COLLECTION NAME:
Graduate Thesis Collection
Record
Title:
The Aesthetics of Fear: Use of Color and Shot Design in Horror Film
Creator:
Gonzalez, Dennise
Subject:
Thesis (M.F.A.) -- Film and Television
Subject:
Savannah College of Art and Design -- Department of Film and Television
Rights:
Copyright is retained by the authors or artists of items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Abstract:
This thesis focused on the influence of color and shot design in creating images of horror for the
horror film audience. This topic was discussed by way of a close reading of three successful
American horror films of the last fifteen years: The Ring (2002), The Sixth Sense (1999), and the
2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The films were chosen for their unique use of
both color and shot design. The Ring, a remake of Asian horror film, Ringu, shook the
foundations of American horror by introducing foreign horror films to American audiences. It is
a film that uses a strict color tone throughout, and successfully, albeit subtly, uses a shot design
that leans more toward horror design. The Sixth Sense features a strong use of marker colors
throughout the film as well as a classic Hollywood drama feel for shot design. The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre is the film that is most closely related to a “true” classic Hollywood horror
film style, in both its use of strong color tones and a shot design that is dependent upon POV
shots and a breathing camera. This paper goes on to discuss my own horror short, submitted for
thesis credit, Black Water (2011), and how I applied ideas learned from both independent
viewing and researching for this paper.
horror film audience. This topic was discussed by way of a close reading of three successful
American horror films of the last fifteen years: The Ring (2002), The Sixth Sense (1999), and the
2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The films were chosen for their unique use of
both color and shot design. The Ring, a remake of Asian horror film, Ringu, shook the
foundations of American horror by introducing foreign horror films to American audiences. It is
a film that uses a strict color tone throughout, and successfully, albeit subtly, uses a shot design
that leans more toward horror design. The Sixth Sense features a strong use of marker colors
throughout the film as well as a classic Hollywood drama feel for shot design. The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre is the film that is most closely related to a “true” classic Hollywood horror
film style, in both its use of strong color tones and a shot design that is dependent upon POV
shots and a breathing camera. This paper goes on to discuss my own horror short, submitted for
thesis credit, Black Water (2011), and how I applied ideas learned from both independent
viewing and researching for this paper.
Publisher:
Savannah, Georgia : Savannah College of Art and Design
Date:
2012-03
Format:
PDF : 23 p.; WMV