphorically places them within the story and (depending on the threat) they too could be affected by the threat. For example, in Sinister the family move into a former murder scene and this could be equally possible in the world of the spectator. By bringing the horror closer to the spectator and their experiences, it allows the threats to come nearer to reality. Most people have a religion/some religious beliefs which can also be tapped into. Some cultures believe in spirits and demons leading to a very real fear when they are represented in horror films. In Western culture, Christianity is a popular religion which includes beliefs in the devil and in turn inspires films like Omen and The Exorcist.
To conclude, these themes continue to instil fear in the audience by providing an effective horror experience. Spectators continue to seek adrenaline rushes by watching the latest horror releases. Some psychologists even believe that the reason we watch horror movies is to prepare ourselves for similar scenarios to the victim, despite how unlikely some of them are.
