Detail View: Graduate Thesis Collection: The Aesthetics of Fear: Use of Color and Shot Design in Horror Film

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.
Publisher: 
Savannah, Georgia : Savannah College of Art and Design
Date: 
2012-03
Format: 
PDF : 23 p.; WMV