Horror

While watching the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I found many appealing elements which made this show thrilling and attention grabbing.

Non-diegetic sound:

In the clock tower the music and the noises set a very frightening tone. When the different components (voices) come out of each individual at night and they are all collected in the box in the clock tower the music increases in pitch (which increases the fear of the viewer). Then one of the “villains” or “monsters” is revealed and the music hit a peak, which sets a thrilling tone and a moment that draws you in. I chose this scene because it was appealing for the audience and also left you interested in what might happen next. This same type of music is also present when all the “floating villains” come by the window and float into the apartment building or rooms. It is also seen as Buffy fights them at the end of the episode. I think this creates the added effect of the thrill and horror you are supposed to feel when they are present.

Diegetic Sound:

Since most of the episode is silent in terms of diegetic sound (due to their voices being taken). I found that the most appealing and intriguing diegetic scenes at the beginning and the end of the episode. Buffy’s dream in the beginning had the little girl singing in her little voice, which set a mood for the rest of the episode. Her little voice is creepy and catches the viewer’s attention. In terms of voice, I also found this dramatic appeal as Buffy screams when she finally gets her voice back (and that is what finally kills the villains) at the end. Their voices were both used in different ways that kept the viewer interested.

Mise-en-scene:

One scene that created a scary and exhilarating feeling for me was the scene with the two villains floating into the apartment and strapping the guy down to his bed. The angle of the camera gives you the feeling that you are actually in the scene with all of them. When they first arrive, you get the feeling of shock and fear that the man must have felt when opening the door. Also, when he is on the bed and they are ready to cut his heart out (if that’s what it was), the angle of the camera makes the viewer feel as if they are in his position and they are looking down on you. Also, when they add the jar with the heart to the others, it is dim lit (which illuminates their scary faces and sets a dramatic tone). This scene had an aesthetic appeal for the horror theme. It tied into emotion, fear, and also attention (through lighting, dramatic effect, and music choices).

One thought on “Horror

  1. I enjoyed reading your post. You had some great thoughts and ideas. I think your example of non-diegetic sound is a good one because you explain the effect it has on you and the film itself. You mentioned that it made you wonder what was going to happen next. Music in horror movies tends to make that happen. So I think you are correct when you say it adds to the drama but I think the audience should be able to tell that something bad is happening without relying on non-diegetic music. I also like the way you explained the diegetic sound example. There were definitely only limited examples of diegetic sound in the horror movie. In the example you gave, the singing voice creates the creepy/uncomfortable feeling. Your example of the mise-en scene, is the exact same one that I used. I found the floating heads to be creepy and made me nervous. That scene was definitely one that stood out to me. I also made all of the same comments as you did for this scene. I felt that the camera angles played a huge role. The scene would not be scary if the camera angles were at the same height as the bodies.

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