Horrorewind

Final Digital Artefact

Contextual Essay:

My project was devoted to researching different ways in which fear manifests within horror culture. I focused on reviewing horror films and escape rooms because there are only a few clear, useful reviews of horror movies, and I couldn’t find any good reviews of horror escape rooms at all. My main goal was to explain how each sub-genre creates fear and through which techniques of frightening, and then to curate a selection of horror films or quests that reflect these methods.  I also wanted to show that horror is not only about being scared; if a person chooses a good horror with a sub-genre that suits him, he will also be able to get much more emotions than just fear. I was also interested in whether I could fit into the horror review niche on YouTube as a creator of short-form content, because most existing content in this genre I saw was long-form video format.

My project was built on the principles of the Design Thinking process and F.I.S.T. ( fast in expensive simply tiny) (Mallory, 2025).  I structured my methodology through research, planning, production, post-production, and feedback/testing(Hanafy, 2025). At first, I analyzed horror subgenres and chose one for my first video, and also prepared a list of horror movies and quests, which I used in my videos. Then I wrote the scenario and created a mood board to understand what visual elements I should include to create tension. During the production and editing, I experimented with lighting, visual effects, and editing to make videos more attractive.

The social utility of my project is to make the exploration of horror easier for people. In my project, viewers can find selections of horror films classified by sub-genres. Through which people will be able to find the sub-genre, they may like and discover an attraction to the specific technique of frightening. In addition, viewers can learn about some horror escape rooms, which are a great way for a pastime with friends. This part of the project was created to teach people to use fear as a tool for fun. In the long term, I plan to develop the project and expand the amount of information on these topics.

Through creating this project, I understand that the short-form video format has its own creative difficulties. I realized that this type of video is not designed for long and detailed explanations; people often watch these videos on the go and don’t pay attention. That’s why I had to adjust my initial concept and focus on visual storytelling and clarity, rather than long analytical commentary. Writing a brief scenario seemed to be difficult, but through this, I learned how to express complex ideas in a simple way. I also improved my editing and storytelling skills, learning how to keep viewers engaged just in few seconds. Beyond media-related skills, I learned to manage time effectively, stay confident when challenges appear and think creatively.  Feedback from viewers helped me to understand what should be changed: my speech is too fast, and the visuals should be more diverse. Through creating this project I learned how to turn complexity into clarity and to communicate with the audience through distinctive visual storytelling.

Videos:

References:

  1. Staff, Coursera. “14 Essential Digital Content Creator Skills.” Coursera, 2025, www.coursera.org/articles/digital-content-creator-skills.
  2. Mallory, Michael.”What is Media Making?” BCM 114 lecture slides,2025 week 1, slide № 14-15
  3. Mallory, Michael.”Define” BCM 114 lecture slides,2025 week 2, slide № 14-17
  4. Hanafy, Mira. “Things to think about for your methodology” BCM114 tutorial slides, 2025, week 3, slide № 6
  5. Mallory, Michael.”STRATEGIES AND METHODS” BCM 114 lecture slides,2025 week 3, slides № 12-14
  6. Mallory, Michael.”Value and Social Utility” BCM 114 lecture slides,2025 week 4, slides № 11, 14-17
  7. Mallory, Michael.”Feedback and Media Making” BCM 114 lecture slides,2025 week 7, slides № 13-15
  8. TED. “The Secret to Giving Great Feedback | the Way We Work, a TED Series.” Youtu.be, 2025, youtu.be/wtl5UrrgU8c?si=ZaEnRxejV3G4mSrQ. Accessed 6 Dec. 2025.
  9. Hamilton College. “How to Engage Your Audience and Keep Them with You.” Hamilton College, 2019, www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/oralcommunication/guides/how-to-engage-your-audience-and-keep-them-with-you.
  10. Cozma, Ioana. “Short Form vs Long Form Video Content: The ULTIMATE Guide to Pick the Right One for Your Marketing Goals [+ Insider Tips] – InBeat Agency.” Inbeat.agency, 24 May 2024, inbeat.agency/blog/short-form-vs-long-form-video-content.