Horror Location Shot Types

Isolated Settings•Effective location for a horror film because it makes the audience feel more alone and therefore vulnerable .•This is good for building suspense; they feel unsafe and expect something to go wrong.•Very foreboding, it is unlikely there will be someone to save the character or a quick way of escaping/ finding safety.•It could be argued they make the film more realistic; an isolated setting could make them feel like it is actually happening without them knowing it is happening because of the remote location.•The following slides give examples of places that give this impression locally

Wooded Areas/ Forests•Normally isolated, just outside of the urban areas associated with safety.•Sinister looking trees cast shadows and create darkness, which provokes fear of the unknown- the antagonist could be hiding in the shadows.•Examples of areas like this locally include Weston Woods, Norton and Ivel Springs.

Fields•Flat, open area that makes the audience feel like they can see everything, and would be easily alerted to danger.•In horror films, suspense can be built and prove this statement wrong.•Ideal for chase/ fight scenes.•Examples of this locally could be Arbury Banks, Bygrave Fields and Ivel Springs.

Alleyways/ Pathways•Thin, narrow and often empty means that these settings create claustrophobia as well as isolation. •They are often darker, foreshadowing dark events and creating fear of the unknown.•Heightens panic during fight scenes or chase scenes.•Examples locally include Pepper Alley and Ivel Springs.

Urban Settings•Not stereotypically as scary as isolated settings because of the connotations of community and life, therefore safety.•When horror films are set in urban areas, they are more effective in making the viewers themselves feel more unsafe because it turns the places they associate with security into somewhere they feel scared.•It could make the plotline seem more relatable, adding to this fear.•The following slides give examples of these kinds of places in the local area.

Churches•Found in most regions, a place of religious worship and celebration, often referred to as one of the central points of community. •These positive ideas of the church are challenged in horror films, particularly of the occult sub-genre.•Most churches have graveyards, which connote/ foreshadow death and suggest dark themes.•Examples of this locally include St Mary’s in Baldock and Ashwell or St Paul’s in Letchworth.

Houses•If a horror film uses a house, it has a similar effect as a church, by making them associate a place of security with fear. It makes the events seem more realistic and therefore more scary.•The architecture/ aesthetic of the house can enhance this, especially if a modern, suburban house is used. On the other hand, gothic architecture links in with the horror genre. Abandoned housing also connotes isolation and fear, so can be effective.•Examples locally include the old houses on Baldock High Street and Buffs Field.