Psychological Affects of Sound in Horror Productions (12/8-12/12)

   Production companies and script writers tend to utilize psychology within horror films. Sounds tends to carry frightening affects when used properly, and directors who work in association with composers take advantage of this feature in order to scare audiences even more with auditory facets as well as visual. To achieve proper atmosphere and tone evocation, score composers and sound managers must consider how hearing a certain pitch will be received by the viewership. V Renee reflects upon the most terrifying sounds in horror film history: "...the cawing from The Birds...the screeching violins from Psycho..."
   So why do sounds make us scared? Stylistic affects such as repetition of background beat and sound motifs create ominous atmospheres as well as a signal for foreshadowing. The article states that "The 'It's Okay to Be Smart' episode explains that there are two ways that sounds can be scary: by being sudden, or by generating a "frightful" tone. And sound causes an interesting reaction in the brain in terms of fear that is quite different from the reaction the brain experiences from seeing something scary." From an evolutionary perspective, humans retain sound faster than the brain processes sight. So, in primitive situations sound acted as defense from predators and potential danger (this can be reflected in the behavior of animals today as most maintain acute auditory senses to keep aware of their surroundings.) Accordingly to psychological studies conducted by the APA (American Psychology Association), the "fight-or-flight" response is more highly triggered by sound.
   Horror films tend to use "nonlinear sounds" that include rapid frequencies, nonstandard harmonies, loud pitches, noise, and cacophony (with sound from dialogue). These types of sounds commonly utilized in films such as Paranormal Activity, Psycho, and Bates Motel, are made by the theremin and trautonium (early electronic musical instruments controlled without physical contact), which are better known as Shepard Tone, a sound consisting of a superposition of sine waves separated by octaves, which gives the illusion that the tone is getting increasingly lower or higher.

This YouTube link explains this in extensive detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5qf9O6c20o.

Sound psychology is such an important aspect of horror movies. I find it interesting how pivotal it is to create the perfectly suspenseful sound. As I've learned from personal experience, many viewers tend to cover their eyes in fear of what is to be visually displayed, so sound must be subsidiary sense to complement the other when it is missing. Researchers have also found that audiences are much less scared when watching horror films without sound since the brain is not producing the message that signals your cognitive processes to prepare for danger.

Renee, V. (2013, November 1). The Sound of Horror: Why Hearing Stuff is Scarier Than Actually Seeing

     Stuff. Retrieved December 11, 2014, from nofilmschool.com website: https://www.youtube.com/

     watch?v=w5qf9O6c20o

How the "Insidious" Series is Storming the Industry through Social Media (12/1-12/5)

   With the prevalent emergence of digital technology and connected communication being incorporated increasingly into general society, horror film companies and distributors have turned to social media as their outlet for marketing these movies. Grag explains that, "Hollywood or Bollywood, both the worlds are making an active presence on this medium and are trying to influence the users by swaying them with their fascinating campaigns." One recent production, Ouija (2014), utilized "Snapchat" ( a picture-messaging app) to post video clips and trailers featuring scenes from the movie in order to incite fans as well as connect to target audiences on easily accessible platforms. Widespread attention to elaborate campaigns and interactive, user-friendly sites creates intimacy with moviegoers, especially those anticipating the continuations of the Insidious series.
   Through Facebook, the Insidious fan-base expanded with the film's page reaching approximately 2.9 million likes. Status updates, replies to messages, and feedback to comments were used to obtain constant interaction on a global scale. Still-shots, cast interviews, and sneak-peek videos were posted to retain viewer attention as well as to continuously provide users with fresh content. One specialized strategy maintained in the beginning of the process was known as 'Casting Call', where submissions were accepted to potentially receive small roles in the movie. Users asked to share their knowledge and admiration for the series as well as offer trendy hash tags that increased the brand's recognition.

   Twitter was an immense aid in the film's promotion. It served as a manner for users and company media representatives to 'blog' alongside users. Tweets posted included video clips, soundtrack information, and dialogue snippets; the aim was to keep viewers wanting more until the movie's release. The account retained about 4100 followers in total. A goal of social campaigning was to incite "viral" awareness by "retweeting" trending hash tags, creating a worldwide following throughout the course of the film. Grag states," It is very common to use the trending feature of Twitter for these movies such that as and when people start talking about them, they become a globalised trend and the virality increases automatically." The series is set to have a new addition added in 2015, entitled Insidious: Chapter Three. 

   Social media is one of the most widely used forms of communication and interaction in the modern Digital Age of this emerging generation. The film industry is taking advantage of the opportunity to reach users daily and connect in ways that engage moviegoers, creating the sense that viewers are part of the experience. By constantly updating, I, as a potential viewer, will be more likely to have the desire to watch the film; therefore, making the social media outlet an effective strategy for marketing and brand recognition. Twitter and Facebook pages have also already been created for the upcoming chapter to the series being released in  2015 known as Insidious: Chapter 3.


Garg, R. (2014, September 19). Insidious- Chapter 2, social media it is [blog]. Retrieved December
4, 2014, from SocialAppsHQ website: http://www.socialappshq.com/blog/2013/09/19/
insidious-chapter-2-social-media-it-is/