In order to make a horror work, there needs to be an 'evil' character in the story otherwise known as a villain. Their role is as the antagonist, the one who tends to have a negative effect on other characters and constitutes an important evil agency in the plot. The villain is a foil to the story's hero/heroes and is an obstacle the hero must struggle to overcome. There are contrasting traits between the two characters, from heroic traits to villainous ones. In my teaser I aim to make a clear distinction between the two.
In many horrors, it is common for villains to do acts for wish-fulfillment. A convincing villain must be given a characterization that makes their motive for doing wrong convincing. Roger Ebert, a film critic commented that "each film is only as good as its villain. Since the heroes and the gimmicks tend to repeat from film to film, only a great villain can transform a good try into a triumph." A villain in which inspired my idea to characterise my villain is Jigsaw, who's profound role is in Saw. The character after a failed suicide attempt, experienced a new respect for his own life and set out to put others through deadly trials to help them appreciate their own lives by their will to live through self-sacrifice. His past and new person is similar to the idea in my own, as Fearane in my teaser previously suffered in an abrasive childhood which led him into teaching his victims the meaning of life by also putting them to the test. However, the test in Fearane is also psychological as well as being physical, to create more pathos unlike the physical intensity in Saw.
Every villain needs an name so we as an audience can identify with them, and the name choice was essential when naming my villain. The jigsaw name was given by the media for his practice of cutting puzzle pieces out of flesh of those who failed their ordeals and perished, symbolic of their missing survival instincts. As the name jigsaw was chosen down to meaning, I felt is was necessary to choose a name which is unique, leading to the choice of Fearane. The first part, fear, is a term humans experience when afraid which not only reflects how Fearane felt as a child, but also his character giving off this effect.
Another pointer essential when characterising the villain in a horror film is their person. Jigsaw is mysterious who kidnaps people he sees as wasting their lives and attempts to 'save' them which is ironic. This is accomplished by administering inhumane tests consisting of mechanical devices rigged to maim or kill the subjects or other victims if not completed within a certain time period. Although my villain Fearane also kidnaps those who question or justify the meaning of existence, he performs tests between his uppermost victims who know each other. When a question is answered wrongly, that is when they suffer the physical pain. He has no intention to ever release his victims from the torture put upon them, put sustains their suffering till eventually the victims lives are taken from them naturally. Unlike jigsaw, he intends for his victims to die as that is what satisfies the pain he earlier suffered in his own life.
Due to having such successful villains, films manage to earn an extremely high revenue even when behind other horror. Despite Saw ranking 3rd behind The Grudge and Ray, it still went on to gross $103.1 million in 9 weeks in theatres, with $18,276,468 earned on its opening week-end. The villain therefore was one of the highest points to consider when making my teaser trailer, as it determines the success of the overall film.
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