Pros and Cons of Monster Horror as a Sub-Genre

Pros and Cons of a Monster Horror:
The sub-genre of monster horror is open to interpretation, with different themes that can be used e.g.: zombies, vampires, werewolves etc... The good things about having a monster horror film is it is clear from the start what side are the protagonists and what side are the antagonists. Also with this sub-genre there is a broad selection of ideas that can be used when making the film as there are different beings that can be focused in on. Also the camera time that you see a werewolf for in a film may only be a split-second and this means that the acting is kept to a minimum.

The disadvantages of using this sub-genre are that there will likely be complications as to getting a suitable location e.g.: in the opening scene of 28 Days Later, Central London is used and as year 12 media students we would be unable to shut down several streets in Central London to get any footage from.
Another disadvantage is that the costumes used can either look effective or silly and this can change the film from being a horror to being a comedy if the make-up and costume looks as though it was done in 5 minutes. To make the costumes look authentic we would need to spend a lot of time working on make-up if we did vampires or zombies and time producing an effective mask that may only be shown for a split-second if we did a werewolf film.

Deconstruction of '28 Days Later' Opening Scene as a Monster Horror.

For me, the opening scene of 28 Days Later clearly demonstrates many of the key conventions that are expected from a monster horror. At this point the only backstory we have is a rage virus being released and after 28 days, a carrier patient (Jim) wakes up from a coma. I chose to deconstruct and break this film opening down to illustrate the concepts used when making a monster horror (in this case, the monster being zombies).
Sound:
In the background throughout this scene, there is a low and quiet soundtrack playing which helps to build suspense and give the film an ominous theme to it, this ties in with the genre as horror films need tension/suspense to foreshadow what is to come.
Jim's desperation is shown when he calls out and the echo that follows shows his loneliness from the world as there is no contact with anyone else at this point, this builds tension as no one would want to be in a situation where you are on your own.
Location:
Another technique of note is the location that has been used. In the vast majority of zombie horror films, the location will be either an isolated and empty cottage house/outback forest area where human activity is at a complete minimum. In this scene, Central London has been portrayed as trashed and abandoned. The contrast from a city filled with life and constantly being kept clean going to empty streets covered in litter. To carry this out, streets were blocked off and collected bags of trash were used to cover the streets.
Camera Shots:
A lot of the shots in this scene are extreme long shots apart from those used to show Jim's facial expression, which are all medium shots. By using the extreme long shots, thereby making Jim appear small and insignificant, the weight of the situation is expressed. By showing a now empty city, an ominous atmosphere is created and tense as we wait to see some other sign of life that we are deprived from in this scene.

Deconstruction of 'Halloween' Opening Scene as a Slasher Horror

I think that the opening scene to Halloween (1978) is a typically great example of an original slasher movie, displaying many generic codes and conventions, and effective cinematography to achieve its effect.
The scene begins with two adolescences, alone in the house kissing on the sofa. The dark lighting of the outside establishes that it is night time, and the slow, brief pan over the pumpkin makes the audience aware that it is Halloween; which immediately has spooky and dangerous connotations that set the atmosphere straight away. The entire opening is filmed using a point of view shot in the eyes of the killer, combined with hand held camera movement to make the view seem realistic, unsteady and uncomfortable - which is effective because it makes the audience feel uneasy and very involved and up-close to the action happening right before their eyes. Furthermore, the shot is one smooth cut right up until the unmasking, lacking in any kind of jumpy editing. This makes the scene very seamless and slow paced, building up the tension gradually. 

A lot of low-key lighting is used in the darker areas of the house, creating shadows and casting grey light. Where there are lamps on, the warm light is dim and shadows are lightly spread over some areas, showing how no one else is home, and the rooms are still and empty. Furthermore, as the killer approaches the girl's room with his weapon, mise en scene elements such as her frilly lamp suggest that this girl is sweet and innocent, juxtaposing against her sexual behaviour with her boyfriend and the fact she is wearing a lack of clothing. This helps to achieve the surprise of the attack, and corresponds with typical slasher conventions; such as the first victim who is often promiscuous, and the killer being masked and unidentifiable. 

Lastly, the non-diegetic score is a constant, ringing high pitched shrill, which only faintly changes in key, with accompanying slow piano chords, to build suspense and tension throughout. At the attack. a loud crescendo sounds to enhance the fear and shock of the character, with the eerie ringing continuing right until the end to leave suspense lingering in the scene. The music gets more and more intense toward the end of the scene when the killer (Michael) is unmasked as a little boy, and so to emphasise this uncovering, the score gets louder, drops in key, and the camera zooms put at a high angle to display the small boy with his weapon highlighted in the moonlight. This makes the audience feel shocked, and makes the scene appear much more scarier, although the location is simply in the front garden of a normal house.