Pros and cons of horror:

After studying the horror genre very closely, I have composed a list of the pros and cons for this particular genre. Prior to composing this list, I had already kind of decided that I wanted to create a social-realism opening sequence; however, I thought that creating a list for the horror genre would be a beneficial thing to do, as it would help me come to a final conclusion as to what genre I will choose.


When working within the horror genre, there are numerous things that I'd need to consider during the filming process. My production could easily go from brilliant to terrible, unless I think about all the pros and cons involved.


Pros

• Creating a horror opening sequence would allow me to focus on a new style, as I've never created a horror production before! It would widen my media knowledge; therefore, I think it could be a very beneficial thing to do.
• Creating a horror opening sequence would involve little acting, as there isn't much dialogue in horror films - the sound is mainly non-diegetic, unless the story-line is very complex.

Cons

• A suitable location for horror would be extremely hard to find, unless I was willing to travel quite far. My opening sequence could very easily become tacky, as I don't live anywhere that is suitable for horror. I live near locations which consist of trees, which could work well with this genre; however, wooded areas are very cliche in horror films. Horror can be a very closed genre, with little room for creativity.
• Finding actors would be a difficult task, as I would need people that would be willing to act seriously whilst being filmed, in order to make my opening sequence more realistic. I have a number of friends who are interested in drama, but using friends could make things even more difficult, as they may mess around, and take advantage of the fact that I'm their friend, rather than their director.
• Suitable costumes for horror may be quite expensive, as I'd need to purchase special cosmetics/items of clothing, in order to make my opening sequence realistic. Halloween was a very good opportunity  to buy things such as fake blood etc, but I was unsure at this time as to which genre I wanted to do.
• Scaring my audience effectively would be very difficult, as (mentioned above) my actors may not act seriously at all times.
• Lighting issues may be a problem (for example, if I wanted to film at night). I'd have to plan my light sources very carefully.