Shock! A New Horror- Blog Post #1

When marking my preferences for studios during the enrolment period, Shock! A New Horror wasn’t my first choice… at first. I toyed around with the idea of possibly doing something with a more defined skill or perhaps a more topical prompt, like the litany of AI-centred options. However, when talking to my sister she told me I had no choice, ‘watching Nightmare on Elm Street as young children can’t have been for nothing!’.

For a long time I shied away from jump scare horrors, finding safety in the thriller genre. I had first thrown in the towel when I watched Signs for the first time with my father and sister. It was probably the last time I screamed out loud at a movie. If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching one of M. Night Shyamalan’s better films, this is the scene I’m talking about.

https://youtu.be/4RGtC2S22Z0

I can’t pinpoint exactly when I started watching horror movies again and I certainly can’t say I am fearless in the face of a jump scare or a creepy doll. However, I wonder if the rise in art horror/post-horror is linked to my newfound appreciation of the genre. Although, this didn’t quite extend to Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future, the first film that made me walk out of a cinema. Whist I am hoping this studio will introduce me to new and exciting films and push my limits, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit weary.

Beyond this, I am curious to discover what ‘post-horror’ actually means… I’m wondering if this ‘new’ or ‘elevated’ film style can be defined as anything other than just horror. The aesthetic differences between 80’s slasher flicks and Midsomma or Get Out are very clear. So, to focus on this specific feeling and aesthetic in more contemporary horror films will be a good challenge for me. For past projects I have found myself prone to campy and/or goofy choices that make people smile, to make people scared will be a new outcome I have yet to explore. The chance to write a script and create a short film using post-horror techniques is something I’m incredibly excited about. As I haven’t had the chance to focus on scriptwriting and group production, I look forward to developing those skills.