Hear No Evil

Distribution companies that specialize in horror films include Netflix, Lionsgate, Warner Bros., A24, Universal Studios, IFC Films, New Line Cinema, Lakeshore Entertainment and so many more. Due to the way we stream movies and shows nowadays, it is smart to consider a distribution company that provides mobile streaming such as Hulu, Disney Plus or Netflix. Theatrical distribution is my main goal for my film, so having recognizable production titles attached to the film will aid in the distribution process. The distribution process will allow for our film to be marketed to the public through trailers, propaganda, social media, etc. We want the most people possible to be informed / interested about our film, so using a reputable distribution company will help us achieve our goal.

Some production companies that specialize in horror films like mine include Blumhouse Productions, Lionsgate Film, New Line Cinema, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros. Pictures and Universal Pictures. Any of these choices would be ideal for producing my film, however Universal and Warner Bros. have very reputable names so having that platform would be extremely helpful. I plan to produce with a larger studio like the ones previously stated due to several benefits. For one, the production process has more control in large studios therefore it will run smoother, and the overall quality of the film will be top tier. Large scale production allows for our movie to reach a bigger audience through advertisement and promotion of the film as well as reaching other large distribution / exhibition companies. People may be more likely to show interest in seeing a film if they see that a very well known company produced it. The more people that watch and interact with our movie, the more profit we end up making in the long run. By using a large production company, it’s more likely that I will create greater profit instead of just breaking even.

I’m striving towards producing a thrilling / mysterious film that will provide audiences with an exhilarating experience while watching. I plan to include several horror conventions in my movie that will aid in creating fear and suspense along with the storyline itself. My film revolves around demonic possession / haunting spirits, so “The Nun” and “The Conjuring” are movies that I’m using as inspiration. The very basic rundown of my movie plan starts with a girl leaving a cult meeting in which she ended up conjuring a spirit, however she doesn’t realize until she later faces difficulty. My film partner Hannah and I have not quite completed the full scriptwriting process yet, however our ideas for the film are aligning so planning the movie soon should be pretty smooth.

The opening sequence of The Conjuring displays several horror genre conventions that I hope to use in my own film. The opening sequence starts off with a black screen and a voice over. Black connotes darkness, therefore a sense of evil and mystery reins over the audience since they wonder what the lady is talking about. Using this tactic at the start of the film creates suspense and causes an instant attention grab, making the audience want to continue watching the movie and see what happens next. There’s an extreme close-up of half of Annabelle’s face with her eyes wide open. The features of her eyes give off a feeling that she’s evil minded and potentially possessed. This creates tension and may intimidate the audience into fearing the doll and associating her with danger. Throughout the sequence there is a use of low-level lighting to create a mysterious atmosphere and again create tension / fear. The lighting technique creates lots of shadows, which makes it harder for the audience to see what is going on. Excitement in the audience builds up because shadows typically are associated with jump-scares, and the audience may expect one to pop up on screen at any moment.

Opening sequences of horror films either usually make you feel a sense of comfort and normality before unleashing the terror, or they will jump straight to the scares right from the start. A film that has similar plot interests as my movie is The Nun. The opening sequence quickly reveals a backstory as to where the demonic nun itself came from and creates thrill and suspense even from the beginning establishing shot. Meaning was created within the first 2 minutes by showing how one of the nuns was killed by Valak in the abbey’s catacombs, and the second nun took her own life right after. There wasn’t much dialogue, however we are able to know what is happening just by visuals in the opening sequence and the tone that is enforced.

Horror movies are directed towards anyone who is up for a thriller. These thrills are more likely to excite a younger crowd rather than an old one, however they may appeal to people of all ages! The younger audience may want to feel new emotions and fulfill the urge to take risks and chances in their life, and may do so by watching thriller movies. People who enjoy violence, gore and experiencing fear are the audience that would be interested in seeing my movie. I will encourage this audience to watch my film by promoting it on social media, reaching out to press, release trailers, submit to film festivals, create paid advertisements, and utilize other marketing strategies.

Horror films tend to have very similar conventions throughout all platforms, which makes them pretty distinct from the other film genres. Genre conventions of horror include creating suspense and excitement for the audience using violence, fear, gore, weapons, isolated locations and dark color palettes. Representation of social groups in horror films tend to correlate to the identities/ interests of typical target audiences, and may contain deep political underpinnings as well as relevant socio-political commentary most may miss at the surface. Settings typically revolve around places like abandoned amusement parks, churches, houses, forests and abandoned / old buildings. For example, the movie “The Nun” was filmed at a dark and eerie monastery which established suspense throughout the film. In addition, title sequences of horror films tend to have large/ bold font and may resemble horror in some way, such as dripping blood font or something that correlates to the film in order to set the tone. The title sequence will give the film’s title as well as credits for the cast and crew involved.

For my film project I decided to work with my friend Hannah who is equally as excited for this as I am. We chose to go with the horror genre, and although I’m not a huge fan of watching horror films myself (since I get scared wayyy too easily), I am super excited on creating my own idea and having the ability to make it into something others can enjoy as well. As of right now, our ideas revolve around a girl who is leaving a cult meeting and has conjured a spirit that haunts her, leading to very unfortunate events down the road.