Monday 20 June 2011

Early Research - The Codes and Conventions of Vampire Films

While most genres of films have more clear codes and conventions as they are not completely set in stone but act more as guide lines, the ones for vampire films differ depending on the route taken by the director or writers. Originally, vampire films started of firmly in the horror and supernatural genres. Films like "Nosferatu" portrayed the vampires as monstrous beings to provoke fear in the audience so they would identify them as the antagonists in the film. This side was also seen in Universal's "Dracula" but the Count was displayed more sophisticated and cunning compared to the previous depictions as grotesque monsters, changing the horror slightly as the audience may have known he was the vampire, a monster, but he looked and acted human. This gave early rise to subtle horror presented films and could be debated some form of psychological horror but if a incredibly basic level.

The next step they took was into science fiction where the vampire curse was now explained by scientific means (e.g. a virus etc.) This was displayed in films like "The Omega Man" and "The Last Man on Earth" which explained the virus wiped out most of humanity and only one person was left. This retained the horror elements too as it created the feeling of isolation throughout the film since the main character was forced to try and survive but was slowly driven mad like seen in the latest adaptation "I am Legend" even though they aren't called vampires. Another film to sort of use this method was the film "Blade" which changed the codes and conventions again as it took a more action inspired route due to the source material being based of a comic. It also made the lead character part vampire himself (half vampire - half human) which was new to films but common in literature, this created a different feeling with the audience as they supported someone who was like the villains in the film but they could believe in the character as vampires were displayed as much stronger then normal humans so he was the only one who could really fight them.

Apart from the mash of genres vampire films tend to blend together, the most important thing that influences them is the "lore" of the vampires themselves. The lore is the rules the vampires follow in the media form they are in which can also change from product to product. The original Dracula wasn't harmed by sunlight in the book but in the film he was and other television shows like The Vampire Diaries, but not if they have a certain ring etc. The lore can vary wildly so it keeps the creative potential open for my trailer but also makes it more complicated as I will need to set my "lore" and pick which possible genres to include so I can be more concise with my trailer.

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