The protagonist, Kruger is dressed in red, symbolising death and blood. He is wearing a black trilby hat, covering one eye. His face is scarred and distorted and he lacks any form of human qualities. His right hand has blades instead of fingers, making him a unique horror figure. His body language suggests that he is ready to pounce of us, his audience and slash us with his sharp fingers.Freddie Kruger: A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Michael Myers: Halloween.
Myers is dressed in overalls, suggesting his occupation before he became the evil protagonist of this movie. His face is completely covered by a mask made from cloth with several tears and rips in it. This suggests to the audience that there is an enigma and air of mystery surrounding this character. He stands tall with a muscular frame to portray his strength and in his right hand he has a butchers knife.
Chuckie: Childs Play.
Chuckie is clearly a doll dressed in a shirt and overalls. It is apparent that he would have been a common and desirable toy amongst youngsters, before he was possessed. Chuckie’s clothes are b
attered and he has a terrifying expression on his face, portraying his many battles with his victims. Chuckie stands over his latest victim, a young boy and is the more dominant of the two, suggesting a grim end for the boy.
Jason: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Here Jason wears a white plastic mask, as to not reveal his identity. He is dressed in dirty working overalls and appears to have a chain around his neck, referring back to the title of the movie, and Jason’s strength. As an audience and indeed a victim of Jason, we cannot see his eyes and therefore creates more terror and fear.
Scream: Scream Movie.
Scream is a hooded and masked figure who represents the grim reaper. As the grim reaper represents death, audiences will be instantly petrified of this character. The mask is used to disorientate his victims, as they cannot see the movement of his eyes nor the expression on his face.
Leslie Vernon: Behind the Mask.
Vernon is dressed in a ripped, off-white shirt with a pair of dungarees. His face is painted however he does not have a mask suggesting his fearlessness. The face paint could also suggest a split personality, where Vernon becomes evil once his face has been painted. Vernon holds a scythe, much like the grim reaper, directing it towards the audience.
Norman Bates: Psycho.
This image is different from the rest as the protagonist doesn’t look scary or wear a mask. Bates is dressed smartly in a shirt and coat. His hair is brushed and his appearance seems neat. This could suggest that he is seen as a normal civilian by his neighbours however, is hiding a dark and evil secret. He looks at the camera menacingly with a smirk suggesting he is psychotic.
Commonalities in Slasher Horror Protagonists.
The images of these protagonists are all similar in some way. Almost all of them wear masks, shielding their faces and suggesting to the audience that they are inhumane and sadistic. Another common feature is the use of a weapon. Most of the characters hold a knife of some kind in their right hand and direct it forcefully toward the camera. Their body language is strong, showing how powerful and in control they are and their costumes represent a struggle or fight.
The still images were taken on one of our group memebers Digital Camera. Some of the shots for example the basket ball and the shots of half the killers face, were staged. This alowed us to create a certain mise-en-scene that corresponded with our storyline. The others were taken whilst on location where we were able to gain more realistic shots. The use of both staged and natural shots alowed us to chose from a wide range of stills for our film poster and magazine.
-Original Flat Plan-
