Horror Formula! - Britmovie

Freddy · 05-08-2004, 05:05 PM

How to make the perfect hell of a horror film
by Sherna Noah.
Independent 5th August

A crescendo of dramatic music, a dark setting and a liberal dose of gore are essential components of a mathematical formula, said to identify the perfect horror film.
The complex equation has identified why thrillers such as Psycho and The Blair Witch Project make such great spine-chillers. The mathematical model (es+u+cs+t) squared +s+ (tl+f)/2 + (a+dr+fs)/n + sin x -1, shows what elements of suspense, realism and gore combine to make a bloodcurdling scary movie. With this formula, researchers said The Shining, the 1980 Jack Nicholson film of the Stephen King book, made the perfect horror film.

The researchers spent two weeks watching horror films, including The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Silence of the Lambs. Suspense comprised four essential categories: escalating music (es) the unknown (u), chase scenes (cs) and a sense of being trapped (t). Because suspense is one of the most important qualities in a frightening flick, the equation is (es+u+cs+t) squared, before shock (s) is added to the formula.
The Shining, where the suspense is built up gradually, with premonitions and flashbacks for Danny, the frightened boy, is the perfect example.
For a movie to be truly terrifying, it must be realistic, the experts say. That is why the next part of the equation sees true life (tl) and fantasy (f) added together and divided by two (tl+f)/2 to find a level between a plot which is too unrealistic and too close to life.

And the fewer the number of characters in a horror movie, the more the audience can empathise with them. And the darker the scene, the more frightening the isolation of characters can become.
So the formula looks at whether the characters are alone (a), in a dark environment (dr) and the film setting (fs) and divides it by the number of people (n) in the film (a+dr+fs)/n.
Researchers for Sky Movies said the The Shining's isolated setting, with the family living in a huge hotel closed for the winter, and the shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho, where Janet Leigh is alone, naked and at her most vulnerable, is a prime example of this part of
the formula.
Anna Sigler, a mathematician, identified a maximum level of gore, beyond which a movie just becomes average. Researchers said this hit home in Jaws. Ms Sigler said: "Steven Spielberg reached the optimum level perfectly, allowing the viewer to see just enough blood to be scared of the great white shark, but not so much that it repulsed us."
If a character or situation falls into stereotype, this detracts from the suspense and fear. So the experts have taken blood and guts (Sin x) and subtracted it by the stereotypes (1), to make Sin x -1, saying Jack Nicholson's character in The Shining turned into the opposite of a protective father figure.

In Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs, Dr Hannibal Lecter is the perfect anti-stereotype. Ms Sigler, a graduate of King's College London, said: "In Red Dragon, he is an evil man incarcerated for his crimes but he is willing to help the FBI agent, Will Graham, catch the elusive Tooth Fairy. He surprises viewers by showing a human side only to shock them again by the revelation that he is in league with the Tooth Fairy.

regards
Freddy eek!

ollie · 05-08-2004, 08:26 PM

I read some where,that young filmakers wanting to make their first film are advised to use the tried and tested plot device which is "put lots of characters in a house and chop them up",there's probably a more eloquent name for this which escapes me right now but,we've seen it time and time again in many guises.One's that spring to mind are: (Sorry for non brit ref's)
THE ALAMO
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13
RESEVOIR DOGS
DOG SOLDIERS
EVIL DEAD
AND any one of the myriad of haunted house films that we know and love,i'm sure everyone can think of much better examples that are british.

We all know what the real horrors are though, the plausible one's,loss, abuse,addiction,a real person being decapitated by armed men?
cheers Ollie.

[ 06. August 2004, 02:03: Message edited by: ollie ]

05-08-2004, 05:05 PM	#1
Freddy has no status. Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: The Irish Sea Posts: 1,178 Country: iTrader: (1)	Horror Formula! How to make the perfect hell of a horror film by Sherna Noah. Independent 5th August A crescendo of dramatic music, a dark setting and a liberal dose of gore are essential components of a mathematical formula, said to identify the perfect horror film. The complex equation has identified why thrillers such as Psycho and The Blair Witch Project make such great spine-chillers. The mathematical model (es+u+cs+t) squared +s+ (tl+f)/2 + (a+dr+fs)/n + sin x -1, shows what elements of suspense, realism and gore combine to make a bloodcurdling scary movie. With this formula, researchers said The Shining, the 1980 Jack Nicholson film of the Stephen King book, made the perfect horror film. The researchers spent two weeks watching horror films, including The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Silence of the Lambs. Suspense comprised four essential categories: escalating music (es) the unknown (u), chase scenes (cs) and a sense of being trapped (t). Because suspense is one of the most important qualities in a frightening flick, the equation is (es+u+cs+t) squared, before shock (s) is added to the formula. The Shining, where the suspense is built up gradually, with premonitions and flashbacks for Danny, the frightened boy, is the perfect example. For a movie to be truly terrifying, it must be realistic, the experts say. That is why the next part of the equation sees true life (tl) and fantasy (f) added together and divided by two (tl+f)/2 to find a level between a plot which is too unrealistic and too close to life. And the fewer the number of characters in a horror movie, the more the audience can empathise with them. And the darker the scene, the more frightening the isolation of characters can become. So the formula looks at whether the characters are alone (a), in a dark environment (dr) and the film setting (fs) and divides it by the number of people (n) in the film (a+dr+fs)/n. Researchers for Sky Movies said the The Shining's isolated setting, with the family living in a huge hotel closed for the winter, and the shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho, where Janet Leigh is alone, naked and at her most vulnerable, is a prime example of this part of the formula. Anna Sigler, a mathematician, identified a maximum level of gore, beyond which a movie just becomes average. Researchers said this hit home in Jaws. Ms Sigler said: "Steven Spielberg reached the optimum level perfectly, allowing the viewer to see just enough blood to be scared of the great white shark, but not so much that it repulsed us." If a character or situation falls into stereotype, this detracts from the suspense and fear. So the experts have taken blood and guts (Sin x) and subtracted it by the stereotypes (1), to make Sin x -1, saying Jack Nicholson's character in The Shining turned into the opposite of a protective father figure. In Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs, Dr Hannibal Lecter is the perfect anti-stereotype. Ms Sigler, a graduate of King's College London, said: "In Red Dragon, he is an evil man incarcerated for his crimes but he is willing to help the FBI agent, Will Graham, catch the elusive Tooth Fairy. He surprises viewers by showing a human side only to shock them again by the revelation that he is in league with the Tooth Fairy. regards Freddy eek! __________________ "What I owe you Colonel Lawrence, is beyond evaluation."

05-08-2004, 08:26 PM	#2
ollie has no status. Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: broomhall Posts: 588 Country: iTrader: (0)	I read some where,that young filmakers wanting to make their first film are advised to use the tried and tested plot device which is "put lots of characters in a house and chop them up",there's probably a more eloquent name for this which escapes me right now but,we've seen it time and time again in many guises.One's that spring to mind are: (Sorry for non brit ref's) THE ALAMO ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 RESEVOIR DOGS DOG SOLDIERS EVIL DEAD AND any one of the myriad of haunted house films that we know and love,i'm sure everyone can think of much better examples that are british. We all know what the real horrors are though, the plausible one's,loss, abuse,addiction,a real person being decapitated by armed men? cheers Ollie. [ 06. August 2004, 02:03: Message edited by: ollie ] __________________ "Bullseye !!"

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