Mise-en-scene of a Horror film

The setting of the film ‘The Hallow’ is at a newly bought home in a secluded area in Ireland within some woods. Within horror this is a good setting as it is closed off and hostile which brings a spooky effect to the movie as darkness falls, and wander what is out there.

As well in another film, ‘The Conjuring’, the setting is again based in a place which is made to seem cut off and secluded from society, this empowers the feeling of helplessness and loneliness as they’re stuck there. The idea of an isolated house in the middle of no dark woods with no other surroundings in popular within horror due to the effects it can portray and add to the film.

The clothing of the family is very typical and normal or very stereotypical of what adults and a baby would wear, by seeing them and typically normal gives a sense of innocence for the family.

With the third print screen it shows a still of mother, father and child together, happy and cuddling, seemingly excited for what is to come for them. By adding this scene in the trailer and showing the happiness and love in the family it makes us fall into a false sense of happiness as we feel connected towards them and attached.

With the other film, it is seemingly more dated due to it being based on a true story about some people and a family. Yet even with it being dated the film still represents the family involved as a normal loving stereotypical family in which you wouldn’t want harm to, due to the feeling of innocence. Shown in the print screen to the left we can see the children in the family who’re affected. We find out some of the doings before we meet the family this aids with people sympathising as we see they are a young yet large family. A key aspect of the print screen as well is the two girls in the  bottom right holding each other, this shows they are scared and worried of what could happen thus again making people sympathise and become connected again with the family.

 

The lighting within the trailer is used to be naturalistic to keep the feeling of secludedness and the idea that they’re deep in the countryside alive giving it the realistic edge to it. The first couple of print screens are outside in daylight where no extra lighting is needed. Where as in the fifth and sixth print screens, the film has turned to night where the lights within the house are used but not all to keep the dark feeling to what is seen as a large house or mansion. The sixth print screen is of outside the house at night they’ve again tried to keep the natural lighting such as the white light from the moon and the lit up windows from inside the house which light the whole scene. This gives the look that it is very secluded that the moon light has a large effect on seeing and also gives a spooky feel.