The Psychology of Scary Movies

Please consider supporting us on Patreon: / filmmakeriq
Take the full Filmmaker IQ course on the Psychology of Scary Movies with sauce and bonus material at: filmmakeriq.com/courses/psych...
Let’s go deep in the human mind and dissect our fascination with fright - exploring 8 theories on way we are attracted to the dark.
If you have any further questions be sure to check out our questions page on Filmmaker IQ:
filmmakeriq.com/balcony_categ...

[@S.T.A.R]

"Horror films don't create fear, they release it." ~ Wes Craven ♡

[@ThePodcastStudioMiltonKeynes]

Whose watching in 2020 and heard him say "in fear of a viral pandemic"??

[@theneedle6785]

Fear of those using a viral pandemic to further special interests ...

[@frankincisco]

wow I love this guy. really amazing how he explains things. This is gold for other filmmakers. Thank you very much.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

+Frank Christian Marx Thank you for your kind words.

[@casperes0912]

I'd like to just second the original comment. This really is gold, and your videos have been helping me a lot. I'm studying filmmaking, and I feel like I'm getting better and getting better ideas from watching your videos. You sort of expand my tool belt in a way, not always by handing me new tools, but also by reminding me of ones I rarely use Thank you

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Thanks Casper!! That really means a lot to us.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

We use After Effects for all the animations and the lettering is from a template called Blackboard - each letter must be placed individually.

[@potenvandebizon]

That look and intonation at 'erotica' is just priceless.

[@bryanlathrop3492]

Mistermaarten150 you got 69 likes

[@mimilils9335]

100th like! Woo

[@DIYCameraGuy]

I can't imagine the amount of research you must have put into this show. Thanks for sharing.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

The chalk sound effects are actually essential, we've tried it many ways and this feels the most natural.

[@chickennuggets1837]

ok

[@drewsmith5614]

This guy is good at explaining things!

[@ohigetjokes]

I've been researching horror - this is the first time I've found something that wasn't just nonsense. THANK YOU for this! Subscribing!

[@RatchetandSly]

Way he said "erotica" made me very uncomfortable. lol

[@dirtmark64]

For me personally, there's another reason why I watch horror movies. They are like magic tricks. Sure, it's cool to see them working, but trying to find out how they did it or revisiting a movie you read about how they pulled of the gorier parts is what I mainly get out of horror, especially splatter. However, this feeling is not exclusive to splatter, as it's always great to look at great filmmaking or indulge in B-movies which clearly were way too ambitious for their budget. If I were to pick a favourite movie genre, it would definitely be horror, as it is one of the most versatile, creative, and innovative because it needs to be, in order to appeal to an audience getting tired of old fashioned cliches way more easily than in other genres. It's also a teriffic starting point for many directors since it has always been a huge sector of indie moviemaking. It's such a shame that everytime a horror movie is critically acclaimed nowadays it gets called psychological thriller or mystery thriller instead because the horror genre has a needlessly bad image in the public perception just because it's not as accessible as comedy for instance.

[@mariewelsh1487]

Fnffg VFC mfggc van begb vjcdx hbfdfg

[@bignasty389]

This is some seriously good stuff. It's videos/channels like these that I come across by happenstance which remind me how incredible it is that I live in a time where not only is quality, entertaining, and educational material readily available for my consumption but that same material costs hardly more than the time used to watch it.

[@Ricadamu]

I really appreciate the research and commitment to the content this channel puts out. Really easy viewing and you just leave feeling that much smarter. Very well done.

[@Michael-hp2pe]

Thanks John, appreciate all the videos you've made. They're a pleasure to watch!

[@user-sy4jl3vs2t]

Your videos and lessons help me a lot with my current school project about the genre horror. You deserve a very big "Thank You!" and - 'cause filmmaking is very interesting anyway - my subscription. :D

[@thewiseman80]

love your videos john, really educational. you learn an awful lot in such a short space of time. Im a fellow filmmaker and film student, i am recommending your videos to others to watch. currently in pre production stage for a film noir movie i am writing directing and shooting for university, i am going to try some of the tools you have suggested. thanks and keep up the great work.

[@naeemahmadi5507]

your channel is one of the most informative channels i watch on youtube if not the best...awsome

[@AkoPanotti]

You really like Scarlett Johansen don't you

[@lmsorenson8503]

Who doesn't? ;)

[@softsoundriver]

You definetly deserve more subscribers! Greetings from Berlin

[@willgetcarriedfornudes1417]

I love horror movies and games because I love the rush I get of being scared.

[@iTzMattz]

Fantastic video. The level of substance and depth earned you a subscriber and tons of referrals.

[@ThomasLuca]

Loved this one John, Thank You. FilmmakerIQ is awesome

[@martinmoselarsen3175]

The Filmmaker IQ videos are great! They are not filled with tons of different effects; John slides down, John slides in from the right and scales up and down. He wears a red shirt. There is a red frame with white letters and a little whoosh sound - and that's about that! :-) No teenager gone crazy in a PowerPoint candy store raid! One thing that makes these videos really stand out from the masses though is, that there is no background music! :-) (Many KZbin videos have background music that, at times, almost drown the sound of the speaker)

[@Snooperking]

My opinion this channel is so much better and more professional than IndyMogul and FilmRiot and all those other channels. They point out everything in film and i absolutely love it.

[@mindlessgreen]

There has to be phenomenal effort going into these videos. These are almost better than university lectures.

[@adamdonovan88]

Applause. This is amazing. I've followed this channel for a year or so, I'm disappointed I just discovered this one today.

[@lavoie84qc]

Always happy to see a new video from you in my subscribe list. You are the best.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Look in the description for a link to the history, we can't post that on KZbin right now

[@dave1812]

Your Videos are so great! So well researched and well organized

[@TRASHFilmfestival]

It´s always a pleasure to watch your Lessons. Very inspiring and motivating. Keep up the great work !

[@mariewelsh1487]

Schools vi Facebook vc já fez graça hj hj moaefrdqwe do Gugu bnvd não

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Thank you so much Richard!

[@timespace.productions7513]

Everyday I look to see if Filmmaker IQ posts new videos. I wait patiently to be educated & entertained. These videos aren't just instructional. They represent the passion for Cinema & its emotional relevance...

[@KellyManningNZ]

Great! Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to seeing more of your videos too :)

[@Netpobny]

smoothly put together, nice flow on effect and educational

[@moustikdu91]

It is women who love horror. Gloat over it. Feed on it. Are nourished by it. Shudder and cling and cry out, and come back for more. -Bela Lugosi

[@Russianbeardedman]

Loved the video. Great information. Thank you!

[@martintroy]

Thank you for these informative videos. You're a very good teacher,

[@CharlesTheClumsy]

You are clearly one of my favorite subscriptions. And I have almost 200 subscriptions.

[@karennorris7880]

Fascinating stuff. Thank you!

[@lorenam4458]

Wow! You are amazing. I'm doing a research and this gave me some ideas about Spanish cinema. Thank you.

[@STOMPINon8]

You do amazing informative videos, i listen and watch all the time while at work. Check your spill suppressor though, those bits of green in your glasses should be easy to remove. Keep it up !!

[@DonaldSimsProduction]

Enjoyed your thesis. Thank you for sharing.

[@oelverlust8250]

I lost it when you started showing Scarlett Johanson.

[@AgoraMediaTv]

I'm with you, I know what you mean :)

[@AntonisDimopoulos]

"...and as always: Thanks for watching"... :P

[@JustinH]

Way to put work into your channel. I'm happy to be subscribed.

[@hepsabaptron00]

This guy really is a terrific presenter and has some great ideas (assuming he wrote and researched the content too!). Definitely would go if he did a lecture tour

[@euansinclair5293]

Great video. I've just come up with an idea for a horror and am hoping to start working on my 1st film within the year. Keep 'em coming.

[@zoaadilli6505]

+Euan Sinclair i wish you luck & that you may achieve succes!

[@OD2C]

How has it gone

[@AdlejandroP]

great video. you seem like a really chill guy

[@ExoEarth]

Great stuff. Nicely done. thx.

[@glassjaw2007]

really great great analysis from varios academic sources! 12:19 you seem to love Scarlet ;) speakin of which what did you think of Under The Skin? i loved that movie and consider it a masterpiece, cheers!

[@Dainius8888]

I understand and appreciate when you say that film is the ultimate art form as it combines many others and almost resembles dreaming, but what about video games? They are the same but also an interactive experience, which makes them resemble dreaming even more

[@talkingcontroller9396]

Dainius Obcarskas exactly. Videogames are the ultimate art form if done right, they can scare you off more than movies.

[@britling9101]

I think movie still resemble dreams more because in your dreams u mostly can't control it (unless it's a lucid dream)

[@asgermortensen5835]

First of. I like video games. But you'll need a way more complex fantasizing brain to hold that level of storytelling intact (Except for video games that are basically just movies with little interaction from the player). Also, if you're dreaming you're often not in a lot of control. It's not like I'm dumped into this dream and I can just go have fun with everything I want, unlike most video games. Lastly, video games are not storytelling as a film is. In the film, we are forced to watch something we simply have no control over, storytelling is an escape from our own lives. If i'm playing a videogame (say like Skyrim), i'm not being told a story, i'm making my own.

[@Kenneth-Allvn]

Dainius Obcarskas I agree video games are a great way to tell a story, but because of the constant change of technology many games of the past get lost and forgotten. Films last longer and are easier to archive in my opinion.

[@KHQMaster]

Video games will never have the prestige and appraisal that film, literature, music and other art forms receive. Video games are first and foremost created as a toy, treated as toy, and sold as a toy. The inherent fact that it is a "game" creates an audience who will reject anything that gets in the way of the game, and any attempt to push that boundary will need to be processed through a few commercial outlets (aka Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, and such) that cannot sustain any true creative renaissance in the same vain as actual art. Thus, it is impossible for local communities to create any non-commercial art spaces that will showcase and support any artistic talent and culture that one might possible get from video games.

[@cpt_nordbart]

Like a rollercoaster. You won't die but anticipating the free fall is... uhm... enjoyable?

[@theroomnumber5210]

The video only covers the instant reaction audiences have while watching a horror movie. Few things to explore - What makes certain horror movies have a lingering effect? For instance, I easily forget horror movies that ends well, like God saves from Devil, bad guy is killed and so on. But I take home my fear when the movie doesn't have a disclosure (the ones where we relax knowing the evil thing was dead but comes back to life in the last scene). I think this lingering effect is a big part of what some makers want to achieve with the audience. Rosemary's baby is one good example - No gore, no scary scenes yet left you with an uncomfortable, eerie feeling that lasted for days.

[@gedq]

Is that the problem solving bit? Horror movies trigger the problem solving bit of your brain, if it doesn't deliver a solution, a resolution, it leaves that bit of you busy?

[@Abdullahs_World]

well detailed explanation. You're my favorite movie maker all in one package guy.

[@josephgraham7753]

Adjacent to your example of a story’s value including catharsis (the horror and the pity) and learning how to change, I feel horror films & stories allow me an opportunity to experience not only the true uncanny, but to experience a sort of revelation - a chance to experience Awe and the terrifying Sublime. My favorite horror pictures do this for me, and it’s a question I pose to my students at CCA. Thanks for a great video!

[@FilmmakerIQ]

I had a strange ephany in the same regards to reality TV. It teaches how to spot personality types.

[@HunterHarpole]

you, my friend, deserve more subscribers!

[@lifewithlani2637]

Let me preface this by admitting I am an old dude. The scariest thing I ever saw as a child was "Jason and the Argonauts". Particularly the scene where Jason and company were fighting the skeletons (greatest stop-motion ever by FX master Ray Harryhausen). That scene gave me nightmares for a while. For me, it was more horrifying than Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, The Shining, and everything else that came along. I am trapped in front of my PC, binge-watching your channel. Now, THAT is scary. LOL.

[@angelinamedina1060]

Life With Lani hey how did you get over your fears

[@lifewithlani2637]

@@angelinamedina1060 As I grew older the fears went away. But I still fear two things: small spaces and high places.

[@angelinamedina1060]

Life With Lani yeah because I seen a documentary about a movie that was based on a true story and ever since that I've been really scared. I feel that eveyting that happened to that girl would happen to me. It was the movie about Emily Rose. And now I'm really paranoid I just want to know if you ever find yourself feeling like that and if you ever find yourself really paranoid. What scares me is that it was based in true story. I want to know if you ever felt like that. If so please help because I'm really scared that I will get possessed. Most likely not. But I want to know if you ever felt like that. And help me plz. The have a great day

[@lmalik1128]

Thank you for making us less scared - Aprecciated

[@peterw217]

Wow - awesome video

[@choff01]

Excellent video sir, thank you.

[@lifewithlani2637]

I am addicted to your channel.

[@joewizuber270]

definitely well explained thanks

[@goku5469]

I love how he just told Scarlett Johansson is the woman of his dreams. Get in those DM's boyo!!!

[@geekgroupie42]

Ahhhh! i just wanted to find something to watch before bed - now i have a million studies to look up!

[@PaulKretz]

13:48 - LOL :D Glad the ending followed the topic, haha.

[@dbreardon]

I really enjoy these Filmmaker IQ videos. I've learned a lot. But the one thing I wish is that they would drop the constant clicking when the words appear...hint, hint :) But regardless....thanks for all the great information!

[@rdecredico]

fantastic stuff here ... also curious about the psychology of those people that really have no affinity for the genre whatsoever ? ... i think your ideas/concepts in the last three minutes are worthy of deeper exploration and analysis (that films may exist/create a middle area between conscious and unconscious)

[@Robin_Glader]

Says "Dracula". Shows Edward Cullen. LOL!

[@HLLTAF]

Entertaining and informative!

[@dynamedion]

Nice explanation and cross-referencing of studies, but I really hoped you would have mentioned something about ghosts and apparitions - how they represent death. You touched the topic a bit, but not in its entirety. Additionally, there are horror movies my friends and I enjoy (horror-psychological with ghosts), but not other horror movies such as splatter. It would be interesting if you accumulated some information on that (or scratch that, if I have these questions, I should be the one to look it up :)). Good job, by the way.

[@danieljakubik3428]

Intelligent explanation of the appeal of horror films.

[@altfox0]

Ur like a mix of vsause and film riot thats awesome!! Keep up the good work

[@ChristopherJuul]

really great videos :)

[@mad1dk1]

Then upload them to Bibblio!!! Hehe

[@NovaJake360]

I love you're channel! Do you mind if I use some of the information from your horror videos for my speech class?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

+Jack Torrance Go for it... as you always say, "All Work and No Play makes Jack a Dull Boy"

[@ErikDanielHernandezCantu]

This video is actually pretty encouraging

[@guillermoariascusirramos3619]

Awesome !!

[@Waadee101]

Really Nice video. Thank You ! could you or would you do a similar lesson on Comedy Films.? Thanks again!

[@LucasPreti]

Damn, I love you for making these videos. James Wan really should watch this hahaha

[@RottenDoctorGonzo]

Great video. I'm not certain, however, that Aristotle's "catharsis" is in relation to pent-up or built-up negative feelings. Much of his work The Poetics was lost in a fire and even today scholars disagree on its intended meaning. Since the catharsis is experienced after the story has evoked pity and fear, it's possible that Aristotle's catharsis is a catharsis of those feelings - pity and fear - that the same story introduced in the first place. In other words "Here's a problem; stick around for the solution". As I say, there are differing views even among scholars. Again, great video.

[@ssmg]

Thanks! Making a scary video, going to use this advice.

[@MsRoshniAli]

Great Video. Thank you. Writing my first horror film...

[@wedgewizard5429]

I recently tried to explain why watching horror movies were a good thing. I wish I watched this before I tried to do that. All I had was good horror movies are exciting, and that they help explore fight or flight response, like what would you do in this situation that you've never been in? Here's how they handled it, how would you have done it?

[@Z00keeper54]

Dreaming of Scarlet Johansson was a nice touch. Good stuff.

[@TheSaiyanKing]

that part put a really big smile on my face

[@coop567coop]

really interesting!

[@JCMaldonado13]

Yay a new video

[@Morphea_DarkLight]

Tension, Relevance, Unrealism = TRU - I would add an E on the end for EVIL Horror = Tension, Relevance, Unrealism, Evil = True.

[@daisyfitzgerald9157]

You should have way more views than this.

[@eliut6855]

Fascinating stuff! Thank you. I have the theory that it is way easier to scare people (or make them cry) than to make them laugh.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Comedy is really governed a lot by culture. What one culture finds funny, may not translate into another. But what's scary is deeper - its instinctual. Even animals get scared - but not manly animals can laugh.

[@eliut6855]

Personally I think (probably feel) slapstick is not funny. Nevertheless family guy or south park makes me laugh (not lately). You should do an episode about comedy. When it works its great but when it doesn't its depressing or disturbing. Thanks for you videos BTW cheers Eliut

[@benj7483]

Wow. I was hoping for something like this to come along after that video on Vsauce about creepiness and then this happens. Best life ever.

[@jgregg1986]

Where can I find more info about or where did yours come from about Vietnam and the 60's zombies? Never heard that before. Great vid

[@FilmmakerIQ]

+john guhn Google Dr. Walters and Psychology of Horror which we gave us a lot of material for this episode.

[@MacoveiVlad]

I enjoyed this video although i was expecting it to be on the history/context of horror films, briefly touched upon here.

[@RichWellner]

What tools are you using for the chalkboard animations?

[@austinduran-guitarcovers5325]

tension - created through mystery suspense gore terror or shock + straight forward elements of horror - the craft and technique of filmmaking

[@IferGanomer]

07:50 The best example of that can be seen in movies such as Get Out

[@alexanderzurba7680]

Slasher movies or anything disturbing on television would cause certain people to be traumatized and would have to seek therapy from what was happening, weather it's fiction or based on a true story, something like that can automatically scar certain people for life.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

That Vsauce video is a good companion to this because they cover a lot of things about the "uncanny" that complete what we're talking about here.

[@ShadowFungus]

I dunnno how or why But whenever i’m overthinking or having depression i always watch horror movies And it makes my mind calm. Actually.. the anxiety is replaced by fear.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

But in a horror film you control the fear

[@jonablob117]

I think for me personally, the reason why I like horror movies(particularly slasher movies like Halloween, Friday The 13th, etc.) is because of the adrenaline rush I get when I see something scary happen like a jumpscare or a brutal death. Another reason I like them is because of the characters of the movies, plots, and as hard as it is to admit, I think it appeals to the dark side of the human mind.

[@anartismal]

lol the way he said "erotic" at 6:37