Research for production - Depiction of villains in horror movies/ trailers (by appearance)

A big part (and probably the main part) of horror movies is of course the main antagonist (villain/ killer in the film). The representation of this character has to be perfect and apply to to the conventions of horror movies in order to fit in with the style of the film. Because of this the way this character is represented (by appearance) not only in the film but in the trailer as well is vital in order to create a really good horror movie/ trailer. There would be no point in making a horror movie if the villain did not look in anyway threatening, this is why a huge deal of importance goes into the appearance of villains in horror movies.

What I have done to highlight this is pick out a symbolic villain from a horror movie (Jason from Friday the 13th) and pick out and analyze what it is about his appearance that makes him the perfect horror villain.



How This Will Benefit Me

Researching about the type of villains used in horror movies has helped me see what I should be looking for when creating my own villain for my horror trailer. It is obvious that on the most part killers are usually represented as disfigured and often tend to hide their identity (especially in slasher horrors). Because of this for my own trailer i'm interested in how I can vary these conventions by creating a villain that's still feared in the same way a villain like Jason is, but instead of being seen as inhumane and a outcast is someone who is a part of your normal everyday life as this repeats and varies conventions of horror movies and also plays on themes of never being free from danger.