Category: Horror Cinematography and Design
Research Log
The Architecture of Fear: Why Certain Spaces Feel Wrong
Introduction The unsettling nature of certain architectural space, and architecture of fear if you like, is an interesting topic and has, for a long time, been a point of discussion in fields such as psychology, phenomenology, and horror studies. Some environments evoke a primal fear that seems disconnected from any immediate threat. Architectural spaces have…
Research Log
The Future of Horror Gaming – BAFTSS Horror SIG Panel
This week, I had the honour of chairing a panel discussion for the British Association of Film, Television, and Screen Studies (BAFTSS) Horror Special Interest Group. It was an incredible experience to explore the evolving relationship between horror games and screen media, diving into how aesthetics, narratives, and technology shape interactive fear. I was privileged…
Research Log
Dynamic Weather: Amplifying Atmosphere in Horror Games
Dynamic weather systems have revolutionized the interactive world of video games. Weather is bigger than us, it has no sympathy for or fear of us and regardless of how powerful we become as a species, weather still has the power to crush us like ants! This makes the inclusion of weather systems in horror games…
Research Log
Horror Gaming Reflections 2024.
2024 has been one hell of a year! It’s been full of transformation, discovery, and more than a few late-night horror game marathons. As a horror gaming academic and blogger, I’ve had my fair share of personal wins, professional milestones, and creative breakthroughs. One highlight was creating my Christmas horror cinematic, ‘Mouse’s Tail,’ which blends…
Research Log
The Art of Fear: How Camera Movements Shape Cinematic Terror
Why do horror films and games grip us so powerfully, leaving us hanging on the edge of our seats with memories that haunt us long after the movie or game is over? It’s not just grotesque monsters, convincing ghosts or eerie soundtracks. Horror is an artform, an artform painted through the lens of the camera.…