Conventional Horror Movie Shots

Below are some shots that are typical of Horror Movies.

This shot comes from the movie "Mama". It causes fear by not showing the childs face. The slightly low angle implies that she has power despite her being a ltitle girl.  It also uses dark lighting contrasted with light snow and this leads to images of good and evil.

This film shows two characters having a heated argument.This is a two shot.  I guess this scene is taken late in the film as the blood is spattered over her and she looks like she has been through an ordeal. The lighting is quite dark but you can still make out the characters.



This picture is from the saw movies. It shows a girl in pure panic but in a lighter location than usual. It also shows implies gruesomeness and gore but leaves it to the imagination.





This is a close up of a man in shock. He has a bloody face and is in a wooded location. The lighting is dark and mysterious.  He has bits of black on his face meaning that he has taken a fall or been in a fight.



This shot is a mid shot and shows a dirty location, the lighting is quite dirty and there is a slight grey tinge to the camera. The person appears to be locked up which is fear for many people.

The couple here in the two shot, are panicking and are scared of whatever has been chasing them. Their dirty faces and clothes show that they have been through an ordeal.

The dark lighting in this shot shows fear. You cannot see what has caused the terror but it is apparent that this is from a horror movie.

This shot is also showing some terrible fear. She is captured within a box which plays upon peoples fear.

The primary image in this picture shows an oblivious man and in the background is the monster. The lighting here is contrasting with the secondary image as it shows danger but still features elements of normal film.





This shot is right before the action happens in Prom Night. The girl is about to get killed. The dark clothing shows an evil nature contrasting to the white plastic sheeting. The sheeting implies a sense of being trapped and the girl is showing fear.

This image is from the beginning of the film. You can tell from the mise-en-scene that these girls are in college and that things are scaring them. The use of the character with the axe in the foreground suggests power.

Here are some typical horror movie shots that I plan to use in my trailer.  They often feature the subject up and close in a close up and often show the action within the shot too.