Research

Specifically in the genre of horror lighting is very crucial in creating the perfect tone and scare for a scene. There are many different ways of incorporating lighting into a scene to make it spooky and suspenseful. For example...

uplighting:The light shown onto an object or person with a flashlight.

backlighting:Putting light on the background but keeping some light on the characters
silhouette, making the character a mystery creating suspense.

Spotlighting:Placing light on only one specific spot, with no other light around it.

underexposure:Mainly used on characters attempting to hide as much of the character as possible creating tension and suspense.

harsh light:Creates sharp shadows of an object or shadow hiding it from the audience.

projected shadows:Usually used on the character of a slasher to use the element of mystery.




All of these lighting techniques are used to create a greater tension of suspense and mystery by hiding an object or character and adding a touch of unrealism to the tone for a greater scare. The most popular lighting used in horror movies in general is low-key lighting, dim hue, and shadows all adding to the recycled of not being able to see exactly what is going on and not feeling safe.








Sound Effects
The typical sound effects used in horror movies are the creaking of a door or wood in general, the distant sounds of a wild animal, most commonly used is the howl of a wolf. Many foleys are used in horror movies as well, for example in A Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy Krueger wears a glove with knives sticking out of them and when he scratches the knives against a surface the sound was created by using a chalkboard and scratching against that. There are even more original sounds made such as the clicking of the monster in the predator.In addition to these sounds used in horror the music in the background is just as important, it provides the causes of a heart rate to increase. Typically darker toned sounds that usually start off slower and speed up in pace. Instruments used to help create the sound are the waterphone and the themin. This all gives the producers the power of controlling how much is revealed about the characters and helps with setting the tone for the rest of the movie as well as within the scenes.