The Art of Horror Storytelling

Have you ever wondered what goes into making horror movies—how they build suspense and keep you on the edge of your seat? Well, that's exactly what I’ll be exploring. I have four resources: a podcast featuring the directors of The Heretic, a blog about the history of horror, a short documentary on the importance of sound effects in horror films, and an image showing behind-the-scenes moments from The Nun. I'll also be referring back to Brian Caroll's textbook Writing and Editing for Digital Media. Each of these resources offers a unique glimpse into the world of horror filmmaking.

The 4 resources are accessible below:

• The Directors Cut Episode 514
• Horror Film History
• How Sound is Used to Create Suspense in Horror Movies
• iHorror Image of the Nun

Image Credit: IMDb

Let's start with The Director's Cut podcast, where the hosts interview three directors of The Heretic: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, and Michael Mohan. Beck and Woods discuss how they wrote the script and what it was like co-directing the film. The podcast delves into more details about the movie’s development and key production aspects that helped bring it to life. The Heretic is a movie about two Mormon girls who visit a man's house to share their religion, only for him to manipulate them with mind games, making them question their faith. This psychological thriller/horror film was released in November 2024, making it a great resource for examining how horror movies are made today.

The next topic that I want to discuss is the Horror Film History Blog written by Katrina Wilson. In it, she provides a detailed timeline of horror movies and the innovations that improved their quality. Wilson highlights the most popular horror films of each century and their cultural significance during those time periods. Over the years, different horror subgenres have emerged, many of which have had major cultural impacts. During the 1920s, silent horror films about war were the most popular due to the aftermath of World War I. In the 1950s, giant monsters and creatures dominated the horror scene, and in the 1970s, the slasher subgenre emerged. Horror has evolved over the years as culture changes and people discover new fears.

Image Credit: MovieWeb

The next topic is the one that I find most interesting, we will talk about sound effects in horror Films and how each little detail is important. Caroll says that good storytelling should include both surprise and suspense, and sound is one way horror films evoke those emotions in their audience (p. 131). Movie Insider uses the horror movie The Invisible Man as an example of how sound was used to build tension. Insider speaks with Leslie Bloom, the co-founder of Alchemy Post Sound, about the impact of sound in horror movies and how he creates these effects. There are more intricate sound details involved in filmmaking than most people realize. They compare two scenes to demonstrate how silence can be a powerful tool for building suspense and tension. Bloom also explains how sounds can be layered to create new combinations.

Image Credit: iHorror

Finally let's talk about the image above from the Nun which shows the behind-the-scenes of the movies. This image illustrates how cameras should be positioned and how the scene is arranged to capture the best shot possible. Scene design and lighting play a crucial role in filmmaking. The direction and intensity of light can dramatically alter the mood of a scene. According to Carroll, engaging multiple senses can help immerse the audience in the story (p. 131). Behind-the-scenes work plays a crucial role in the storytelling process of a horror movie, and even the smallest details can have a significant impact on the overall film.